Lease Takeover Quick Facts
- A lease takeover is an affordable solution for a lessee to escape a lease early.
- No lease takeover can ever occur without the participation and blessing of the lease financing company.
- There are online services that efficiently and legally broker lease takeovers.
A car lease takeover can be an attractive alternative for shoppers hunting for a late-model vehicle with a short-term lease commitment. At the same time, the option can help the original lessee escape a lease agreement without expensive early termination charges.
The practice is sometimes known as a lease transfer, lease assumption, or lease swap. No matter what you call it, a car lease takeover can benefit both parties. Still, there are some things you need to know before jumping into an arrangement. Read on to learn about taking over a car lease, how it can work to your benefit, and consider the potential drawbacks of the deal.
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- What Is a Car Lease Takeover?
- Is a Car Lease Takeover Right for Me?
- How to Transfer a Car Lease or Take Over a Car Lease
- 3 Factors to Consider Before Taking Over a Lease
- Pros and Cons of Car Lease Takeovers
- Is a Lease Takeover Good?
- Why Do People Do Lease Takeovers?
- Can You Renegotiate a Car Lease Buyout?
What is a Car Lease Takeover?
Car lease takeover is the common term for transferring a lease from the original lessee to another person. The transaction is complete after meeting the leasing company’s requirements, and the new lessee is entirely responsible for the lease agreement fees and conditions.
Is a Car Lease Takeover Right for Me?
Transferring a lease to someone who wants to take it over might make financial sense. Early termination penalties can be costly, as is a balloon payment to satisfy the balance of remaining monthly payments. There are several reasons a lessee might want to end a lease early:
- Financial circumstances
- Vehicle type no longer meets needs of family or work
- Moving to an area where an automobile isn’t needed
- Prefer a different vehicle
Assuming someone else’s lease can be a good option for drivers wanting to get behind the wheel of a newer car without a two-year or three-year commitment to a typical car lease. In many instances, taking over a lease to satisfy short-term transportation needs is more cost-effective than a long-term car rental.
How to Transfer a Car Lease or Take Over a Lease
The first step to transferring your car lease is determining whether the leasing company allows it. Check the details of your lease contract. Some companies restrict transfers when the lease is close to ending. Others might altogether prohibit the transaction. Keep in mind, the party currently leasing the car has no ownership stake. In other words, the car isn’t his or hers to alter, sell, or sublease.
Online marketplaces such as LeaseTrader.com and SwapALease.com provide services to connect leaseholders wanting to get out of their contracts with consumers seeking shorter-term leases. Using a reputable and established lease swap website can streamline the transfer process.
Potential lessees responding to advertised lease takeovers must undergo a credit check. If the person qualifies to take over the lease, both parties will complete the necessary paperwork to finalize the transfer.
When the transaction is complete, the last step for the new lessee is to register the car in their name and pay any related fees, such as lease sales tax, if required.
Pro Tip: Beware of individual advertisements for car lease takeovers or great deals that could be under the table or otherwise shady. A lease assumption is illegal and nonbinding until the original lessee’s leasing company modifies the contract and assigns it to the new lessee. In other words, you cannot simply take over someone’s lease payments without changing the contract with the lease financing company.
3 Factors to Consider Before Taking Over a Lease
Don’t jump into a lease swap without considering crucial factors that could make the deal not-so-good for you.
1. Car Mileage
All leases have a mileage cap that specifies the maximum number of miles allowed during the life of the lease. When shopping for a lease takeover, you must check the vehicle’s current mileage and how many miles the lease allows. Then, consider whether the remaining mileage is enough for your needs.
If you exceed the allowance, you’ll be responsible for excess mileage fees when the lease ends. Extra miles can cost 20 to 25 cents or more at lease-end, so be realistic when estimating your average annual mileage. You might be able to use a vehicle’s high mileage to negotiate with the current lessee, who might be willing to offer cash to offset excess mileage penalties.
