Short Term Car Lease London

Flexible short term car leasing, built for London driving

London rarely gives you three years’ notice. A new job or contract, a recent move — whatever’s going on, you need a decent car now, without a long lease or the cost of buying outright.

That’s what a short term car lease is for. Like a phone contract, but for a car: one rolling monthly payment, a modern car on your driveway, and the freedom to hand it back when plans change. No three-year tie-in, no forecourt haggling.

At Drive Subscribe, our short term leases in London start from one month and go up to three, six, nine, twelve or eighteen months — whatever best fits your life. Hand the car back when you’re done, and you’re never stuck with a decision from years ago.

Why a short term car lease in London makes sense

London is an expensive, complicated place to keep a car, which is why leasing one a few months at a time works so well. A short term lease takes the city’s biggest headaches off your plate.

Every car is ULEZ-compliant, and many are fully electric, so you pay £0 in the emissions zone — which now covers almost all of Greater London around the clock.

No depreciation, no MOT, no car to sell. London traffic, tight parking and high mileage are brutal on a car’s value — but not yours. Servicing and maintenance are included, the resale risk is ours, and when you’re done you just call and hand it back.

Wherever you are in London — north, south, east, west, central — we bring the car to you and collect it the same way. From inner boroughs like Westminster, Camden, Islington, Hackney, Lambeth and Southwark out to Barnet, Bromley, Croydon, Hillingdon and the edge of the M25. No depot, no queue.

Short term car lease London: choosing your term

Short term car leasing in London starts at one month and runs to eighteen. A London short term car lease works the same way whichever length you pick — one monthly payment, ULEZ-compliant car, delivered and collected.

A 1 month car lease in London covers a gap between cars or a short stay. A 3 month car lease in London suits a contract or a trial run before committing. A 6 month car lease in London fits a fixed-term role, and a 9 month term covers an academic or financial year.

For anything longer, a 12 month car lease in London or an 18 month car lease gives the lowest monthly rate — worth taking if you already know the requirement is settled, and still a great deal shorter than a conventional three or four year agreement.

Whether you call it a short term lease car in London or a London car lease short term, it’s the same arrangement: no three-year tie-in, and you hand it back when plans change. If you’re weighing this against a conventional lease, our guide to car subscription vs lease sets out the differences.

Your London car lease options: what you can drive

The right size for how you actually drive — something small to nip through the City and park in Hackney, or something roomier for the school run and jobs across the boroughs.

Our fleet has got you covered:

• Compact and city cars — easy to park, easy on fuel, built for central and inner London.
• Saloons and hatchbacks — comfortable all-rounders for the commute and the odd trip out of town.
• SUVs — more room for family life, or time split between London and the countryside.
• Electric cars — £0 ULEZ and the 25% Congestion Charge discount on TfL Auto Pay. See what’s in stock now.
• Electric vans — ULEZ-compliant and £0 in the emissions zone, for tradespeople and businesses working across the capital.

Running a business? A new starter who needs a car from day one, a contract that runs to Christmas, a team growing faster than a three-year lease allows — a 6, 12 or 18 month car lease in London handles exactly that, across cars and ULEZ-compliant vans. One fixed monthly price, no idle vehicles.

Whatever stage you’re at — new job, new arrival, new plans — there’s a term to match and one monthly price to plan around.

Short term car leasing in London: your questions answered

What exactly is a monthly car subscription, and how is it different from a traditional lease?

It’s one rolling monthly price for a car, from as little as a single month, with no long tie-in. Pick a 1, 3, 6, 9, 12 or 18-month term, drive a modern ULEZ-compliant car, and hand it back when plans change. Servicing and maintenance are included, with no depreciation or resale hassle, and we deliver and collect from your London address. A traditional lease usually locks you in for two, three or four years — this doesn’t. Our full comparison goes into the detail.

What’s included in my monthly price, and what costs are my responsibility?

Your monthly payment covers the car, servicing, maintenance and breakdown cover — no MOT bills, depreciation or selling at the end.Mileage starts at 1,000 miles a month on terms under twelve months, or 833 a month above that, with higher allowances available. Every car is ULEZ-compliant, so no daily ULEZ charge either. Your first payment includes a refundable damage deposit alongside your first month. Three costs stay with you: insurance (more on that below — it’s deliberate), the Congestion Charge where it applies, and fuel or charging. We confirm delivery and collection when you book, so nothing’s hidden. Every term comes with a mileage allowance. Excess miles cost 65p plus VAT on 1 and 3 month agreements, and 40p plus VAT on 6, 9, 12 and 18 month terms.

Is insurance included in a short term car lease?

