Car leasing guides
Independent, plain-English guides to leasing, running costs, tax and choosing a car in the UK. Information only: we don't sell or arrange leases.
Leasing
What happens at the end of a car lease?
The final months of a lease follow a fairly fixed sequence: notice, collection, inspection and a final invoice. This guide walks through each step, what can be charged and what your options are if you want to keep driving.
Initial rental explained: what the upfront payment really means
The initial rental is the first big payment on a car lease, and it changes how every quote should be read. This guide explains the common profiles, how they alter the monthly rental, whether the money is refundable, and how to compare total cost.
Fair wear and tear on a lease car, explained
Fair wear and tear is the line between normal ageing and damage you can be charged for when you hand a lease car back. This guide explains how the BVRLA standard treats each part of the car, how to prepare, and how disputes are handled.
Excess mileage charges: how they work and how to avoid them
Excess mileage charges are the pence-per-mile bill for driving beyond the allowance in your lease agreement. This guide explains how they are calculated, how to choose an allowance and what can be done if your mileage changes during the contract.
Can you end a car lease early?
Ending a personal contract hire lease early is usually possible but expensive, and the rules differ sharply from finance products such as PCP. This guide explains early termination charges, the voluntary termination right that applies to HP and PCP but not PCH, lease transfers, settlement figures and what to check in your contract.
PCH vs PCP: which is right for you?
Personal contract hire and personal contract purchase sound similar but work very differently once you look at deposits, final payments and what happens when the agreement ends. This guide sets out the practical differences so you can judge which fits your budget and plans.
How car leasing works
A plain-English walkthrough of contract hire, deposits, mileage and end-of-lease.
Short-term leasing explained
How flexible, shorter agreements compare to a standard lease and to car hire.
Car subscriptions explained
What's usually included, and how subscriptions compare with leasing and buying.
Common leasing questions
Leasing vs PCP, excess mileage and more, answered simply.
Short-term leasing
Short-term car lease vs long-term car hire
Short-term leases, long-term rental and subscriptions all put you in a car without a three or four year commitment, but they price risk very differently. This guide compares them on cost structure, insurance, mileage, flexibility and credit checks so you can match the product to the length of time you actually need.
Can you lease a car for 3 months? What your options really are
A standard UK car lease does not normally run for three months, but there are other ways to have a car for that long. This guide explains how subscriptions, rolling hire and contract hire differ on ownership, insurance and how each one ends.
12-month car leases: how they work and who they suit
A 12-month lease gives you a car for one year under a contract hire agreement. This guide explains how the arrangement works, why the cost mechanics differ from a longer deal, where short terms come from, and which alternatives are worth weighing up.
6-month car leases explained: who offers them, how pricing works and what to check
Six-month car leases sit between a week's car hire and a standard two to four year contract. This guide explains who may offer them, why the monthly cost is higher, what to check in the contract and how they compare with hire and subscriptions.
Electric
Salary sacrifice car schemes explained
A salary sacrifice car scheme lets you give up part of your gross pay in return for a leased car, which can cut your income tax and National Insurance. This guide explains how the savings work, what the 2026/27 company car tax rates mean for electric cars, and where the arrangement can go wrong.
Leasing an electric car: what you need to know
Leasing an electric car changes the questions you need to ask: battery health, charging costs, range, tax and insurance all differ from a petrol or diesel lease. This guide covers each in turn using current UK figures.
Running costs
How to cut your fuel costs when pump prices are high
UK pump prices are close to record levels, with diesel at the highest weekly average in the official series. This guide sets out the habits and checks that genuinely reduce what you spend, and shows how much a car's official mpg is worth over a year.
How much does it cost to lease a car in the UK?
The monthly rental is only part of what leasing a car costs. This guide explains what drives that rental, which costs sit on top, and how to compare the true total across different quotes.
Tax
Car tax (VED) explained: first-year rates, standard rate and the expensive car supplement
Vehicle Excise Duty depends on when a car was registered, its CO2 emissions and its list price. This guide sets out the 2026/27 first-year bands, the standard rate, the expensive car supplement and who actually pays on a lease.
Benefit in kind company car tax, explained
Benefit in kind (BIK) tax is how HMRC charges you for driving a company car privately. This guide shows how the bill is calculated from the P11D value, the CO2 band and your income tax rate, with the rates scheduled up to 2029/30.
Insurance
Does Car Leasing Include Insurance?
A standard car lease does not include insurance: you arrange your own policy separately. Some leasing providers offer bundled insurance-inclusive products as an alternative, and this guide explains how both routes work and what to check before choosing.
Leasing with insurance included
What 'insurance included' really means and what to check before you compare.
Start with the basics
New to leasing? Our main guide covers everything you need before choosing your next car.
Read the leasing guide