Legal Aspects of Leasing

As there is no separate statue for equipment leasing in India, the provisions relating to bailment in the Indian Contract Act govern equipment leasing agreements as well section 148 of the Indian Contract Act defines bailment as:

“The delivery of goods by one person to another, for some purpose, upon a contract that they shall, when the purpose is accomplished, be returned or otherwise disposed off according to the directions of the person delivering them. The person delivering the goods is called the ‘bailor’ and the person to whom they are delivered is called the ‘bailee’.

Since an equipment lease transaction is regarded as a contract of bailment, the obligations of the lessor and the lessee are similar to those of the bailor and the bailee (other than those expressly specified in the least contract) as defined by the provisions of sections 150 and 168 of the Indian Contract Act. Essentially these provisions have the following implications for the lessor and the lessee.

  1. The lessor has the duty to deliver the asset to the lessee, to legally authorise the lessee to use the asset, and to leave the asset in peaceful possession of the lessee during the currency of the agreement.
  2. The lessor has the obligation to pay the lease rentals as specified in the lease agreement, to protect the lessor’s title, to take reasonable care of the asset, and to return the leased asset on the expiry of the lease period.

Contents of a lease agreement:

The lease agreement specifies the legal rights and obligations of the lessor and the lessee. It typically contains terms relating to the following:

  1. Description of the lessor, the lessee, and the equipment.
  2. Amount, time and place of lease rentals payments.
  3. Time and place of equipment delivery.
  4. Lessee’s responsibility for taking delivery and possession of the leased equipment.
  5. Lessee’s responsibility for maintenance, repairs, registration, etc. and the lessor’s right in case of default by the lessee.
  6. Lessee’s right to enjoy the benefits of the warranties provided by the equipment manufacturer/supplier.
  7. Insurance to be taken by the lessee on behalf of the lessor.
  8. Variation in lease rentals if there is a change in certain external factors like bank interest rates, depreciation rates, and fiscal incentives.
  9. Options of lease renewal for the lessee.
  10. Return of equipment on expiry of the lease period.
  11. Arbitration procedure in the event of dispute.

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