Leaseback

Leaseback, short for 'sale-and-leaseback,' is a financial transaction, where one sells an asset and leases it back for the long-term; therefore, one continues to be able to use the asset but no longer owns it. The transaction is generally done for fixed assets, notably real estate, as well as for durable and capital goods such as airplanes and trains. The concept can also be applied by national governments to territorial assets; prior to the Falklands War, the government of the United Kingdom proposed a leaseback arrangement whereby the Falklands Islands would be transferred to Argentina, with a 99-year leaseback period, and a similar arrangement - also for 99 years - had been in place prior to the handover of Hong Kong to mainland China. Leaseback arrangements are usually employed because they confer financing, accounting or taxation benefits.

Leaseback arrangements

After purchasing an asset, the owner enters a long-term agreement by which the property is leased back to the seller at an agreed rate. One reason for a leaseback is to transfer ownership to a holding company while keeping proper track of the ongoing worth and profitability of the asset. Another reason is for the seller to raise money by offloading a valuable asset to a buyer who is presumably interested in making a long-term secured investment. Leaseback arrangements are common in the REIT industry.