Ownership & leasing

Who owns, inspects

For containers the owner's role is clearly defined: under the International Convention for Safe Containers (CSC) the owner is responsible for keeping it safe. The first examination must take place no later than five years after manufacture, then at least every 30 months – or the owner runs an approved continuous examination programme (ACEP).

What that means: owning a loading unit is not passive possession. Investors should know who organises examination, maintenance and positioning.

Four lease types

A container lessor headquartered in Hong Kong describes these four forms.

Type	Term	At the end
Master lease agreement (MLA)	short	redelivery at pre-defined locations
Long-term lease (LTL)	regularly 5–10 years	redelivery at agreed locations
Lease purchase (LP)	typically 1–8 years	purchase by the lessee
Sale & leaseback (SLB)	–	unit stays in the seller's fleet

Six questions before any investment

Which unit exactly – standard, code, year of build?
When is the next examination due, and who arranges it?
Who is the lessee, and how was their creditworthiness checked?
Where is the unit, and who moves it to the next customer?
What happens at the end of the term – redelivery, sale, re-lease?
Are the provider's legally required documents available?

You will not find the answers in brochures but in contracts and data sheets. Our sister portals describe the assets involved.

Transparency note: this portal is edited, but it is not independent. Its operator has commercial ties to providers of investments in containers, swap bodies and freight wagons. Nothing here is investment advice or an offer. Operator details are in the imprint.