Personal car leasing is a rental agreement, known as a Personal Contract Hire (PCH). PCH agreements allow you to drive a new car based on an agreed mileage over a set period, normally over two, three or four years.
What is personal car leasing?
Personal car leasing is a cost-effective way to drive a new car. You make fixed monthly payments over an agreed annual mileage, and you choose the deposit you want to pay. This is traditionally based on a no deposit (one rental) or three, six, nine or 12 advanced monthly payments.
Personal car leasing can be treated as a form of renting, in that you drive a new vehicle, for an agreed length of time normally covering a two, three, or four-year period.
You can choose your desired vehicle by make, model and specification. You customise your contract in terms of annual mileage, the length of the contract and whether you want to include a maintenance package that covers your routine servicing and tyre replacement for a set monthly cost.
All our personal car leasing deals include road tax and breakdown cover is usually included.
Personal contract hire agreements are calculated by:
The OTR (On The Road) value of the vehicle at the start of the agreement
Your initial advance rental you decide to put down
Your agreed length of contract - two, three or four years
Your agreed annual mileage
Your admin fee
Your estimated vehicle residual value at end of the contract
Also, as you don’t own the vehicle, you have no worries or concerns regarding depreciation or resale values at the end of your contract – you just hand the vehicle back.
As long as you’ve kept to the agreed mileage and there’s no damage to the vehicle outside of fair wear and tear, then the payments will cease and you’ll have no extra charges. We will send communication reminders six months and three months before your contract end date.
What are the benefits of personal car leasing?
There are many benefits to leasing a brand-new car. Below, you can see our top ten key advantages:
You get to drive a brand-new car every few years, which means you get to drive the latest models with up-to-date technology and safety features - technology on cars forever changing so you can keep up to date with the latest fuel efficiencies and technologies
You can add a maintenance agreement to your contract that would cover all routine servicing and tyre replacement. A fixed monthly cost for the duration of your contract gives you peace of mind
You can pay less in upfront fees when you lease, compared to buying a vehicle. With our lease offers you can choose from as little as a one-month initial rental as your first payment
Most vehicles typically would lose around 50% of their value in the first three years. With car leasing, the depreciation of the car is not your financial burden as you do not own the vehicle
Most vehicles typically would lose around 50% of their value in the first three years. With car leasing, the depreciation of the car is not your financial burden as you do not own the vehicle
As with all new cars, an MOT is not needed until they are three years old - so you’ll likely never need to MOT your vehicle
With leasing vehicles supplied on a personal contract hire basis, they are supplied with road tax for the full duration of your contract
Delivery is included - this will be arranged to either your home or business address
You get to drive a new car every two to four years
You get the full benefits of the manufacturer’s warranty and manufacturer breakdown cover (if applicable)
At the end of your contract, you will avoid the hassle of selling of your car - just arrange for collection and hand the keys back
What are the potential disadvantages of personal car leasing?
It is also important to understand that car leasing is not right for everyone. You should be aware that:
You do not own the vehicle - at the end of your contract, you must hand the vehicle back
If you have a poor credit rating, then our finance providers may decline your application
You will need to take care of your vehicle, although wear and tear is taken into consideration, you may be charged for additional damages
Agreements are calculated on annual mileage. If you exceed the total contract mileage, you will have to pay the excess mileage charge. The excess mileage charge is calculated on a pence per mileage basis
Your contract will be for a specified number of years. Should you wish to terminate the contract earlier than the agreed term, the finance provider may apply an early termination fee
How does personal car leasing work?
Leasing a vehicle is an easy process - you lease a car, pay a fixed monthly rental over the term agreed and return the vehicle at the end of the term agreed. Below, you’ll find the full rental process:
1
Choose your car
2
Bespoke your lease terms to suit your budget and needs
3
Supply your personal and financial details
4
Take delivery and enjoy!
5
Arrange collection of your car before the contract end date
Who is eligible for car leasing?
Car leasing eligibility requires the following criteria:
You are aged 18 or over
Hold a full valid UK driving licence
Have a good to excellent credit score
Have a regular, secured income including a pension
Provide a minimum three-year traceable address history and employment/education history
Have no IVAs, been made bankrupt or any registered CCJs on your credit file
Have approval from one of our finance providers
Personal car leasing credit score limits
Personal application processes undergo a credit check to assess your credit rating, previous and current credit profiles and risk status. So long as you are up to date with any credit arrangements and you’re not overexposed, you will have no issues with leasing.
There are currently three main credit reference agencies in the UK that our finance funders use: Experian, Equifax and TransUnion. All three operate different scoring systems to reach a decision.
The information you provide is simple and straightforward
Personal details
Address details
Employment details
Bank details
Income and expenditure
Which car manufacturers are available?
We work with all major car brands available in the UK.
One of the main benefits of leasing a car rather than buying one is the fixed costs. After paying your initial rental, the monthly payments will be fixed for the duration of the contract, subject to VAT and road tax changes. This allows you to budget without
Personal car leasing also offers a cost-effective way of obtaining a new car, using our discount terms, tailored contracts to suit your budget and the risk of depreciation is taken away from you. It's a win-win situation.
You still get the full benefits from leasing a new car as you do with buying - you get the full manufacturer’s warranty and guarantee - but you also get the standard manufacturer’s breakdown cover.
You can drive a brand-new car every two-four years without the worry of selling it or getting a part exchange value.
Your initial and ongoing monthly payments offer a lot lower overall cost than buying outright. Let’s face it your money is better off in your bank account than anyone else’s!
All personal contract hire agreements included road tax for the full duration of your contract. So, no need to worry about renewing your road tax - it’s automatically included and paid for.
When you’re working out your mileage for your car lease, you’ll need to consider all the trips you typically make in a month.
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Try to include:
Your usual commute
Regular trips - the school run or to shops
Regular longer trips - visiting family and friends
Use this information to make an average usage minus any periods where you typically don’t use your vehicle, such as family holidays abroad.
How long is a car lease?
Car leases are typically available for two to four years but terms can be flexible to suit your needs.
Do lease vehicles come with a warranty?
Yes, Vehicle Contracts’ car leases come with the manufacturer’s warranty. Most vehicles also come with breakdown cover for added peace of mind.
Can I get an electric car lease?
Yes, we offer a huge selection of electric car leases from the majority of manufacturers.
Can the price of my lease vehicle change during the lease period?
Prices are fixed for the duration of the contract, however, they can change if there’s a change in the rates of VAT or road tax - these are quite uncommon and are usually by minimal amounts.
For more answers to our most common questions, please visit our FAQs.
Why choose Vehicle Contracts for personal car leasing?
Vehicle Contracts was established in 1999 to offer contract hire and personal contract hire. By offering these two leasing products, we can provide our customers with some of the most competitive rates available in the market.
Our experience and knowledge have helped us to form strong and professional relationships with dealers, manufacturers and the leading finance and leasing companies. Our commitment to volume allows us to negotiate maximum discount, enabling us to offer the lowest rates and some of the most competitive special offers in the market.
Having been established for over 20 years, we can offer you specialist and honest advice on all aspects of personal car leasing. We take pride in our customer service and invite feedback on an independent review site - we regularly average 4.8 out of 5 stars for our all-around service from start to finish.
Find out more about Vehicle Contracts on our about us page.
