Originally Posted by
teddybear99
Most states require that a rental have some type of spare whether it be a full size or a donut, unless the vehicle comes with run flat tires. We are required to notify the local branch if a vehicle in for maintenance is missing a spare so that it won't be rented until the replacement tire/rim is installed in the vehicle.
This is from a May 2019 article on Auto Slash. If anyone is going to know how the car rental industry works, it's Auto Slash. (Emphasis mine)
"Increasingly, new cars are sold without spare tires. That's entirely legal, and
it's also legal for a rental car company to rent a car without a spare tire. When a rental car is issued, the company has to provide a car in operating condition and the renter is responsible for any damage that occurs during the contract period (such as running over road debris)."
https://www.autoslash.com/blog-and-t...-spare-a-spare