Insight
What documents do I need to hire a van as a new business?
New businesses get declined by leasing companies because they have no filed accounts. Independent flexi hire suppliers can usually still help — here is what they will ask for and what to expect.
The short list
What most independent UK flexi suppliers will ask for
If your business is under twelve months old, the document list below covers most of what an independent UK flexi hire supplier will ask for at enquiry stage. Specific suppliers may ask for one or two extras. None of these requirements are unique to new businesses — established businesses are asked for similar — but new businesses get checked a little harder because the trading history is short.
A full UK driving licence (front and back). Proof of address — utility bill, council tax, or bank statement less than three months old. Three months of business or personal bank statements. A UTR if you are registered as self-employed. A Companies House number if you have incorporated as a limited company. An insurance reference or existing policy details if you have them already.
- Full UK driving licence (front and back)
- Proof of address under three months
- Three months of bank statements
- UTR if self-employed
- Companies House number if limited company
- Insurance reference (some suppliers)
Why new businesses get declined elsewhere
Where the gap between leasing and flexi sits
Van leasing in the UK is provided by funders. Their underwriting model needs filed accounts — usually two years' worth — and a credit footprint that takes time to build. A business trading under twelve months has filed nothing yet. That is not a judgement on the business; it is simply an absence of the evidence the funder asks for. The decline is structural.
Independent flexi hire suppliers work to a different model. The supplier owns the fleet, hires it on a rolling 28-day cycle, and assesses each customer directly. They are not lending you the vehicle for three years; they are hiring it to you on a monthly basis with the right to take it back on notice. That changes what they need to see — and it makes new-business enquiries workable in a way leasing usually cannot.
Structural, not personal
Why funders need accounts and suppliers do not
Funders underwrite a multi-year commitment, so they need multi-year evidence. Suppliers underwrite a 28-day commitment, so they need 28-day evidence. The difference in time horizon is what makes the difference in paperwork.
By business structure
How the document list shifts across structures
Sole traders and self-employed operators are asked for the UTR, personal bank statements showing business activity, driving licence, and proof of address. The trading evidence sits in the personal statements because there is no separate company bank account.
Partnerships are similar to sole traders, but suppliers may ask for documents covering each partner — driving licence for any partner who will drive the vehicle, sometimes bank statements for the partnership account if one exists. The partnership agreement may be requested in less common cases.
Limited companies (small and medium businesses) are asked for the Companies House number, the business bank account statements, and director driving licences. If the company is under two years old, the supplier may also ask for the director's personal address proof and sometimes a personal guarantee on the agreement — which means the director is personally liable if the company fails to pay.
Personal guarantees
When a personal guarantee is likely
On a new limited company without filed accounts, suppliers often ask the director to sign a personal guarantee. The guarantee makes the director liable if the company defaults. It is normal in the new-business segment. UVH will flag it before introduction so you can decide whether you are comfortable signing.
Two stages
What gets asked at enquiry vs at agreement
Not every document is required at the enquiry stage. Most independent suppliers will give you an indicative rate and availability on driving licence and a short conversation about the business. The full document pack — bank statements, proof of address, UTR or Companies House number — usually comes at the agreement stage when the vehicle is being prepared for collection or delivery.
Insurance arrangements are confirmed before the vehicle leaves the supplier. Either you provide an existing business motor policy with the supplier added as interested party, or the supplier offers an insurance product as part of the agreement. Either route is fine — what is not fine is turning up to collect the vehicle without insurance arrangements settled.
Two-stage process
Indicative quote first, full pack at agreement
Enquiry stage usually needs driving licence and a short trading description. Agreement stage is where the full document pack is collected. Splitting it this way means you can get an indicative quote without paperwork, then complete onboarding once you decide to proceed.
FAQs
Questions new businesses ask
Next step
We will tell you exactly what your situation needs.
Submit your enquiry once with the basics of your business and the vehicle you need. A person at UVH reviews it and introduces you to one independent supplier we know has appetite for new-business hire on the structure you are trading under. You will know what paperwork is needed before you commit.
Related hire routes
Related hire arrangements
How an introduction works
Before we introduce a supplier
- We review your enquiry manually — no automated routing.
- We do not broadcast your details to multiple suppliers.
- Where there is a fit, we introduce one suitable supplier only.
- Your hire agreement is direct with that supplier, not with UVH.
- Submitting an enquiry does not commit you to hire.