Renting a Copier vs Leasing a Copier

If your small business needs a copier but doesn’t have the funds to make a large purchase up front, you might consider either renting or leasing a copier. Which option you choose depends upon your needs.

If you rent a copier, you can expect to rent it on a month to month basis. Most often, copier rentals last less than a year. If you have a major project going on in your office, like converting paper files to electronic files, a short-term copy machine rental makes sense because it will allow you access to the needed equipment only for the length of your project. It also makes sense if you need it for an upcoming event or if you have a smaller, short-term project to work on. Most often, rented copiers are used pieces of equipment.

Leasing a copier also requires monthly payments, but the length of the contract is typically longer. The contract can last up to three years. Leasing makes more sense if having a copier available for everyday use is important to your business.

Renting a copier is almost always more expensive than leasing one. However, not having to make a multi-year commitment is attractive to some small business owners. More often, businesses will lease a copier because they have a need for a copier long-term, or they don’t want to take on the added expense that comes with renting one. Both types of agreements — lease or rental — come with service contracts so that any type of mechanical problem the renter or lessor has with the machine will be fixed by the machine’s owner.