What is Long-Term Car Hire and What Are The Benefits?

Long-term car hire is not a concept everyone is familiar with. People often hire a car while they’re away on holiday or for a few days in the UK, but car hire over a longer term can be a very useful service that meets a particular need. 

At KR Fleet Solutions, we provide flexible long-term car hire deals that last from six months to a year. This type of arrangement is popular among personal and business users, as it gives them unrivalled flexibility and helps to protect them from depreciation, servicing, road tax and many of the other costs associated with vehicle ownership. But just what is long-term car hire, when is it useful and what over benefits can it bring? 

What is long-term car hire?

Long-term car hire is a flexible and cost-effective alternative to leasing or buying a car outright. It allows you to access a premium vehicle without having to commit to a long-term contract or expensive outlay. You can hire a car for six to 12 months at a time, with the flexibility to extend if you need to. And once the deal is over, you simply return the vehicle and there’s nothing to pay.

Long-term car hire sits in the sweet spot between short-term car hire and leasing. If you need a vehicle for more than a few weeks but less than a year, long-term car hire is likely to be the most cost-effective and flexible solution.

Long-term car hire vs. short-term car hire

Long-term car hire and short-term car hire are designed to suit very different needs. While the idea is the same – you pay for the use of a car you don’t own – the pricing and the way the deals are structured are worlds apart. 

Based on the cost per day, long-term car hire is much cheaper than a short-term rental. You can expect to pay the equivalent of £70 or £80 a day to rent a small hatchback on a short-term car hire deal. This brings plenty of flexibility, as there’s no minimum rental period to commit to, but it’s also very expensive. 

Long-term car hire, on the other hand, brings those daily costs right down. At KR fleet Solutions, you can hire a Tesla Model 3 Long Range for £699 a month, which is the equivalent of just £23.30 a day. As well as lower rental costs, you also have access to a premium car that’s stylish, comfortable, has 358 miles of range and does 0-60mph in a blistering 4.2 seconds. You’ll also save hundreds of pounds on fuel costs for the duration of the rental. 

Long-term car hire is not quite as flexible as a short-term deal, as a minimum rental period applies. However, it’s still much more flexible than a lease.

Why might you need long-term car hire?

Long-term car hire can be a great option for personal and business use. Here are a few common reasons why our customers choose long-term care hire from Snap. 

New starters

When a business takes on a new employee who needs a company car, it can be a risk to commit to a lengthy lease from day one. You don’t know how that employee is going to perform or whether they’re going to stay. In this case, providing a long-term car hire for six to 12 months can be the perfect starting point. It gives the employee the chance to complete their probation period and allows both parties to see how the employer-employee relationship is going to progress.

Contract workers

These days, lots of companies generate revenue through contract work, which can require the use of additional cars. A long-term hire car is a great option here, as you can access deals that match the length of the contract, and you can easily extend the term of the hire if the contract changes. You can also access premium cars that enhance your company’s image. For example, hiring an electric car can boost your eco-credentials in the eyes of your clients.    

Trying before you buy

Long-term rental can also be a great way to try out a new car before you commit. For example, if you’re thinking of making the switch to an electric vehicle, car hire for six months gives you the chance to see how practical it is on a day-to-day basis before you sign a lease.

Car fanatics

We also have some customers who love cars and like to try different vehicles without ever committing long-term. They might want to drive an Audi for six months, then switch to a Mercedes and then test out a Tesla Model Y. Constantly having access to the latest models is a big plus for these drivers, and we make it easy to switch.

What are the benefits of long-term car hire?

We’ve already touched on a few of the benefits, but there are also a few more that are worth mentioning.

·        No servicing or maintenance costs – One of the biggest benefits is that there’s no onus on you to keep up with the servicing or maintenance costs. We cover all the costs associated with servicing, MOTs and road tax. And in the unlikely event that something goes wrong, you’ll receive a replacement car at no extra cost. 

·        Tax relief for businesses – 100% of the cost of the hire car can be offset against company profits for tax purposes if the CO2 emissions are less than 50g/km. For anything above 50g/km, 85% of the costs can be claimed.

·        Use your own insurance – Temporary insurance policies from the provider are one of the most expensive aspects of short-term car hire. With long-term car hire, you use your own insurance and continue to build and benefit from your no-claims discount, which helps to keep the costs down.   

 Get your long-term car hire from KR Fleet 

At KR Fleet Solutions, you can choose from our range of new and low-mileage premium cars on flexible deals of six to 12 months. We have the latest models and can deliver your new car to your door at a time that suits you.