Seeking Advice on Tesla Lease Transfer Policy Update and Next Steps

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Hello everyone!

I’m reaching out to seek advice regarding a challenging situation with Tesla Finance. I am a Model 3 lease owner, with the lease maturing in August 2026. Due to visa constraints, I’ll need to leave the U.S. next February.

When I leased the vehicle, the option to transfer the lease to another person was available and played a significant role in my decision. However, Tesla recently discontinued lease transfers effective November 27, 2024. What’s particularly concerning is that customers were not informed in advance of this significant policy change.

I reached out to Tesla Finance for assistance, but they confirmed the policy change and stated it’s not possible to transfer my lease. They did, however, mention that I could consider early termination by contacting their lease return department.

I wrote to Tesla requesting either:
1. Permission to transfer the lease, as initially allowed.
2. Early termination with a reduced fee.

I’m still awaiting a resolution, but I wanted to ask the community for any suggestions or advice on how to navigate this situation. Has anyone dealt with similar issues or found alternative solutions?

Any input or recommendations would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you!

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Your rights haven’t changed (those are written in your lease agreement). They can’t unilaterally change those terms, it’s a binding agreement.

If they were doing transfers as a courtesy, they would have no obligation to notify anyone advance of a policy change.

A lot of people faced a similar scenario when certain lessors were permitting third-party buyouts (as a courtesy) but discontinued the practice when the market got weird in the covid era.

You still have whatever rights are in your contract, plus any additional courtesies they may be extending now.

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They are permitting lease buyouts now, which were not previously permitted by your contract. The buyout fee is the same as the disposition fee. Depending on where you stand with your equity position, this could be good or bad.