Leasing a Car Explained
By Ricky Young

Many people buy their cars, either hire purchase or with cash. But there's also the option to lease a vehicle. This happens more with businesses that offer company cars to employees. But car leasing can also seem like an attractive option for individuals, since it requires no deposit - however, you will be asked to pay a fee generally equal to the first three months' rental.

Types of Lease

An operating lease, or contract hire, means that the car is hired for a fixed period (between 18-60 months), and a fixed rental is paid, based on the anticipated mileage to be used. It can come with or without a maintenance agreement. At the end of the lease the vehicle is returned to the finance company, which re-sells it. As much as 100% of the cost of rental can be offset against taxable profits and up to 100% of VAT on the leased car can be reclaimed, depending on the situation.

Under a finance lease, the lessee takes responsibility for selling the vehicle at the end of the lease period to settle a pre-agreed residual payment. A payment equivalent to the estimated future value is payable at the end of the contract. At the end of the contract period, the vehicle is sold and if the sale amount exceeds the residual payment, the lessee keeps the difference.

There's also lease purchase, under which the lessee owns the vehicle after all payments, including the option to purchase payment at the end, are made. Lease purchase is a cheaper monthly alternative to hire purchase, the traditional method of financing, and is written on a hire purchase agreement with the protections afforded by the Consumer Credit Act. A personal lease has a residual payment incorporated into the lease. If the lessee pays it, he owns the vehicle. Alternatively, it can simply be returned to the finance company.

Your Responsibilities

When you lease a car, you're entering into a contract. That gives you certain responsibilities to take care of the car and return it in a certain condition - as with any contract you should read the small print. Different lease companies set different conditions, so sit down with your contract and read through it carefully.

You'll also need to have your car serviced at regular intervals at a franchised dealer or approved servicing agent, usually every 12,000 miles, or as specified by the manufacturer or leasing company. Unless you have a maintenance agreement on your lease, you'll need to arrange and pay for this yourself.

You'll be responsible for obtaining insurance on the car, and (depending on the type of lease) keeping up the road fund tax.

Returning the Car

You need to be very aware that the car must be returned in good condition, with an allowance for fair wear and tear. The finance company will have the vehicle inspected, and you'll be assessed a charge for excess wear and tear as shown under the guidelines of the BVRLA - British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association. Charges are most often assessed for:

• Rips, stains, burns and tears on seats.

• Damaged or scratched paintwork.

• Bodywork chips and dents.

• Damaged wheels and trims.

The bill can come as an unpleasant surprise, so about five weeks prior to returning the car; you should begin your preparations, fixing any damage, including cracked windscreens. Gather together all the keys and documentation that came with the car. If you've fitted any non-standard equipment (which should only be done with permission) it should be removed before returning the car.

Problems

If there's damage or any other problem with your car which is due to a manufacturing or design fault, then this issue is between you and the dealership, and it's your responsibility to deal with any issue before you return the car to the lease company, and ideally at the point when you notice the fault. Manufacturing and design faults can include such things as corrosion and tarnishing of exterior trim and fittings, paint or coatings peeling or falling off.

In the event of a problem between you and the leasing company that can't be resolved, you can contact the BVRLA (if the company is a member) and fill out a complaint form on their web site. They'll write to both parties to resolve the complaint. If that doesn't work, they'll forward the relevant details to a conciliation committee. You'll hear a decision within 30 working days. Using their conciliation service doesn't preclude your right to take separate action.

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