Want to lease a car? Sounds great! Because it’s comparatively an inexpensive way to own a shiny new vehicle, at least for as long as the lease is in force. However, leasing a car is rather different from taking over someone else’s lease (often called lease swapping). A car lease swap is a way for you to drive a vehicle you may not otherwise be able to pay for, with benefits of a warranty, low mileage, and in good mechanical condition.
Typically, car leases last between two and four years, and as swap often happens around the midpoint of the lease, it’s a perfect solution for those who want to change their vehicle in the near future or for those who want to see whether the vehicle suits their needs before taking out a lease or purchasing a new vehicle outright. But before you take over someone’s car lease, it’s important to know how it works. This article will tell you exactly that.
Why Would Someone Want You to Pick Up Their Lease?
Well, there are a variety of reasons, but two common ones are: The person can no longer afford monthly payments, or they just want a new car and need a fast way to quit a lease. Also, sometimes the vehicle becomes impractical for the lessee owing to the growing family or for another reason. Whatever the reason may be, the lessee would like you to pick up their lease and bear the remaining monthly payments.
Why Would You Take Over Someone’s Car Payments?
Lease swapping can aid you find more options from which to choose. For instance, if you want to drive a car that is only a year or two old, this will be tough ask if you are considering buying a used car from a dealership. Instead, it would be best to take over a car lease as the lease tenures are usually less than four years, and you can find a pretty recent auto without many miles on it.
Leasing a vehicle is way cheaper than buying it outright since you only have to pay a percentage of the total cost. Likewise, picking up a lease is also cheaper because in most cases the lease has been significantly paid by the prior lessee. Most swapped leases usually have 18 to 22 months in duration. This means if you find a high-end car such as Cadillac ATS 2.0L Luxury AWD 2.0L Luxury 4dr Sedan that has just 13 months left on its lease for $298 a month, as QuitALease.com put it, you would pay just $3,874 to drive a $41,000 car.
In case, you directly deal with a leasing firm, you would be burdened with a lease for the entire period. Especially, if you only need a vehicle to you until you are able to buy your dream car. Or perhaps you want to exhaustively test-drive a vehicle before you decide to buy it. Not everyone can take out a two-year lease with a bank or a leasing firm. By taking over someone else’s lease you can get the right car and the right length of time.
Another advantage of lease swapping is the incentive that prior lessees add to lure potential buyers. Since people are desperate to get rid of the car lease and the monthly payments, this urgency makes them eager to quickly find a buyer and get the lease under their responsibility. As a result, they frequently include various incentives or cash to attract potential lessees. So taking over someone else’ lease can prove really beneficial for you.
How Can You Assume Someone’s Car Lease?
You can easily assume someone’s car lease by accessing dedicated online lease swapping websites like QuitALease.com. These platforms list lessees by individual and automobile and maintain high standards for both. Bear in mind, you must have good enough credit score in order to qualify for the lease in the first place. Those with poor credit score, shouldn’t even bother!
The Process to Transfer Car Lease?
The leasing requirements differ from one financial institution to another. There are a handful of institutions that do not allow lease transfers under any circumstances. So make sure to have a close look at the lease contract to determine whether original lessee’s firm allows him or her to transfer their contract. You also need to take into account that in about 20 percent of cases the original lessee will be likely to legally retain some liability for the car even after you take over his or her lease.
This legal obligation of the original lessee is called ‘post-transfer liability.’ It means the prior lessee could be held responsible for the payments, in case, you wouldn’t or couldn’t pay the remaining payments, additional fees or penalties. Car manufacturers like BMW, Nissan, and Infiniti also require some form of this liability. Honda and Acura too bound original lessees, but not in all states.
This means the original lessee is agreeing to potentially assume liability if the second lessee fails to pay the monthly payments, penalties or any other fees. Furthermore, it is their job to ensure their leasing company even allows transfers, and whether the third-party company that connects lessees with potential assumers has affirmed the second lessee has a good credit score.
And those who are assuming the lease, it’s their responsibility to:
Conclusion
Just as leasing a vehicle isn’t for everyone, assuming someone else’s lease isn’t either. However, if you do your homework properly before taking over someone else’s lease, it could save you a lot of money. More importantly, you will be able to drive a swanky car by helping someone in need. Do a comprehensive research, weigh all the options, and analyze what’s best for you. Hopefully, this quick start guide will come in handy for you.