The owners of Irish car rental firm Easirent have a history of leaving substantial debts behind previous businesses, according to reports. While the current Irish operation appears financially stable with retained earnings of €3.3 million and a fleet valued at over €6 million, the Hanley family, who own the company, have faced multiple business failures in the UK, leaving creditors owed millions.
Easirent.ie, registered in Ireland in 2023, operates depots near Dublin, Cork, and Shannon airports. The company is owned by the UK-based Hanley family, with Nick Hanley, 75, the founder, and his son, Paul Jon, 46, currently running the Irish business. This represents the latest in a series of car rental firms operated by the Hanleys since 1999, many of which have ultimately collapsed, leaving significant debts.
Past debts include over £2.6 million (€3 million) owed to HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) and more than £2 million to other creditors in the UK. Despite these failures, the Hanleys have consistently been able to re-establish the Easirent brand through new companies.
The Hanleys’ business history began in 1987 with Standish Self Drive, initially successful and expanding to a fleet of over 5,000 vehicles and 300 staff by 1999. However, Standish Self Hire entered administration later that year with debts of £14 million. Nick Hanley then launched Easirent, capitalizing on his ownership of nine depots used by the previous business.
This rapid re-emergence drew criticism from those who lost jobs and money when Standish Self Hire collapsed. A creditor told the Wigan Evening Post in 1999, “It galls us that while we have to absorb this debt, Nick Hanley has started afresh without a care in the world.” Hanley defended his actions, stating he needed to utilize existing leased vehicles to avoid further financial losses.
The cycle of business failure and re-establishment continued. Penfold Ltd, another Hanley-run firm, entered administration in 2009 owing HMRC £1.225 million. A pre-packaged deal allowed Hanley to repurchase the business, free of its debts, for £245,000. This was possible due to HMRC’s then-status as a non-preferential creditor.
Further financial difficulties arose in 2011, with Penfold Ltd again entering administration. Debts to HMRC reached £655,690. The business was sold to a Hanley-controlled firm, Easiassist Ltd, for £100,000, payable in installments. Unsecured creditors recovered only 6.3 pence for every pound lost.
In 2020, Easirent was placed into administration by Barclays Bank, which was owed £809,000, with HMRC debts totaling £655,690. The business was again sold to a Hanley-controlled entity, ER Capital Ltd, for £1.28 million. Hanley subsequently sold the business to Leasys S.P.A., an Italian auto financing group, in July 2021, retaining the Easirent brand.
Currently, Easirent is not a member of the Car Rental Council of Ireland (CRCI), which operates a code of practice and facilitates complaints, nor is it accredited by the Better Business Bureau (BBB) in the US. Despite this, the company has received 16 complaints to the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) in Ireland during 2023.
A long-running legal battle with EasyJet founder Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou further complicates the Easirent story. Easygroup, Haji-Ioannou’s private investment vehicle, has been pursuing legal action against the Hanleys since 2000 to prevent them from using the “Easirent” name, alleging trademark infringement.
In December 2024, Easygroup lost a trademark case in the UK, but succeeded in having a previously dissolved Hanley firm reinstated to investigate a trademark transfer. The dispute highlights Haji-Ioannou’s aggressive defense of the “easy” brand, having previously forced British indie pop band Easy Life to rebrand as Hard Life.
Hanley defended the administrations and sales as lawful insolvency processes conducted by licensed practitioners, and disputed the validity of online complaints. He stated that his other business interests, including stakes in Auto Network (GB) Ltd and Theleadagency.com Ltd, generate significant profits.
