When to Rent vs When to Buy a Stairlift

Stairlifts, without a doubt, are life-changing devices that grant mobility and access that might not have been possible before their invention. But, sometimes, users don’t need stairlifts to change their entire lives, just for several months or years while they rehabilitate from illness or injury. This is when renting can be a feasible option to consider over purchasing a stairlift for life. Below, we’ll help you to understand which circumstances are best for buying and best for renting stairlifts.

When to Rent a Stairlift

Many medical suppliers will offer stairlift rentals, but only under a set of circumstances. This is because stairlift installation is labor intensive and quite time-consuming. You might be a good candidate for renting a stairlift if:

• You have a straight staircase. Curved staircases and staircases with landings typically are not considered feasible for rental purposes.
• Your staircase only consists of no more than 16 steps. Incredibly long staircases require more labor and materials, so they will typically have to be purchased.
• You plan to use the stairlift for six months to several years. Renting a stairlift for permanent use is more expensive over time than purchasing the stairlift outright. Companies that rent out stairlifts will typically mandate a minimum of 4-6 months because of the labor and material costs associated with stairlift installation.

When to Buy a Stairlift

Purchasing a stairlift outright can be the best option, even if you aren’t sure that you will use it for the rest of your life. Some companies will allow you to “sell back” your stairlift after purchase within an allotted period of time, once the stairlift has lived out its use for you. You might want to consider buying over renting if:

• Your staircase is curved, extremely long (longer than 16 steps), or has landings along the way. Rental staircases typically only allow for installation on straight staircases.
• You either plan to use the stairlift for no more than 3 years, or you plan to use it for the rest of your life. If you plan to sell back your stairlift before 3 years is up, you can recuperate some of the cost.

Choosing to buy or rent isn’t as simple as looking at an article like this one, but this is information that you should keep at the front of your mind when conferring with a medical supplier.