We received a question recently which we answered on our podcast which was whether or not you could smoke in a lease car. In this article, we aim to answer that question and to give guidance to our customers who smoke.
Personal Leasing
There is no rule that says that you can't smoke in your personal lease vehicle but there is a LOT of information out there about why you SHOULDN'T. Here's a couple of reasons:
Under fair wear and tear guides, there is a clause about unacceptable interior standards upon return. Prolonged exposure to cigarette smoke can degrade the interior and cigarette burns can damage the upholstery which will need repairing or you could face a penalty to have it fixed.
Secondly, smoking in ANY vehicle leased or not with someone under the age of 18 in the car is illegal.
With this in mind, All Car Leasing's official stance is that the question isn't whether you can smoke in a car but whether you should at all.
Commercial Leasing
If you are leasing a commercial vehicle then smoking is prohibited during its use. This is because of The Smoke-free (Premises and Enforcement) Regulations 2006 which states that it is illegal to smoke in a vehicle which may be used by other people.
This is Government enforcement rather than something the finance companies enforce - being caught smoking in a commercial lease vehicle can lead to more problems down the line which may include invalidating the insurance and perhaps the lease itself let alone any HR issues which may surface as a result.
Therefore, it is pretty clear that you are not allowed to smoke in these vehicles, cars or vans
Can you vape in a leased car?
Vaping in a leased car is allowed, however, it can still lead you into hot water with the law if it is seen to have distracted you from driving. Sgt. Knapp of Sussex Police says “The smoke caused by vapes are a distraction and the consequences of them can be dire.