Originally Posted by
IAHtraveler
What was the flat due to? Puncture (nail/glass/etc), you hit a curb, tire worn out, other? That will ultimately determine the liable party.
The problem is that it would be hard to know after the fact. If the tire failure was due to a worn out tire or insufficient maintenance, then I don't think that should be the renter's responsibility, but how would you prove it? I've had tires fail on the highway and they were pretty well shredded by the time I was able to slow down and pull over to the side of the road.