IFRS 16 defines a lease as a contract that conveys to the
customer (‘lessee’) the right to use an asset for a period
of time in exchange for consideration. A company
assesses whether a contract contains a lease on the basis
of whether the customer has the right to control the use
of an identified asset for a period of time.
The requirements relating to the definition of a lease
in IFRS 16 have been changed somewhat from those in
IAS 17 in response to feedback received. However, those
changes are not expected to affect conclusions about
whether contracts contain a lease for the vast majority
of contracts (ie a lease applying IAS 17 is generally
expected to be a lease applying IFRS 16).