The term lease describes an arrangement where one party agrees to rent out their property to another. The party that owns the asset is the lessor, while the other party that holds and uses it is the lessee. Usually, the lessee pays the lessor a specific amount in exchange for using the asset. There are also some other terms involved in these arrangements. Both parties define these terms in a lease agreement.
A lease allows one party to use an asset that they cannot afford or acquire. It provides companies and businesses with an alternative to using assets. In exchange, they don’t have to make a substantial capital investment. Therefore, both parties in a lease agreement mutually benefit from the arrangement. There are different types of lease agreements that parties may utilize. One of these includes leverage leases.
What is a Leveraged Lease?
A leveraged lease is a type of lease agreement in which the lessor finances the transaction through borrowed funds. In this scenario, the lessor does not hold or own the asset. Instead, they obtain a loan from a financial institution, such as a bank, to finance the transaction. The lender, in turn, holds the title to the leased asset. Therefore, the leased asset acts as security or leverage for the loan.
Leveraged leases are different from traditional leases. In other lease transactions, the lessor usually owns an asset or procures it through their own capital. However, in this lease arrangement, the lessor does not own the asset. Instead, they acquire a loan to purchase it. However, they don’t receive the right to the asset until they repay the loan.
Usually, these leases are prevalent in industries where lessees need to use assets for a short time. For example, in the construction industry, companies may need temporary vehicles for a particular project. Once they complete the project, they don’t require the use of the asset. For that reason, both parties usually account for leveraged leases as operating leases.
How does a Leverage Lease work?
In a leveraged lease, the relationship between the lessor and lessee remains the same. The lessee obtains the asset from the lessor directly. In exchange, they make regular payments to the lessor. However, there is also another relationship in leveraged leases. This relationship comes from the connection between the lessor and the lender.
Depending on the type of loan agreement, the lessor must make regular payments to the lender. Usually, the lessor collects their payment from the lessee and passes it to the lender. However, the lender holds the right to the asset. If the lessee fails to compensate the lessor, the lender can repossess the asset. In that case, the lender can auction the leased asset to recover their loan.
There are several reasons why a lessor may obtain a loan to finance an asset. Firstly, it may come with tax advantages as any interest paid on debt is tax-deductible. On top of that, lessors can also use leveraged leases when they don’t have the capital required to acquire assets. In essence, these agreements become similar to subleasing.
How do Leveraged Leases differ from Leveraged Financing?
There are several factors that differentiate leveraged leases from leverage financing. Both arrangements involve using leveraged assets to obtain finance. However, in these leases, there are three parties that complete this arrangement. These include the lessor, the financial institution, and the lessee. In a leverage financing arrangement, financial institutions do not take part.
Similarly, the lessor holds the title to the asset in leveraged financing transactions. However, this title stays with the financial institution in leveraged leases. In a leveraged lease arrangement, the lessee is responsible for making payments to the lender. In a leveraged financing arrangement, they have to make payments to the lessor instead.
What Are Some Features of Leveraged Leases?
There are several features that distinguish leveraged leases from other types of financing activities. These constitute the characteristics or features of leveraged leases. Firstly, in leveraged lease agreements, the finance provided by the lender is without recourse. Similarly, the lender holds the asset as it constitutes the payment obligation.
Once the lessee pays off the lease, or the lessor pays off the loan, the lessor gets to own the asset. The lessor also doesn’t take part in the payment process as it usually involves payments from the lessee to the lender. Usually, the lessor also contributes to the total amount required to acquire the asset. However, a large portion of the finance comes from the lender.
Lessors usually use finance leases to obtain an asset along with any tax benefits that come from debt. For the lessee, leveraged leases aren’t much different from traditional leases. Lastly, the lender offers finance without recourse. However, if the lender suspects the lessee can’t repay the loan, they will transfer the repayment responsibility to the lessor.
Conclusion
A leveraged lease is a lease arrangement in which the lessor obtains a loan from a lender to acquire the asset. Therefore, this arrangement involves three parties, the lessor, the lessee, and the lender. It differs from traditional lease agreements, which include two parties. Leverage leases are different from other types of finance in several ways, as mentioned above.
