Advantage Business Systems, Xerox Northeast

Lease or rent a copier: what's the actual difference?

How copier rentals differ from leases on term, cancellation, service and total cost, and when a short-term rental is genuinely the smarter call.

What's actually going on

A lease is a finance contract with a bank or leasing company for a fixed term you cannot usually cancel. A rental is a service agreement with the dealer, typically month-to-month or under a year, that you can end with notice.

Rentals cost more per month because the dealer carries the risk of you leaving.

What to do in the next 48 hours

  1. 1Write down how long you need the machine. Under twelve months, price a rental. Over thirty-six, price a lease.
  2. 2Ask whether service, toner and clicks are included in the rental rate, because they usually are, which makes a raw payment comparison misleading.
  3. 3For a temporary site, a construction trailer or an interim period between machines, ask specifically for a short-term rental rather than a shortened lease.

The honest tradeoffs

  • Rentals cost roughly two to three times a lease payment on the same machine, but they carry no end-of-term notice trap and no return exposure.
  • Leases are far cheaper per month and lock you in. If your office might halve or double in a year, that lock-in is the real cost.

Your next step

Rather just talk it through with someone local?

203-777-0011Or request service

Questions people ask next

Can you rent a copier month to month?
Yes. Month-to-month copier rentals exist and normally bundle the equipment, service and toner into a single rate with a 30-day cancellation notice. They cost more per month than a lease but carry no long-term commitment.
Is renting a copier cheaper than leasing?
Not over a normal equipment life. Rentals are cheaper only when your need is short — under about a year — because you avoid paying for a term you will not use.

More on a lease that's ending

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