About us
Fifteen years of doing this one thing.
Kaizen Rent A Car opened in July 2009. It was started by a rental agent who had spent years working for other people's counters and thought the job could be done with less friction. That is still the whole idea.
What the name means
Kaizen is the Japanese practice of continuous improvement — small corrections, made constantly, rather than one big overhaul every few years. It is an unusual name for a car rental company and we chose it on purpose. It is why the fleet turns over faster than it strictly needs to, and why most of our cars are under a year old.
What we actually do
Two things, mostly.
The first is insurance replacement. When someone's car is in a body shop after a collision, we supply the replacement and bill the insurer directly. We have been doing this long enough to know how each adjuster works, which is the difference between a car arriving the same day and a week of phone calls.
The second is long-term rental — weekly and monthly. People between cars, people waiting on a settlement, people who need a vehicle for a six-month contract and do not want a four-year lease. Long-term rates are quoted directly rather than priced off the daily rate.
We also do the ordinary things: a car for the weekend, an eight-seater van for a family trip, a rental while yours is in for service.
Where we are
One location, in North York: 29 Pemican Court, Unit 8, Toronto M9M 2L4. It is roughly 15 minutes from Toronto Pearson, and we pick up and drop off at the airport by arrangement. We deliver across the Greater Toronto Area.
How we've grown
Almost entirely by word of mouth, which is a slow way to build a rental company and an unforgiving one. It only works if the car is clean, the price is what you were told, and someone answers the phone. That is a lower bar than most marketing suggests, and a surprising number of companies do not clear it.
If we get something wrong, call 416-661-6166 and ask for the owner. You will get him.