One question asked by many is, is it better to rent rather than buy a new or reconditioned stairlift?

The answer is yes and no, it depends on your circumstances, if are you looking for a short term mobility solution, then yes a rental stairlift can be far more economical and may be the better option.

In some cases companies will rent a stairlift when an employee is recovering from an accident and need to temporarily provide access for staff or visitors that have mobility issues.

In this instance it is usually buildings where there is no lift, hiring a stairlift is a great solution to help all are able to move around the building freely.

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When does renting cost more than buying a reconditioned stairlift?

If you think that your mobility issues will last longer than 7 months, and choose the cheapest basic reconditioned stairlift then it may be better value to have one installed. Our basic reconditioned straight stairlifts start from £595. However, if you want a more modern stairlift, renting for up to a year + may work out better value.

Renting a stairlift can provide flexibility and peace of mind. If you are unsure whether a stairlift is right for your home, renting one from a trusted provider allows you to try it out in your own home on a month to month basis before making the investment. In some cases you can buy the rental stairlift after you have rented.

Can i rent reconditioned stairlift?

Yes, Carelift Services offers rentals of reconditioned stairlifts, this allows us to offer great value and low cost stairlift rental. To take advantage of Carelift Services reconditioned stairlift rental scheme, we require a one-off payment of £250 to cover the administration, installation and subsequent removal of the stairlift.

From then on, our rental stairlift price per month is £50 and the minimum rental term we offer is one month. You are free to cancel the agreement at any time after the first month and are only committed to one month’s stairlift rent in advance. You can also contact us if you wish to purchase the stairlift after your rental period.

Can you rent any type of stairlift, including curved ones?

Carelift Services LTD specialises in straight stairlift rentals across Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex and Cambridgeshire, these types of stairlift are the most common needed in the UK. They are easy to install in one day and depending on your stairs can be attached to multiple flights of stairs.

If your stairs require a curved stairlift the rails often are custom made, this takes time and more expensive equipment. For this reason we suggest contacting Stannah, one of the best known stairlift companies in the UK, and it offers a selection of curved stairlifts to rent.

What upfront costs are there to renting a stairlift?

While you can rent a straight stairlift for around £10 per week, this isn’t taking the installation charge into account. It is standard practice for a stairlift rental to have an installation charge, Carelift Services upfront cost is £250 to cover the administration, installation and subsequent removal of the stairlift. Straight stairlifts come with lower installation charges.

How quickly can I get a rental stairlift fitted?

Installing rental stairlifts is the same process whether you are buying or renting, it can be quite an undertaking, usually after the consultation for the job, it can take between a day or more to install the lift depending on size, stair case etc. Our engineers trained to work with stairlifts and if it is a simple installation of a straight stairlift this can be done in as little as half an installation day.

What happens if my rental stairlift breaks down?

One of the many benefits of renting a stairlift with Carelift Services LTD is that if your product breaks down during your rental, we will service and repair it at no extra cost. This is usual practice, as you pay the £250 upfront costs in your stairlift rental contract, the stairlift maintenance and repairs are included. So, should your rental stairlift break down or stop working perfectly, you can call us and one of our experienced engineers will know exactly what to do if your stairlift stops working.

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What are the positive benefits of stairlift rental?

To sum up our post on if it is better to buy or rent a stairlift, the following are the main benefits of renting a stairlift, as opposed to buying one.

• Stairlift rental might be the best value for money, especially if you are renting the stairlift for a short amount of time.
• If you need a straight stairlift, it should be easy to find one to rent and have it installed within half a day, provided your staircase is not steep or abnormally long. You might be able to find a more specialised stair lift for rent too.
• The stairlifts rental includes all care of maintenance of the stairlift for you.
• Monthly rental stairlifts allow you to spread some of the cost over time.Costing less upfront and allowing your to spread the cost over a number of weeks or months.
• The stairlift rental agreement includes stairlift removal at the end of the rental period, meaning you can avoid paying for someone to remove the stairlift.

What are the negative problems to stairlift rental?

• If you need a curved stairlift, you will have to pay more, and there are only a few who will rent curved stairlifts.
• Likewise, if your home may have bespoke requirements there are not compatible with the rental services and may not have rental stairlifts that suit your needs.
• Rental is not the only way to arrange for maintenance of stairlifts. When buying a stairlift you usually get a warranty or maintenance contract for 2+ years (reconditioned and new). So if guaranteed maintenance is a game-changer for you, stairlift rental is not necessarily the best solution.
• High installation prices for bespoke stairs, this means your staircase is not a simple installation, it may mean you need a plumber, electrician etc to adapt the home first. This can be a problem, especially for the kind of buyer whose financial circumstances are suited to renting in the first place.

Our Stairlift experts at Care Lift Services bring you UK stairlift news, buying tips and advice.

If you have any suggestions for articles please email us on sales@careliftservices.co.uk