Can I change the term or the mileage during the leasing contract ?

Car leasing is a car rental contract that lasts, on average, between 24 and 60 months. The terms of the leasing are defined at the time of the contract and they allow to put a monthly price on the lease.

However, it can happen that during the course of the contract, the conditions defined at the beginning of the lease no longer meet the customer’s needs. It is therefore necessary for him to modify the terms of his leasing in order to avoid paying compensatory indemnities when returning the leased vehicle. But is it really possible to modify the duration and the mileage of a current lease ? If yes, how to proceed ? Here are some explanations.

Car leasing : Pre-defined leasing conditions

As a long-term vehicle leasing method, leasing has quickly supplanted buying a car among consumers. Indeed, many consumers are convinced of the practical and financial advantages of leasing a car. With leasing, you only pay for the use of the vehicle and you avoid certain constraints such as the discount in the value of the vehicle or its resale. Nevertheless, unlike the purchase, the customer is not the owner of the vehicle, which implies that he will not have all the rights on it. He will simply have the use of the car until the end of the lease. In fact, the lessee is only able to use the vehicle according to the conditions previously defined at the time of contracting.

The leasing contract contains a number of clauses relating to the use of the car, the most important of which are the duration and the mileage. These two elements have a direct influence on the amount of the leasing rent and must be scrupulously respected, otherwise the leasing company will suffer damages that will result in the payment of indemnities by the lessee. The duration of a lease allows the leasing company to smooth out the total cost of the leasing contract over a defined period. For example, a 5-year lease will have lower monthly payments than a 3-year lease. However, the longer the lease, the lower the residual value of the vehicle at the end of the lease. And the higher the mileage, the more the car will lose its value at the end of the lease. The duration and mileage of a leasing contract must therefore be respected by the lessee.

Modification of a leasing contract : Is it possible ?

When entering into a leasing contract, it is difficult to anticipate the actual use of the vehicle during the entire leasing period. Generally speaking, lessees make a rough estimate of their needs based on their habits. However, exceptional situations may arise during the course of the leasing, such as the provision of a vehicle by an employer, a transfer abroad or a long-term illness. The use of the leased vehicle will therefore no longer be in accordance with the terms of the contract, which makes it necessary to modify the leasing according to the customer’s needs.

If the vehicle is no longer used as often as it used to be, the mileage will be reduced and in the opposite case, the mileage will be adjusted according to the customer’s changing needs. This way, the customer avoids having to pay more than he or she should when the vehicle is not used as often and, in the opposite case, paying for overcharged kilometers when the leased vehicle is returned. It should be noted that in the event of exceeding the kilometre limit, the compensation charged by the leasing company can range from 3 centimes to more than 3 francs per kilometer exceeded, depending on the type of vehicle leased.

How to modify a leasing contract ?

If your situation has changed and you are no longer able to use your leased vehicle in accordance with your contract, you have the possibility to make a change to the car leasing. To do so, you will have to contact the leasing company and the supplying garage in order to fill in the form for the modification of the leasing contract. However, it should be noted that this is not always possible. Depending on the type of leasing, leasing companies and vehicle suppliers may decide not to allow changes to the leasing agreement or may impose strict conditions on any changes. For this reason, it is advisable to read the leasing contract carefully before signing it.

It is advisable to be aware of all the clauses contained in the leasing contract in order to avoid unpleasant surprises in the future. If the offer you receive does not allow you to change the terms of the leasing, you can continue your search to find a leasing that best suits your needs.

When you feel the need to review the duration and mileage of your car lease, you will make an amendment to the leasing contract. Please note that any modification of the leasing contract also implies the revision of the amount of the rent, both upwards and downwards.

What if the contract does not allow changes during the leasing ?

It may seem rare, but there are times when the leasing contract does not allow for a change in the term and projected mileage. In this case, you need to find a way out of a lease that no longer suits you. If you want to stop your car leasing, contact LeaseTransfer, the largest car leasing transfer place in Switzerland. Our platform will allow you to get rid of your car lease quickly, under better financial conditions than an early termination of the leasing contract.

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