6.5.1 Operating Lease
An operating lease is basically a rental agreement, for example, renting a car. The features of an operating lease are:
- The lessee is free to terminate the lease , at little or no cost, provided the required amount of notice is given
- The lessor retains ownership rights in the leased asset and bears the risks associated with asset ownership, for example depreciation and obsolescence
- The term of the lease is usually insignificant compared to the overall economic life of the asset
- The lease is usually cancellable at either the lessee's or lessor's discretion, with minimal or no penalty to either of them
In practice the economic substance of an operating lease is that of a hire agreement, and as it results in a relatively short-term commitment there are few implications for financial managers. Lease rentals are reported in the performance statement as an expense.