Rent or buy an aerial work platform? The decision by utilisation, costs and obligations
Whether you should rent or buy an aerial work platform depends above all on utilisation: below around 150 days of use per year, renting is usually more economical; from around 250 days of use, buying can pay off. In between, three points tip the balance: how many different types you need, who organises inspection and maintenance, and how much capital you want to tie up.
Many companies face the question at some point: the rented aerial work platform was used a lot this year and the rental invoices are adding up. Would a machine of your own be cheaper? The honest answer depends on what comes on top of the purchase price and whether that one purchased machine really covers all jobs. This guide shows the calculation method, the owner's costs and the mixed models in between.
Luibl knows both sides: Luibl Rental rents out aerial work platforms throughout Europe, and new and used machines are sold via luibl.net. You can find all rental machines on the page Aerial work platform rental.
Utilisation decides: below around 150 days of use, renting an aerial work platform usually pays more than buying
A purchased machine costs money even when it is idle. A rented one only costs while it is working. This leads to the basic rule: the more often and the more evenly a machine is needed during the year, the sooner buying pays off.
Experience from the rental business shows three zones:
- Below around 150 days of use per year: renting is as a rule cheaper. This applies to most construction, trade and installation companies that need a platform project by project.
- Around 150 to 250 days of use: the decision depends on the machine class, the purchase price and the owner's costs. A detailed calculation is worthwhile here.
- Above around 250 days of use: a machine that works almost daily at the same location, for example in the maintenance of a plant, can pay off when owned.
Only count real days of use of the same type and height class. Twenty days with a 10-metre scissor lift and thirty days with a 26-metre articulating boom lift are not fifty days for one machine.
Anyone who buys an aerial work platform bears five cost blocks on top of the purchase price
The purchase price is only the visible part. These five items belong in every comparative calculation:
1. Tied-up capital and depreciation
The money for the machine is no longer available for other investments. On top of that comes the annual loss of value, which you depreciate over the useful life.
2. Inspection and maintenance
Aerial work platforms fall under the Code on Well-being at Work, Book IV (work equipment), and must undergo periodic inspection by an external technical inspection body (EDTC/SECT). On top of this come maintenance according to the manufacturer's instructions, wear parts, batteries for electric machines and repairs. With rental, the rental company takes care of this organisation; with a purchase, the owner does.
3. Transport
A machine of your own has to be brought to every site. Anyone without a suitable low-loader still pays for transport, only now to a haulier.
4. Insurance and storage
Machinery insurance, a secure parking space and, for electric machines, a charging point in winter.
5. Downtime and the wrong type
The purchased platform does not suit every job. It then stands in the yard while a machine is rented for the job anyway. In practice, this is the largest hidden cost block.
Renting provides the right aerial work platform for every job, without organising inspections and storage
The biggest advantage of renting is not the price per day, but the choice. A company that works in a hall one time and on a facade the next does not need one platform, but several. The Luibl rental fleet includes scissor lifts from 6.30 to 34 m, articulating boom lifts up to 48.15 m, telescopic boom lifts up to 56.90 m as well as mast lifts, spider lifts and truck-mounted platforms: always the machine the job requires. Which type suits which task is explained in the decision guide Which aerial work platform for which job?
On top of that comes everything you do not have to organise when renting:
- Inspection: every rental platform is handed over with a valid inspection report.
- Transport: Luibl Rental delivers by low-loader to your site, throughout Belgium.
- Maintenance and breakdowns: maintenance and repair are the responsibility of the rental company.
- Liquidity: no capital is tied up; you only pay for the time of use.
What renting actually costs is shown in the guide Rental costs for aerial work platforms.
Calculation method: how to determine the break-even between renting and buying an aerial work platform
The break-even calculation compares the annual costs of ownership with the rental costs for the same number of days of use. You need five values for this:
| Value | Where to get it |
|---|---|
| A Purchase price of the machine | Dealer quotation |
| B Useful life in years | Planning or depreciation table |
| C Annual owner costs (inspection, maintenance, insurance, storage, transport) | Calculation or empirical values |
| D Expected residual value after the useful life | Dealer, used market |
| E Effective daily rental rate for your typical rental period | Rental quotation |
Annual ownership costs = (A − D) ÷ B + C Break-even in days of use = Annual ownership costs ÷ E
If your expected utilisation is clearly below the result, renting is cheaper. If it is clearly above, buying pays off.
