How to Lease a Car: Step by Step Guide
If you’ve never leased a car before, we know it can seem a bit intimidating at first. You’ve researched the different types of car finance and decided leasing is for you… but where do you start? How do you apply for finance? When do you make the initial payment?
Don’t worry. We’ve put together the ultimate guide on how to lease a car – sharing the step-by-step process we use every day with our clients.
Have any questions? Pick up the phone and give us a call on 0161 623 2891. Our friendly team will be happy to talk you through it, so you know exactly what’s happening every step of the way.
Step 1: Find your perfect lease car
The first step for any lease deal is choosing the car you want to lease.
At Leap Vehicle Leasing, we offer a huge variety of car models from a wide catalogue of manufacturers and models. Whether you’re looking for a family-friendly SUV or a sleek saloon for business trips – we’ve got a lease car to suit every need.
So have a browse through our fantastic car lease deals and make sure you also consider:
- Transmission – Automatic or manual?
- Fuel type – Petrol, diesel, hybrid or fully electric?
- Extras – Do you want a better sound system, bigger fuel tank or fancy leather seats? You’ll find all these options and more under the Extras tab on each product page.
- Colour – You can see the colour options for each car under the Extras > Paintwork tab.
- Budget – How much can you afford?
Step 2: Get in touch to receive a quote
Once you’ve got an idea of the car you want to lease, call us on 0161 623 2891.
Our friendly sales team will have a 5-10 minute chat with you to discuss the vehicle you’re interested in, whether you’re looking for a Personal or Business lease deal, your expected mileage and contract length, etc.
We’ll confirm the best leasing offers available for your choice of car, and once you’re happy with your deal, we’ll start the finance application process.
You can also request a quotation through our website – however, we do recommend phoning us, as this way you can be absolutely sure you’re getting the most up-to-date lease offers.
Step 3: Apply for finance
The next step is to apply for finance for your car lease deal.
Lenders will ask for personal information to confirm your identity and assess whether you can afford the payments on your lease deal. This may include:
- Your full name
- Country of birth
- Telephone number and email address
- Marital status and number of dependents (if any)
- Three years of address history
- Three years of employment history
- Your current occupation, employment status and work address
- Your current annual salary and monthly take-home pay
- The amount you pay on mortgage or rent and utility bills
- Details of any loans or contracts such as phone, internet or other car payments
- Bank details
They will also run a credit check at this point. This is a legal requirement of the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) – you can not lease a car without a credit check. We recommend you check your own credit score before applying for a car lease deal, to make sure you’re eligible.
Learn more about credit checks and credit scores for car leasing in our guide.
Leap Vehicle Leasing is not a financial lender. We can find you the best deal, talk you through the process and help you fill in the application, but we have no influence over the financial providers.
Step 4: Order your lease car
Once your finance application has been accepted, it’s time to order your vehicle!
At this point, you’ll need to pay our processing fee of £250 + VAT. This is a one-time payment – unlike other lease deal brokers, we do not charge an order fee and will not ask you for any further payments.
With your paperwork signed, sealed and delivered, we’ll place the order with the car lease provider and confirm final lead times with you. If your vehicle is in stock, you may only have to wait a few weeks. However, some models have longer lead times and might be delayed due to external factors.
Our friendly customer support team will keep in touch while you’re waiting and update you on your vehicle’s progress. This may be within a few days, but if your car is still in the factory then you’ll usually hear from us every three weeks or so.
Step 5: Arrange delivery of your new car
As soon as your lease car is ready, we’ll give you a call to let you know what date it will be available from.
We offer flexible delivery, so all you have to do is let us know what day and time would best suit you and we’ll arrange for your car to be delivered straight to your driveway.
Step 6: Pay your initial deposit and organise insurance
Most financial lenders will take your initial payment just before or just after your car is delivered – this will be made clear in your contract ahead of time.
We do not offer insurance with our lease deals – it’s up to you to arrange this. You’ll have to let your insurer know the car is leased and make sure your policy is due to start right before the car arrives, to ensure you’re fully protected at all times.
Step 7: Drive off into the sunset
And that’s it! You’re good to go.
At this point, our job is over. Your monthly payments will go straight to the finance company, who will also arrange collection of the vehicle at the end of your lease period. If you have any questions about your lease during your contract period, you can contact our customer support team who will be happy to help where they can.
Hopefully, this has helped you understand how car leasing works, but please get in touch if you’re confused about any part of the process. Our team will be delighted to help!
