As the owner of a business that depends heavily on making copies of its forms and documents, choosing whether to rent versus lease a copier machine may be your only option considering the high cost of purchasing a copier.  While the terms for renting or leasing copier machines can vary widely from company to company, consider the following before making your decision to rent versus lease.

Low Commitment when you Rent versus Lease  

Instead of committing yourself to a lease that might last 3 or 5 years, you can find copiers for rent by the week, month or longer if need be. If you simply need a copier because of a temporary event that you are planning, there is no need to go through the expense or commitment that can be involved with a lease. Renting allows you to get the most advanced machines for a very reasonable price.

If you choose to rent a copier, you do not have to worry when the machine jams or something goes wrong. A technician can come out to your place of business, or if the machine will take a while to repair, they will usually offer you a temporary replacement so there will be no disruption to your day-to-day copying needs.

Rent versus Lease Financial Considerations

When considering copiers for rent, all you would be responsible for would be to make your rental payment when it comes due. In a rent versus lease situation, you do not have to lay out a huge sum of money as you might if you were buying or leasing the equipment.

Some rental agreements will allow you to make a set amount of copies for the rental fee, or you can get a copier machine rental that is more flexible and allows you to make as many copies as you like. About the only thing you will have to pay for is the paper. Service and toner are usually provided as part of the rental agreement.

The Decision: Rent versus Lease

Renting does not require a credit check while leasing does.  If you are a new business, have poor credit or no credit, you can avoid the embarrassment of being turned down for a lease by electing to rent a copier.

Remember that renting is completely tax deductible. You do not have to hire an accountant to figure out depreciation. When it comes time to figure out your taxes, you simply deduct the amount you pay each month to rent the machine along with any other business deductions you may have.

Renting a copier can be the best option due to low risk, reduced financial commitment, easy qualification, and accounting simplicity.  In this economy where money is tight and credit can be even tighter, rent versus lease seems to work very well for many small businesses and small business owners.