Do you accrue claim-free years with a leased car?
More and more people are opting for private lease. Driving a new car through private lease without having to take out your own car insurance sounds almost too good to be true. You pay no maintenance costs, depreciation, road tax and insurance premium. However, this does not mean that you are cheap with private lease. What happens to your accumulated claim-free years and do you also build up claim-free years during the lease period?
Damage-free years and private lease how exactly is that?
Having or not having claim-free years makes a big difference. By driving claim-free, you can build up a 70 to 80 percent discount with most insurers. Not claiming any damage during the insurance year on your car insurance policy entitles you to one claim-free year. When you claim damage, you lose claim-free years. In principle, the person in whose name the car insurance policy is registered is the owner of the claim-free years.
With private leasing, or when you drive a company car, you don't have to buy your own car insurance. Still, it can be advantageous to bring in your accumulated claim-free years. Many leasing companies charge a surcharge on the standard rate if you have no or only a few claim-free years. Check carefully in advance what leasing companies require to prove the number of claim-free years.
With private leasing, you do not officially build up any damage-free years. At the end of the lease period, you can request a statement from the leasing company showing that you drove damage-free during the lease period.
Claim-free years transferable since 1-1-2022
Since Jan. 1, 2022, claim-free years are transferable in some situations. Upon death, for example, they can be transferred to the surviving partner. Also for lease drivers and drivers who have lived abroad for years, it is now possible to transfer claim-free years. This way they do not lose their accumulated claim-free years. You can read more about this new regulation in our blog post.
Need claim-free years lease statement?
Leasing companies can issue a so-called lease statement after the car is returned. This states how many years the car has been driven and how many damages have been caused. With lease cars, it is customary to claim all damages, including minor damages. Because of this, the lease statement often falls short for a lease driver. There is no transfer of damage-free years with leasing, but the lease statement can be used to prove damage-free driving. This is important if you want to lease a car again after this period or if you want to reinsure a car yourself.
Do claim-free years from a lease car count?
At present, insurers still deal in different ways with claim-free years accrued during a lease period. On the basis of a lease statement, some insurers grant claim-free years, while others only grant a premium discount. This is unfavorable for you as a customer, because you lose the premium discount when you switch insurers. As of 1-1-2022, however, there will be a uniform policy on this. With a lease statement you can then have pure claim-free years entered into Roy Data. This way you can take your claim-free years with you when you take out your own car insurance.
What are the points of interest in private leasing?
Before leasing a car, consider carefully whether private lease is an option for you. Keep in mind the disadvantages. When entering into a lease contract, you must assume that terminating the contract early will cost you a lot of money. Penalty amounts can be high. In addition, it is usually advertised with starting prices that are very attractive, but if you start customizing the car to your needs, the amount you pay monthly will increase. You are often only allowed to drive a certain number of miles with the car, if you go over that, the monthly amount will be adjusted or you will pay additional fees per mile.
Do you have any questions? If so, please contact us. We are happy to help! You can reach us Monday through Friday between 08:00 and 18:00 at telephone number 088-6883700.
How do I request claim-free years on a leased car?
If you drive a leased car, you do not officially build up any claim-free years. However, you can request these claim-free years afterwards from the lease company. You will then receive a lease statement from the lease company. A lease statement states how long you have been driving the car and how many damage claims there have been. Keep in mind that with a lease car it is customary to claim all damages, including minor ones. This can sometimes make a lease statement unfavorable.
Can I carry my claim-free years from a leased car?
As of 1-1-2022, it is possible to always include damage-free years from a lease car. Previously, insurers still handled a lease statement in different ways. Some insurers already awarded claim-free years on the basis of a lease statement. Some, however, only gave a premium discount. You would lose this discount if you switched to another insurer. From January 1, there is an unambiguous policy and all insurers deal with a lease statement in the same way. The change applies to all insurers affiliated with the Dutch Association of Insurers.
Do I need a statement for claim-free years with a leased car?
A statement that shows the damage-free years after a lease car is also called a lease statement. With a lease statement you prove that you have driven the leased car without damage. It also states exactly how long you have been driving the car. You apply for the lease statement through the lease company. With this lease statement you can then go to a new insurer. Without claim-free years, you get less premium discount and thus pay more insurance premium.
Related pages about claim-free years
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