However, a leasing company is not required to approve an application. Check the contract type, eligibility for individuals, payment schedule, asset ownership and the information you must disclose.
This guide concerns a new agreement after completion of an individual’s court asset-realisation procedure in Russia. An existing lease during bankruptcy and restrictions affecting a former individual entrepreneur require separate review. Law checked on 25 October 2026: Bankruptcy Law Article 213.30 and Articles 4 and 11 of Law No. 164-FZ in their operative versions.
🚘 Eligibility and the company’s approval are separate
Article 4 of Law No. 164-FZ expressly recognises an individual as a possible lessee. This does not mean that every leasing company serves individuals or must accept a former bankrupt. Obtain the product’s requirements on customer status, income, advance payment and asset before paying.
Do not treat every agreement with a purchase option as a finance lease. Check the parties, asset, acquisition obligations and legal structure. A vehicle loan, ordinary rental with a purchase option and a finance lease involve different documents.
⚖️ What does the five-year rule actually cover?
Bankruptcy Law Article 213.30(1) expressly concerns credit and loan agreements. For five years after completion of asset realisation, or termination of the bankruptcy case during that procedure, such obligations cannot be assumed without disclosing the bankruptcy. This is a disclosure duty, not a general five-year financing ban.
A lease should not automatically be treated as a credit or loan agreement merely because it has instalments. This is not permission to conceal information: review the questionnaire and representations, answer truthfully, and apply the five-year rule to each separate credit or loan agreement included in the offer.
The general borrowing route is covered separately in credit after bankruptcy. It does not replace review of a lease.
📁 Records and terms to check before applying
| Area | Records | Question |
|---|---|---|
| Completion of the procedure | Final court order and its date and effect | Has the procedure actually ended, and which obligations remain? |
| Income and expenses | Income evidence, current obligations and essential expenditure | Is the schedule affordable without borrowing for every payment? |
| Legal structure | Draft agreement and all related agreements | Is this a finance lease, credit, loan or another arrangement? |
| Asset and buyout | Asset description, delivery terms and ownership-transfer clause | When do use and ownership begin, and what is included in the buyout? |
| Default | Late-payment, termination, return and final-accounting terms | Which consequences and documents apply on termination? |
The company may request more records. This is a practical review file, not a statutory universal approval package.
🧮 Add all payments, not just the advance
An illustrative offer requires a RUB 100,000 advance, 24 payments of RUB 45,000 and a separate RUB 20,000 buyout. The stated payments total 100,000 + 24 × 45,000 + 20,000 = RUB 1,200,000.
This addition is valid only where the advance and buyout are not already included in those 24 payments. Check insurance, registration, maintenance, fees and other mandatory costs separately. The example is not a market quote, a statutory total-cost-of-credit calculation or a recommendation to enter the agreement.
📝 Questions to ask the company in writing
Request outline before paying an advance
“Please confirm whether an application from an individual following completed asset realisation in case No. … can be considered. Please provide the draft agreement, a complete schedule showing whether the advance and buyout are included, mandatory additional costs, required records, delivery terms and ownership-transfer conditions. Please also identify any separate credit or loan agreements in the offer and the information required in the questionnaire.”
Willingness to consider an application is not approval. Keep the records and do not sign a questionnaire containing false information.
- Obtain the drafts and identify the counterparty to each agreement.
- Reconcile every payment with the agreement and buyout terms.
- Disclose required information and keep a copy of the questionnaire.
- Review the budget and default consequences before paying.
- Document delivery of the asset.
An old lease that existed before bankruptcy has a different route: lessee bankruptcy, return of the asset and the closing balance. Do not mix the old debt with a new application.
Frequently asked questions
Must I wait five years?
The provisions examined do not establish a universal five-year ban on a new lease. Review the actual legal structure, the applicant’s restrictions and company requirements.
Does an advance guarantee approval?
No. An advance and documented income do not guarantee acceptance.
May I ignore a question about bankruptcy?
Do not use contract classification to conceal information. Review the questionnaire and representations and answer truthfully. Article 213.30 directly applies to credit and loan agreements.
Does the first payment make the vehicle mine?
Not automatically. Article 11 provides for lessor ownership of the transferred asset. Later transfer to the lessee must be checked under the relevant terms.
Primary sources
Review a new agreement after bankruptcy
We can compare the court order, questionnaire, schedule and buyout terms. Application approval remains the company’s decision.
Initial consultation