London’s short-term vehicle specialists · FCA registered · est. 2007

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Long-term hire

Long-term car hire — and when it's genuinely the right move

Rental extended over months instead of days. Quickest option on the table to set up — and we'll say so plainly when a flexible lease would actually cost you less.

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In short

Long-term car hire is exactly what it sounds like: standard car rental, just running for months instead of days, typically starting from one month. Speed and simplicity are the draw — lighter underwriting than a lease, and occasionally insurance already bundled in. The catch is cost: past roughly three months a flexible lease or subscription almost always works out cheaper for the same car. Need something for under a month instead? Our sister site carhireairport.co.uk is probably the better fit than stretching one of our 1–24 month agreements to cover it.

Be honest about it

When hire beats leasing

Choose long-term hire when…

  • You need a vehicle within days and can't wait for underwriting
  • The requirement genuinely might end in four to eight weeks
  • You'd rather have insurance bundled than arrange your own
  • Credit history makes a finance agreement difficult right now
  • It's a cover vehicle while something is repaired or replaced

Choose a lease or subscription when…

  • The requirement is three months or more
  • You want a specific model and specification, not a rental category
  • Monthly cost matters more than speed of arrangement
  • You're happy to arrange your own insurance and keep your no-claims
  • You want a fixed, predictable figure for budgeting

Rough guide

Cost shape over time

General guidance, not a quotation. Get us to price two structures side by side and pick the cheaper one.
How long you need itUsually cheapestWhy
Under 3 weeksDaily rentalNo initial payment and no minimum term to absorb
3 weeks – 3 monthsLong-term hire or subscriptionRental rates drop at monthly tiers; a subscription's minimum term starts to pay
3 – 6 monthsSubscription or flexible leaseDepreciation spreads further; hire rates stop improving
6 – 24 monthsFixed short-term leaseLowest monthly figure of all the options
Over 24 monthsConventional leasingA different product entirely — we'll point you to it

What's included

Included in your monthly payment

  • Use of the vehicle for the full length of the agreement
  • All servicing and scheduled maintenance
  • Road tax, paid for the whole term
  • The manufacturer's warranty
  • 24-hour breakdown cover
  • Delivery to you, and collection when you're done

You arrange separately

  • A fully comprehensive insurance policy, taken out in your name
  • Fuel or charging costs
  • Congestion charge, ULEZ and any other clean air zone fees
  • Any parking or speeding fines you pick up
  • Damage that falls outside our return standards
  • Miles driven beyond your agreed allowance

Answers

Frequently asked questions

It's rental stretched over months instead of days, rather than a lease or subscription product. The appeal is how little stands between you and the car — light underwriting, minimal paperwork — traded off against being the most expensive per month once you're past the first few weeks.

Roughly a month and beyond. Under three weeks or so, plain daily rental usually beats it on price. Push past three months and a flexible lease or subscription typically overtakes it as the cheaper route for the same car.

Rarely, comparing like for like periods. Its real advantage is speed, not cost — if you need wheels tomorrow and can't wait on underwriting, hire wins outright. Given two weeks and reasonably clean credit, a lease or subscription almost always costs less.

Sometimes, and that's a genuine point of difference from leasing — it's also why the sticker figure can look steeper. Check exactly what level of cover and what excess you're getting before setting a hire quote against a lease quote; they're rarely comparing the same thing.

Regularly — short projects, visiting staff, temporary cover vehicles all use this route. Once you're looking at more than a couple of months, though, ask us to run a flexible lease quote alongside it, so you're deciding with both numbers in front of you.

Keep reading

Next step

Get hire and lease priced side by side

Tell us how long you think you need a vehicle. We'll quote both structures so you can see the difference in black and white.

Get a quote 0207 183 0340