The correct rental value E is important: anyone who bundles their jobs rents by the week or by the month. A weekly rental costs around 4–5 daily rates, a monthly rental around 12–15 daily rates; the effective daily rate is then clearly below the single-day price. So use the value that matches your actual rental pattern. Capital costs and the risk of downtime are not yet included in this simple calculation; both shift the break-even further in favour of renting.
Buy the base demand, rent peaks and special machines: the mixed model
Between pure buying and pure renting lies the model that many larger companies choose:
- Base demand owned: the one platform that is needed almost daily, for example a small electric scissor lift for building services in your own plant.
- Long-term rental for plannable extra demand: machines that stand on a project for months, on tiered terms.
- Short-term rental for peaks and special cases: great heights, spider lifts for difficult ground or truck-mounted platforms for changing work locations, machines that would never be sufficiently utilised if owned.
This keeps your own machine well utilised, and the right type is available for all other tasks. Whether a purchase pays off for your base demand is something the Luibl sales team will discuss with you via luibl.net.
Buying a used aerial work platform: these six documents and checkpoints are part of it
A used aerial work platform lowers the purchase price but shifts risk to the buyer. Before buying, check:
- Inspection reports and last inspection: evidence of the periodic inspections and the rectification of defects.
- EC declaration of conformity and CE marking: evidence of conformity with the Machinery Directive and NBN EN 280.
- Operating manual in the language of your operators, complete and matching the machine.
- Operating hours and maintenance history: show how intensively the machine has been used.
- Condition of hydraulics, boom or scissor and chassis: leaks, cracks, play in the joints.
- Battery condition for electric machines: a battery replacement can account for a considerable part of the purchase price.
For used machines from a professional rental fleet, the inspection and maintenance history is usually documented; ask for it specifically. You can find offers via luibl.net.
The user's obligations apply equally when buying and renting the aerial work platform
Rented or bought: the obligations towards the operators remain with the company that uses the platform. Only the obligations relating to the machine are distributed differently.
| Obligation | When renting | When buying |
|---|---|---|
| Adequate training of the operators | Hirer | Owner |
| Designation of the operator by the employer | Hirer | Owner |
| Operator briefing for the specific machine | Rental company on handover, hirer ensures it | Owner |
| Periodic inspection by an EDTC/SECT | Rental company | Owner |
| Maintenance and repair | Rental company | Owner |
| Risk analysis at the work location | Hirer | Owner |
| Fall protection PPE for the operator | Hirer | Owner |
What operators need to be able to prove is explained in the guide IPAF and operator certificate.
Rent an aerial work platform from Luibl Rental, buy via luibl.net
Tell us about your typical jobs and the expected number of days of use per year. For rental you receive an itemised quotation including transport; for a purchase, the sales team presents new and used machines to you via luibl.net.
Aerial work platform rental: all types · Rent aerial work platforms · Request a rental quote now →
Frequently asked questions: rent or buy an aerial work platform?
When does it pay to buy an aerial work platform?
Usually only from around 150 to 250 days of use per year with the same type and height class. Below that, renting is as a rule cheaper because there are no costs for inspection, maintenance, storage and downtime.
Is a used aerial work platform a good alternative to renting?
Only with high, even utilisation. The lower purchase price changes nothing about inspection, maintenance and transport, and the risk of repairs increases with the age of the machine.
Who is responsible for the periodic inspection of a rented aerial work platform?
The rental company. Luibl Rental hands over every aerial work platform with a valid inspection report and organises the repeat inspection for long-term rentals.
Do operators need different training for a purchased aerial work platform?
No. The same adequate training applies to purchased and rented platforms, for example with an IPAF certificate (PAL Card) in the appropriate category, plus designation by the employer and a briefing.
Can I rent and buy aerial work platforms from Luibl?
Yes. Luibl Rental rents out aerial work platforms throughout Europe via luibl.eu, and new and used machines are sold via luibl.net.