What Types of Insurance Do You Need if You Lease a Car?
Leasing a car is like renting a vehicle, and a lease typically lasts for at least one to three years. If you have never leased a car before but are thinking about doing this now, you should realize that there will be insurance requirements you must meet for the company you are leasing from. Here are several things to understand about the auto insurance requirements you will have when leasing a car.
Why people lease cars
The first thing to understand is the reasons people lease cars instead of buying them. A lot of people do this because they are able to get a brand-new car every year or two by choosing to lease their vehicles instead of purchasing them. People like this because they can always drive the latest type of vehicle that is equipped with all the best and newest features.
Secondly, lease payments are often lower than car payments, and this too is a common reason people lease cars. There are also people that lease cars simply to have a car with a warranty at all times. Leased cars always have warranties for the entire life of the lease.
The dealer will require full-coverage insurance
If you decide to go through with leasing a car, you should understand that the dealer you lease the car from will require that you carry full-coverage insurance. Additionally, the dealer might require that you have other types of insurance coverage, and they may also have rules about the amounts of coverage. In most cases, you will be required to carry more insurance on a leased vehicle than you would if you had purchased the car through financing.
Your costs might be a little higher simply because you might need more insurance
The other thing to understand is that leasing a car often leads to slightly higher auto insurance rates than when you buy a car. The main reason that leasing a car results in higher insurance costs is that you will likely need more insurance coverage. As you add more coverage to an auto insurance policy, the rates will always go up, simply because the insurance company takes on more risk as they include more types of coverage.
If you are planning on leasing a car, you should talk to your agent about the costs for the policy, and you should make sure you purchase all the right types of coverage to meet the dealer's requirements.