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Last updated: 24 March 2026

This article originally referenced a Q4 2016 leasing jump. That’s now very old data, and the market has changed — especially for vans.

What the latest BVRLA data says (and what it means for vans)

The latest BVRLA Leasing Outlook (published January 2026, with data to Q3 2025) shows the overall car and van lease fleet continued to grow, but the picture for vans is more mixed. 

BVRLA headline figures report:

• The total BVRLA car and van lease fleet grew 8.0% year-on-year, reaching 1.98 million vehicles.
• The car lease fleet was up 12.5% year-on-year (about 1.51 million cars).
• The van (LCV) lease fleet was down 4.2% year-on-year, to 476,631 vehicles.

So while leasing overall has expanded, vans haven’t followed the same growth pattern as cars. The BVRLA report describes the LCV sector as holding back growth, with businesses extending contracts and new van sales declining across the wider market. 

What’s typically included in a van lease (and what usually isn’t)

Lease deals vary, but the big "gotchas" are normally around maintenance and insurance.

Maintenance: often available, but check whether it’s included

BVRLA’s January 2026 headline figures say that 65.5% of new van contracts include maintenance. That’s useful context — but it also means a significant chunk of contracts are still non-maintained, where servicing, tyres and wear items may be your cost.

Before you sign, confirm:

• Whether the rental is maintained or non-maintained
• What’s covered (servicing intervals, tyres, brakes, glass, recovery, courtesy van)
• How authorisation works (which garages, spend limits, downtime rules)

Insurance: usually separate

Leasing a van doesn’t remove the need for insurance. Most leasing agreements are for the vehicle funding and (optionally) maintenance — not motor insurance. Build insurance into your budget and make sure your policy matches how you’ll use the van (business use, carriage of tools/goods, any modifications or racking).

A quick checklist for deciding whether leasing suits you

Leasing can be a good fit if you want predictable monthly costs and planned replacement cycles — but it isn’t automatically “cheaper”.

Consider leasing if you:

• Need to preserve cashflow (fixed monthly costs)
• Want newer vehicles on a set replacement schedule
• Can benefit from a maintained contract to reduce surprise bills

Buying outright may suit you better if you:

• Plan to keep the van for a long time
• Do high mileage or heavy-duty work that pushes costs up
• Prefer full flexibility to modify or dispose of the vehicle

Insurance notes when you lease

If you insure a leased van, double-check:

• Whether the leasing company requires specific security (locks/trackers) or overnight parking rules
• That any racking, signwriting, roof bars, towbar or conversion is declared
• Whether you need separate cover for tools, goods in transit, or hire and reward use (if applicable)

Sources

1. BVRLA — “Leasing Continues Upward Trajectory Despite Squeezed Margins” (headline figures incl. total fleet 1.98m; vans down 4.2%; LCV fleet 476,631; maintained contracts share)
2. BVRLA Leasing Outlook Report (January 2026, data to Q3 2025) — context on van leasing headwinds and fleet split