Insurance isn’t included — and that’s on purpose. A one-size policy would cost you more than sorting your own. Take out your own cover, cancel it when you hand the car back. We’ll tell you exactly what you need.

How much can I save on ULEZ charges in London?

For many people this is the biggest saving. Every car meets current ULEZ standards, so you pay £0 in the Ultra Low Emission Zone — now all of Greater London, nearly round the clock. An older, non-compliant car costs up to £12.50 a day, over £1,000 a year. Switch to a subscription car and that disappears.

Not sure if your current car is compliant? Enter your registration in an online ULEZ checker and you’ll know in seconds.

Do I still pay the London Congestion Charge?

Yes — everyone does. Transport for London sets it for the central zone, so no leasing or subscription company can waive it. Since January 2026 it’s £18 a day. One way to pay less: fully electric cars on TfL Auto Pay get a 25% discount (£13.50 a day). So if you’re often in the central zone, one of our electric cars pays the lower rate automatically, on top of £0 ULEZ. Petrol and diesel cars pay the full £18. We’d rather say so upfront.

Is an electric car worth it for London driving?

If you’re regularly in the emissions or congestion zones, usually yes — the ULEZ saving and the Congestion Charge discount stack up quickly. The deciding factor is where you’d charge: home or off-street charging is where the running-cost savings sit, and relying on public rapid chargers narrows the gap considerably. Our guide to the benefits of an electric car subscription sets out the full picture, and a short term is the low-risk way to test it on your actual routes.

Can I change vehicles or extend my term easily?

Yes — that’s the point. Choose a 1, 3, 6, 9, 12 or 18-month term; on the shorter ones you can switch cars at the end of each period, and there are longer terms if you need them. Keep the car, swap to something that suits a new plan, or hand it back when you’re done.

Can you get a short term car lease in London with no deposit?

Straight answer: no, not a truly no-deposit one. Your first payment includes a refundable damage deposit alongside your first month. It isn’t there to catch you out — it covers early cancellation, missed payments or initial wear, and it comes back to you. Almost every reputable provider works this way; anyone promising nothing upfront is usually recovering it somewhere you can’t see.

Do you offer options for businesses and trades, including vans?

Yes. Alongside cars, we run ULEZ-compliant work vans for tradespeople and businesses, including electric vans that pay nothing in the emissions zone. A short term subscription lets you flex the fleet up or down as work changes, stay within London’s emissions rules, and avoid paying for idle vehicles — without a long-term commitment.

Can we put this through the business?

Yes — sole traders, partnerships, limited companies and PLCs. Quotes come to you ex VAT, underwriting runs on the business where that applies, and there’s nothing stopping you holding several vehicles on different end dates.

Why are short term leases becoming so popular in London?

Flexibility, mainly. People and businesses can move to a newer, cleaner car every few months and keep pace with London’s tightening emissions rules, without signing their life away. It suits anyone in flux: students, contractors, people on short assignments, or bridging a gap between cars.

Cost plays a part too. With ULEZ almost everywhere and the Congestion Charge climbing, drivers want a modern, compliant car without gambling thousands on buying. A subscription keeps the risk low and lets you step away if life changes. Businesses use it the same way — scaling to demand instead of paying for cars that sit still. There’s a fuller comparison in leasing versus buying, and subscription versus lease sets out how the two differ.

How quickly can I get a car, and how do I hand it back?

Your car arrives 10–14 days after you order — we’re not a same-day hire service. We take a little longer because we deliver a car that’s properly ready, straight to your London address, no depot visit. When you’re done, hand-back is one phone call — we come and collect. That’s the whole process.

Pricing and VAT

Prices are shown excluding VAT, as most of our business customers reclaim it. The inc-VAT figure is shown alongside, so sole traders and private individuals who can’t reclaim can see what they’ll actually pay.

Two things worth understanding before you commit. Where a leased car is available for private use, VAT recovery on the hire charges is generally restricted to 50%. Maintenance itemised separately on the invoice usually allows 100% recovery, so ask for it to be broken out. Vans are treated differently again and generally allow full recovery on business use.

Our guide to VAT on lease cars sets out how it works in more detail.

This is general guidance rather than tax advice. Your position depends on how the vehicle is used, so check with your accountant before signing.

Ready to sort a car?

And if you’re wondering who’s behind all this: Drive Subscribe is an ACL Automotive brand — the team that runs short-term leasing for some of the biggest names in the business. The car’s short-term. We’re not.

Ready to sort a car, without the long commitment? Browse our current short term lease and subscription deals and find something that fits your life right now — or get in touch and we’ll talk it through. Either way, we bring the car to your London address.