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Breaking a car lease early can be a challenging and potentially costly decision, but it may be necessary due to financial changes, lifestyle adjustments, or dissatisfaction with the vehicle. Car leases are legally binding contracts, and ending them ahead of schedule often involves fees and penalties. However, understanding your lease agreement and exploring available options can help you minimize the financial burden while addressing your needs.Keep reading to learn more on getting out of car leases early, pros and cons of ending a lease early, and whether or not it’s the right decision for you.
Is it Possible to Get Out of Car Leases Early?
Yes, it’s possible to get out of car leases early. But as mentioned above, ending the lease before its scheduled termination date can be costly.If you want to get rid of car lease obligations and pay off your car lease early, be prepared to pay thousands of dollars in early termination charges. That’s because the appraised value of the vehicle typically depreciates more quickly at the beginning of the lease.The way car leasing works is the leasing company sets certain terms and conditions in which you agree to pay a monthly rent charge for the privilege to drive the vehicle. The contract may give you the option to terminate your lease early.Here are some car leasing basics:
Short-term leases can be anywhere from 12 to 24 months, while a long-term lease can be up to 60 months.
Leasing companies may charge fees for lease acquisition when approving your auto lease contract.
When negotiating a car lease, you may negotiate for lower rent charges, and you may negotiate early termination charges once your lease goes into effect.
You may terminate a car lease early, or you may request a lease extension.
4 Ways of Getting Out of a Car Lease Early
Ending a car lease early is typically accomplished by going one of the following routes:
Early termination of a car lease
Lease buyout
Lease transfers
Buying another car
Here’s more about each method for getting out of car lease early:
1. Early Termination of a Car Lease
Early termination is a straightforward way of getting out of car leases early and returning the vehicle.To see what this might involve, review your lease agreement to see what termination fees are listed and what else you might be required to pay to get out of the lease. The termination fee can be more than $1,000, and there may also be lease disposition costs, any fees charged for excessive wear and tear, fees for going over the mileage listed in the agreement, and so forth. Plus, you also need to consider how many of the remaining monthly payments you would be responsible for making.If you’re interested in getting out of an auto lease through this method, contact your leasing company for the actual figures and then decide if it’s worth following through.
2. Lease Buyout
With a lease buyout, you purchase the leased vehicle outright. Although this is often done at the end of a lease, most leasing agreements will allow you to buy the vehicle before the lease expires.Look at the leasing agreement for the residual value, which is the amount the leasing company estimated that the car would be worth at the end of the lease. Then verify that you can purchase the car before the term ends. You will probably have to pay the residual value plus any remaining lease payments, as well as sales tax. Early termination fees may also apply, but a lease buyout gives you the advantages of ownership, including equity, the right to make modifications, and no mileage limits. However, you won’t have any free servicing from the dealer and your payments may be larger.
Lease Buying Out Funding Options
If you’re paying off the vehicle and the associated fees in cash, then you simply verify the amount and pay off the lease.Need financing? Just like you would for any other type of vehicle loan, shop around. The leasing company may offer you financing but its rates and APRs may not be the best, and there aren’t extra fees if you go with your own financial institution of choice.The lease buyout loan will be structured like a refinancing loan where you borrow money to pay off the current amount owed and then make payments to your new lender. You can get offers for auto refinancing quickly and easily at Lantern by SoFi.
3. Transfer Leases
In many cases, you can secure an early termination of a car lease by transferring it to someone else. This may be the least expensive option. If you want to get out of your auto lease early by transferring the lease, check with the leasing company to make sure it allows this.If it does, consider whether the new lessee (the person who will hold the lease) will take on full liability. In other words, if they don’t make the payments, are you liable to make them? If you are, you could be stuck with making the overdue/missed payments while not having the vehicle to drive.If you don’t already know someone who wants to take over the payments during the remaining term of the lease, there are websites that match up lessees with people who are interested in taking one over, such as Swapalease and LeaseTrader. These websites usually charge $100 to $350 for their services, and the leasing company may charge a transfer fee, often around $300.Lessees wanting to terminate their lease early can add up these fees to decide if getting out of car leases is still an attractive option. Some people who want to get out of their lease might decide to offer a financial incentive to get someone else to take it over for them. If you do that, factor in that dollar amount, as well, when deciding if the transaction is worth it to you.
4. Buy or Lease Another Car
To exercise this option, you’d take the vehicle to a dealership to see how much money it would pay for it. (While you don’t own the vehicle, in this scenario you’re essentially trying to arrange a sale from the leasing company to the dealership.) If the amount the dealership offers is greater than the residual value of the car (specified in your contract) plus the amount you owe on the lease, you could use that difference to put toward purchasing or leasing another vehicle.When you owe more than the dealer would pay for the vehicle, some lenders will combine what’s still owed on the leased vehicle with the loan for the one you’re buying or leasing. Payments will be higher with this merged loan and it’s likely that you’d be “upside down” on it, which means you’d owe more on the loan than your newly purchased vehicle would be worth, and is typically financially precarious.Going this route involves two key decisions. The first is whether to end your current lease early, and the second is whether to buy (rather than lease) your next vehicle.Recommended: Leasing vs Buying a Car: Pros & Cons of Each
Pros and Cons of Ending Car Leases Early
Ending a car lease early can offer flexibility in situations where your financial or personal needs change, but it often comes with significant costs and potential penalties. Understanding the pros and cons of early lease termination can help you make an informed decision that aligns with your circumstances and goals.
Pros of Ending Lease Early
Cons of Ending Lease Early
It frees you from monthly lease obligations
Early termination can cost thousands of dollars
It may improve your debt-to-income ratio by eliminating your monthly rent charge
You may have to pay disposition fees, early termination charges, and other fees when returning the vehicle
You may have the option of buying the car right away rather than wait for the leasing contract’s expiration date
Some leasing companies may require that you buy the car as a condition of early termination
Is Getting Out of a Car Lease Early Right for You?
Getting out of car leases early may be right for you if you can afford the transaction. As mentioned earlier, terminating your car lease early can cost thousands of dollars. Your personal circumstances may dictate whether getting out of a car lease early is right for you.One of the downsides to leasing a car is that you’ll pay monthly rent charges in exchange for no ownership equity stake. A typical car lease also imposes annual mileage limits. Freeing yourself from the confines of a car lease early can therefore be liberating.
The Takeaway
There are several ways you may be able to end a car lease early. These include paying to terminate the lease early, a lease buyout, a lease transfer, or arranging the sale of the car to purchase or lease another car. Weigh the advantages and disadvantages of each approach and then choose the one that makes the most sense for your situation.If you have a car loan and think you can get a better interest rate, you may want to consider refinancing. Lantern by SoFi can help you compare auto refinance rates. Just fill out one simple form and explore your options.Check your personalized rates without impacting your credit score.*
Frequently Asked Questions
What’s the best way to get out of a car lease?
Can you negotiate a car lease buyout early?
How much is the early termination fee for a car lease?
Photo credit: iStock/FG Trade
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About the Author
Kelly Boyer Sagert
Kelly Boyer Sagert is an Emmy Award-nominated writer with decades of professional writing experience. As she was getting her writing career off the ground, she spent several years working at a savings and loan institution, working in the following departments: savings, loans, IRAs, and auditing. She has published thousands of pieces online and in print.
