Who Is The Registered Keeper Of A Lease Car?

One of the key differences between a personal lease or business lease and other vehicle finance types is who the registered keeper is and who is the owner of the vehicle and this can be a source of confusion for new customers to leasing - this guide aims to clear up any confusion and provide clear information to help make it even simpler to lease a car happy.

Before we get into the specifics of who the registered keeper of a leased car is it's best to explain the key differences between them both in the context of contract hire.

What is a registered keeper?

The registered keeper is the person responsible for the vehicle, its maintenance, roadworthiness and the recipient of communications from the DVLA and emergency services such as the Police. A registered keeper should also be the person/company that will be paying for the VED/road fund licence, annually.

The registered keeper is not necessarily the owner of the vehicle, however in the case of car leasing, the leasing company / funder is both registered keeper and owner.

What is the owner of the vehicle?

The registered owner is the person who owns the vehicle as an asset and has control over the vehicle and its registered keeper. The owner of the vehicle is the only one down on the proof of purchase of a vehicle. The proof of ownership is NOT the V5(c) document but a receipt of the transaction signed and dated by the previous owner or the selling dealership if there was no previous owner.

The owner of a vehicle is often the registered keeper but they don't need to be.

So, who is the registered keeper of a lease car?

The registered keeper of a lease car is the finance company, at all times.

Difference between the registered keeper and owner for lease cars

Here are some of the differences between registered keepers and owners in terms of a lease:

• At no point does the registered keeper own the vehicle and must hand it back when the contract expires
• The owner arranges and pays for the road fund license
• Insurance must be arranged by the registered keeper
• Parking, speeding and any other fines issued by the Police or the DVLA are the responsibilities of the registered keeper(s)
• The lessee is responsible to repair or pay for damages on the vehicle which sit outside of the fair wear and tear policy
• The day to day usage of the vehicle is down to lessee of the vehicle.

Can a leased car be registered to another person

For specific cases, you should speak with your finance company if this is possible. However, in most cases a car can not be registered in another person's name was the contract is live.

Do you get a V5 with a leased car?

As the leasing company's name will be down on the V5 document as the registered keeper, you will never be in receipt of the V5 logbook as this will stay with the owner.