For sole traders
Van rental for sole traders
If you trade as a sole trader, our product for you is short-term van rental of up to 89 days — not a lease. Business contract hire is for limited companies and LLPs, so incorporating is what opens leasing up.
Check my options →Updated September 2026 · your agreement is with FleetMe
Search for sole trader van leasing and every result funnels you into the same application a limited company fills in, with the difference surfacing somewhere around the paperwork. That is late. Here it is up front instead: what we can put you in as a sole trader is a short-term rental, what you need to hand over to get it, and what changes if you incorporate.
What can a sole trader hire from us?
Our agreement for a sole trader is a short-term van rental with a maximum term of 89 days. You choose the van and the length up to that ceiling, we confirm the rate and the term in writing before you commit, and at the end you either hand the van back or take out a new agreement. A new agreement means exactly that — a fresh one, agreed again on the day, not an automatic rollover and not an extension of the one you were on. So plan around 89 days as the real horizon rather than assuming it quietly continues. It is subject to our usual checks, and if we cannot help we will say so plainly rather than leave you waiting on an answer.
What do you need to provide?
There is no company number for us to look up, so the evidence comes from you. In practice that means proof of identity and three years of address history, a driving licence we can check, evidence that you trade — invoices, contracts, a business bank account or your Unique Taxpayer Reference — and bank statements showing the rate is affordable alongside your other commitments. Being VAT registered helps demonstrate trading activity but is not required; plenty of sole traders trade below the threshold. Having all of it to hand is the single biggest thing that turns a slow application into a same-day one.
What does incorporating open up?
This is the part worth reading properly, because it is a genuine fork in the road. A limited company is a separate legal person, and business contract hire is available to companies and LLPs: terms of 24 to 60 months, a fixed monthly rental for the whole of it, mileage set across the contract, the option of a maintenance package, and a van specified for your trade — racking, a tipper body, a tail lift — rather than whatever happens to be free to rent that week. As a sole trader none of that is on the table. Incorporating at Companies House is quick and inexpensive, and once you have, no filed accounts are needed to be considered — see van leasing for a new limited company and what the eligibility check looks at. But it is a real change: annual accounts, corporation tax, a confirmation statement and director duties all follow. Whether that suits you turns on your income, your customers and your accountant's view — not on which van you want. We will set out what each route gives you and leave the decision where it belongs.
Not a limited company?
Business contract hire is for limited companies and LLPs. If you trade as a sole trader, or you want the vehicle in your own name, what we can supply is short-term vehicle rental of up to 89 days instead. Incorporating is the step that opens up business contract hire over 24 to 60 months, which is why plenty of tradespeople do it before taking on a van.
Get a written quote
Tell us the vehicle, the mileage and how long you need it for. We come back with a written quote, and we aim to do that the same working day. We confirm which agreement applies before anything is signed.
- ✓ Your agreement is with FleetMe
- ✓ We confirm your quote in writing
- ✓ Business rentals quoted ex VAT, with VAT shown
Thanks — your enquiry is in.
We’ll go through what you need and come back with a written quote, we aim to do that the same working day. Your agreement would be with FleetMe — we supply the vehicle, and we confirm it in writing before anything is agreed.
What happens next
- 1 We read what you sent us. We check the vehicle, the length and the mileage you asked for, and work out what we can do at that specification.
- 2 We come back with a written quote. We aim to send it the same working day. It sets out the vehicle, how long you have it, the mileage, the initial rental and the monthly figure — ex VAT with the VAT-inclusive figure alongside.
- 3 You decide. Nothing is committed until you have that in writing and you are happy to go ahead. If we can’t help, we’ll tell you honestly and say why.
Nothing is committed at this stage, and if we can’t help we’ll tell you honestly rather than leave you waiting.
Browse vans →Facts & figures
The bigger picture
Source: BVRLA Leasing Outlook, 2026
Source: SMMT, 2025
Source: SMMT, 2025
UK market figures from the sources named on each card — not FleetMe's own results.
Common questions
Can a sole trader lease a van from FleetMe?
No. As a sole trader you are an individual rather than a company, and our product for individuals is short-term van rental of up to 89 days. Business contract hire is available to limited companies and LLPs.
How long can a sole trader rent a van for?
Up to 89 days on one agreement. At the end you either hand the van back or take out a new agreement, agreed fresh on the day — there is no automatic rollover and no right to extend the agreement you are already on.
What does a sole trader need to provide?
Proof of identity and three years of address history, a driving licence we can check, evidence that you trade — invoices, contracts, a business bank account or a UTR — and bank statements showing the rate is affordable alongside your other commitments.
If I set up a limited company, can I then take a van on contract hire?
Yes. Business contract hire on 24 to 60 month terms is available to limited companies and LLPs, and no filed accounts are needed to be considered. Whether incorporating suits you is a question for your accountant rather than a vehicle decision.
Do I need to be VAT registered?
No. VAT registration helps evidence trading activity but is not a requirement, and plenty of sole traders trade below the threshold and can evidence their income perfectly well without it.
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