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What is a Vehicle Leasing Agreement?
A Vehicle Leasing Agreement is a document that outlines the terms and conditions between a vehicle lessor and lessee.
The lessor is the party that owns the vehicle, and the lessee is the one leasing it.
You can use LawDepot’s Vehicle Leasing Agreement for new or previously-owned cars, utes, semi-trucks, and more. Customise our template for private or commercial purposes.
A Vehicle Leasing Agreement is also known as a:
- Car rental agreement
- Vehicle hire contract
- Car hire contract
What are the rules for leasing vehicles in Australia?
Needless to say, it’s best practice for any independent rental company or private lender to provide a standard rental agreement.
Although this isn’t a hard rule, a contract is important because it reduces the risk of misunderstandings and provides evidence for enforcing the agreement.
It is crucial, however, for your Vehicle Lease Agreement to comply with Australian Consumer Law. In general, this means that the contract should:
- Be presented clearly and explained in plain language
- Contain fair terms that don’t subjugate consumer rights
- Be made readily available to any party affected by it
The vehicle owner may also need to register their security interests on the Personal Property Securities Register if the lease is longer than two years (according to the Personal Property Securities Act 2009).
This helps ensure that the owner has priority over any other security interest in the vehicle. In other words, if a debt collector pursues the lessee, their claim to the vehicle will have less priority than the vehicle owner.
How do I write a Vehicle Leasing Agreement?
Use LawDepot’s Vehicle Lease Agreement template to create a document for a fraction of the cost of an attorney. Simply answer our user-friendly questionnaire to customise the template to your situation and jurisdiction.
A clear and specific vehicle description typically includes:
- Whether its use is primarily for business or personal purposes
- Whether it’s new or used
- Body type (e.g., sedan, semi-truck, ute, etc.)
- Year (e.g., 2022, 2023)
- Make (e.g., Toyota)
- Model (e.g., Hilux)
- Colour (e.g., black)
- Vehicle Identification Number (VIN)
What’s a VIN?
All vehicles are assigned a unique 17-character VIN ("vehicle identification number" or chassis number) when they're manufactured. To find this number, check your driver’s side door, accident reports, insurance records, or repair work orders.
Step 2: Add party details
Your document must include information about the lessor and lessee:
- Whether they’re an individual or organisation
- Full names
- Addresses
Step 3: State any warranty and insurance terms
If needed, you can apply two types of warranties to the lease:
- A manufacturer’s warranty comes with the original purchase of a vehicle. If there’s still coverage, state how many years are left on the warranty.
- A supplementary warranty may be available when the owner (or a third party) provides a warranty for repairs. This warranty may take effect when the manufacturer’s warranty expires, and it may last until the end of the lease term. If your agreement includes a supplementary warranty, state how much it will cost the lessee.
In most jurisdictions, auto insurance is a legal requirement. So, your Vehicle Lease Agreement should state the:
- Minimum insurance coverage
- Maximum deductible on fire, theft, and collision
- Gap coverage (if applicable)
What’s gap coverage?
It covers the difference between what the insurance company says the car is worth, and what the lessee would have to pay under the lease if the vehicle is destroyed. This stops the lessee from having to pay further charges.
Step 4: Customise your lease terms
Consider how these key terms may (or may not) apply to your situation:
- The lease length
- The allowable limit of kilometres (e.g., unlimited or a specified amount)
- Pricing information such as the vehicle’s value, any added fees (e.g., late fees, cleaning fees, etc.), a down payment (optional), the lease rate, payment schedules, pre-authorised payments, security deposits, and taxes
- An option to purchase
- Obligations should either party end the lease early
Step 5: Prepare to sign
You can use the “Additional Clauses” section to write a unique term that wasn’t already addressed in the questionnaire. In most cases, this won’t be needed. Consult a lawyer if you need more support about applying terms and conditions to your contract.
When you’re ready, execute your Vehicle Lease Agreement by having the lessor and lessee sign the document.
What is a Vehicle Leasing Agreement with the option to purchase?
An option to purchase allows the lessee to buy the vehicle at any time during or at the end of the lease. The purchase price will likely be the approximate residual value of the vehicle at the time of negotiations.
Please note that including an option to purchase may change the nature of the agreement from a lease to a conditional purchase contract.
In other words, if a condition isn’t met, then either party can terminate the contract. A conditional purchase contract may affect your ability to deduct the vehicle lease as a business expense.
Generally, the purchase price is the residual value of the vehicle, unless the lessee negotiates a lower price. The residual value is the estimated value of the vehicle at the end of the lease term.
Can I end the Vehicle Leasing Agreement early?
Your ability to get out of your agreement early depends on the contract and the other party’s willingness to accommodate your request.
If the other party consents to early termination without penalty, you’ll be able to end your lease without any problems.
However, the contract may include a term for early termination that requires the lessee to pay the difference between the residual value and the realized value. The residual value (i.e., the buy-out price) is the vehicle’s estimated value at the end of the lease term. The realized value is the actual sale price the owner receives for the vehicle when the vehicle is sold.
As such, it’s crucial to review your contract and communicate promptly with the other party if you need to exit the agreement early. If possible, you can use a Termination Agreement to renounce contractual responsibilities.
What happens at the end of a vehicle lease?
At the end of the vehicle lease term, the lessee returns the vehicle to the lessor.
If the lessee paid a security deposit at the beginning of the lease, the lessor will inspect the vehicle and determine if the lessee will receive their deposit back.
Besides properly maintaining your leased vehicle, lessees can better ensure the return of their security deposit by removing all personal items from the vehicle, vacuuming out the interior, and washing the exterior.
Is a Vehicle Lease Agreement a legally binding document?
Yes, when executed properly, a Vehicle Lease Agreement is a legally binding contract. As such, it’s possible for either party to take legal action against the other if someone doesn’t uphold the agreement.
A legally binding vehicle Lease Agreement must contain the following elements:
- Offer and acceptance: The lessor offers a vehicle for hire under certain terms and conditions. The lessee may negotiate some terms, but they must both agree to the contract.
- Consideration: Each party gets something valuable from the agreement. In this case, the lessee gets possession of a vehicle for a set time, and the lessor generates income from the agreement.
- Mutuality: The parties agree that they intend to enter an enforceable contract.
- Legality: The contract doesn’t contain any unlawful promises or considerations. For instance, the lessor cannot conceal any known defects; they cannot mislead the lessee about liability or insurance coverage.
- Capacity: Each party has the legal ability to sign the contract.