# Van hire & leasing for the self-employed

> A plain-English guide to van hire and leasing for the self-employed and sole traders, how affordability is assessed, what documents you need, and options…

Source: https://fasttrackleasing.co.uk/guides/van-hire-and-leasing-for-the-self-employed

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# Van hire & leasing for the self-employed

Updated October 2026 · 4 min read

**Self-employed people and sole traders can hire or lease a van by evidencing affordability, usually recent bank statements, invoices or accounts rather than a long employment record. Short-term hire is judged on what you can afford now, so newly self-employed traders and those with thin accounts are often approved.**

## Can you get a van when you're self-employed?

- [affordability now](https://fasttrackleasing.co.uk/recently-self-employed-vehicle-hire)
- [sole traders](https://fasttrackleasing.co.uk/hire/self-employed)
- [document-ready](https://fasttrackleasing.co.uk/guides/documents-you-need-to-hire-a-car)
- [larger upfront payment](https://fasttrackleasing.co.uk/pay-more-upfront-lower-monthly-hire)
- [bad-credit van hire](https://fasttrackleasing.co.uk/hire/bad-credit-van-hire)
- [electric van](https://fasttrackleasing.co.uk/hire/electric)
- [get a quote](https://fasttrackleasing.co.uk/apply)
- [Check van options →](https://fasttrackleasing.co.uk/apply?niche=self-employed)
- [Self-employed & sole traders](https://fasttrackleasing.co.uk/hire/self-employed)
- [Bad-credit van hire](https://fasttrackleasing.co.uk/hire/bad-credit-van-hire)
- [Short-term van leasing](https://fasttrackleasing.co.uk/hire/short-term-van-leasing)
- [Car hire for a new business with no history](https://fasttrackleasing.co.uk/guides/car-hire-for-a-new-business)
- [What documents do you need to hire a car?](https://fasttrackleasing.co.uk/guides/documents-you-need-to-hire-a-car)
- [How to get approved for car or van hire](https://fasttrackleasing.co.uk/guides/how-to-get-approved-for-car-or-van-hire)