2. Vehicle condition
Lessees must return cars in good condition. You become responsible for the previous leaseholder’s damage or excessive wear and tear when you take over a lease. Obtain the following about the vehicle’s condition:
- Records. Ask for paperwork showing completed scheduled maintenance. A lessee getting out of a lease for financial reasons might delay routine service.
- Vehicle history. Purchase a vehicle history report from AutoCheck or Carfax to verify the vehicle got maintained and is accident-free.
- Inspect. Hire a qualified mechanic to inspect the car. They have the skills and tools needed to detect problems beyond nicks, scuffs, and scratches.
3. Additional Costs of Lease Transfers
Calculating the cost to lease a car is more than adding the monthly payment and filling the gas tank or plugging it in if it’s electric. You have potential charges for excess mileage or wear and tear. Additionally, include other fees and costs when thinking about your budget for a car lease transfer. These are the fees and expenses:
- Credit check. The leasing company may charge you a fee for obtaining your credit report.
- Lease transfer fee. Some leasing companies charge up to several hundred dollars to transfer the contract from the original leaseholder to a new lessee.
- Sales tax. States use different methods of calculating sales tax on leased cars. Some states assess and collect the entire sales tax bill at the beginning of a lease. Other states roll the amount into the monthly lease payment. Avoid surprises by checking with your state to learn how the tax is determined and when it’s collected.
- Auto insurance. In addition to the personal liability coverage mandated by most states, the finance company leasing the vehicle will require you to carry comprehensive and collision auto insurance.
- Disposition fee. You might have a charge when you return the car at lease-end. This typical fee covers the cost of preparing the vehicle to be sold if you do not choose to buy the vehicle set in the contract.
Pros and Cons of Car Lease Takeovers
There are advantages and disadvantages to assuming a car lease.
Pros of Taking Over a Car Lease
- Short-term commitment. Car shoppers searching for a short-term lease can potentially get into a car with a year or less remaining on its original contract.
- Good deals. People needing to get out of their lease might offer cash incentives to help transfer the lease quickly.
- Warranty coverage. Newer cars typically have fewer mechanical problems, but the remainder of the factory warranty will likely reduce out-of-pocket expenses when they do.
- No down payment. You probably can avoid paying the capitalized cost reduction that is one of the fees charged when the lease begins.
Cons of Taking Over a Car Lease
- Stuck with monthly payments. The original leaseholder’s negotiations form the basis for the lease takeover payments. The amount might include a higher interest rate than what you could get with a new lease.
- Live with vehicle condition. You also inherit the vehicle condition left by the previous leaseholder. There won’t be a problem if they take good care of the car. However, you are responsible for any excessive wear or damage caused by the original lessee.
- Elusive low-mileage cars. It may be challenging to locate vehicles to swap with many miles left for you to use. Some leaseholders might be eager to transfer their contract because the car is approaching its mileage cap.
- No equity. A car lease takeover is still a car lease, and you won’t build any equity in the vehicle. You will return the car to a dealership at the end of the lease agreement or buy it at a predetermined residual value.
Is a Lease Takeover Good?
Yes, for a lessee who wants to escape a car lease without any early termination penalties and a party who wants or needs a shorter-term commitment, a lease swap or takeover can be the ideal solution. However, such a takeover can only happen legally with the involvement and blessing of the lease financing company.
Why Do People Do Lease Takeovers?
Because of life changes like a new job or a growing family, people currently leasing a car might participate in a lease takeover to avoid the costs of terminating a lease early. Such costs could include a balloon payment of any balance remaining on the lease or early termination fees. A person might assume someone else’s lease to solve a short-term transportation need or to spend time in a particular newer model car without a long-term commitment.
Can You Renegotiate a Car Lease Buyout?
As a primary component of a lease, a buyout amount is cemented into the lease contract at its signing. So, while you might think it’s negotiable because in most business deals, everything is negotiable, that’s not the case with a car lease. Altering the buyout amount in the lessee’s favor at the end of the lease reduces the lease financing company’s profit. Moreover, the leasing company is under no obligation to reduce the legally binding buyout amount.
