Short-term business car lease: a car for 6 to 18 months without a new 3-year contract

Need a business car for a project, a new hire or a trial period? Taking over the end of another company's lease gets you 6–18 months, often with the initial rental already paid.

Most new business contract hire deals run for two to four years. That's fine if you know what your business will look like in 2029. It isn't if you've just won a 12-month contract, taken on someone on a fixed-term role, or want to try an electric car before committing a whole fleet.

Short-term rental and flexible "subscription" cars fill the gap, but they're priced for flexibility, and over a year that adds up. There's a third option most businesses don't know about: take over the remaining months of another company's lease.

How a lease takeover gives you a short-term lease

Businesses end up with leases they no longer need all the time: a driver leaves, a contract ends, a company downsizes or switches to electric. Ending the lease early means an Early Termination Charge, often around half of the rentals still to pay. So many would rather hand it to another business.

With the funder's approval, the agreement is transferred (a process called novation) into your company's name. You pay the same monthly rental for the months that are left, and hand the car back at the end like any other lease.

• Typical terms left: anywhere from a few months to two years or more
• The initial rental has already been paid by the original business, so you usually pay monthlies only
• No factory wait: the car is already on the road
• Some sellers add an incentive, such as a cash contribution, to get the lease off their books

What to check before you commit

• Mileage. You inherit the agreement's annual allowance and the miles already driven. Compare the remaining allowance with how far you'll actually drive.
• Condition. End-of-lease damage charges fall to whoever hands the car back. Ask for recent photos and the service history.
• The funder's rules. Each finance company has its own approach. Some only transfer between limited companies, and all will run a business credit check on you. Our Funder Fees table shows what we know about each one.
• The term left. If you need the car for 12 months and the lease has 20 left, you'd be taking on the full 20.

What it costs

You pay the monthly rentals shown on the advert, plus any transfer or admin fee the funder charges. Browsing and registering interest on Swap-a-Lease are free. Our listing and success fees are paid by the business handing the lease on.

Finding one

Browse the lease transfers on Swap-a-Lease and filter by budget and months left. If nothing fits yet, post a Wanted request with the vehicle, budget and term you need, and we'll email you when a matching lease is listed.

If you'd rather have a brand-new car on a standard term, our New Lease Deals are business contract hire offers from our dealer network, priced +VAT.