Written by Dan Barraclough Updated on 23 April 2021 On this page How much does it cost to rent a photocopier? Cost of renting vs buying a photocopier Top 5 cheapest office photocopiers to rent Top 5 high-volume office photocopiers to rent FAQs Expand As office equipment goes, photocopiers are important staples. But as with many things, what works for one business might not be right for another.In fact, lots of businesses make the mistake of buying a large and expensive copier, when in fact their needs are very low or short-term. For many, renting a photocopier, either temporarily or long-term, makes far more sense.With photocopier rental payments starting at only £25 per month, we’ve weighed up the cost of buying versus renting a photocopier. We’ve also explained how to choose the right model.If you’re short on time, go ahead and fill in this short form to receive tailored quotes from industry-leading photocopier suppliers. How much does it cost to rent a photocopier?The type of photocopier your business needs will depend on the volume of copies required, and any extra features.When looking at photocopier rentals, the machines are usually classed as low, medium, or high volume.In order to get the best deal, you should first work out how many pages you’ll need to copy each month. This table will help:Copies Per MonthMonthly CostFunctionalityLow Volume(Mono)750~£25Basic hardwareScannerLow Volume(Colour)1000~£35Basic hardwareColour scannerMid Volume8,000 – 40,000~£50Advanced hardwareFaxingColour scanner/printer& moreHigh Volume40,000+~£200State-of-the-art hardwareFaxingStaplingBindingLarger paper traysHi-def colour printingNetwork capabilityAutomatic document management& morePay close attention to the features. It may be more cost effective to rent a photocopier that can also simultaneously function as a fax machine, scanner and printer. Colour and Black & White Black & White Only Cost of renting vs buying a photocopierPhotocopierMonthly rental costMonthly leasing costBuying costEntry-level black and white photocopier£20 – £40£20 – £35£800 – £1,000Colour copier with scanner£40 – £100£40 – £50£2,000 – £4,500Advanced hardware and networking capabilities£100 – £300£100 – £200£5,000 – £10,000+The costs explainedIn terms of photocopier hire costs, a standard, black and white photocopier will cost around £25 per month. This includes maintenance and toner costs.With a five year contract, that amounts to:£25 x 60 = £1,500 total investment.To buy this machine outright, you’d pay around £800, which seems a lot cheaper. However, it’s more expensive upfront when you take into account the extra costs:£800 + (£210 of cartridges per year x 5 years) + £200 likely repair costs = £2,050 total investment.What’s the difference between renting and leasing?Well, the two words are often used interchangeably, but in fact they mean slightly different things.Photocopier rental generally involves a short term, month-to-month rolling contract. Photocopier leasing generally involves paying less each month, but committing to a longer contract (one to five years).The graph below shows the expenditure for each option over five years:This investment analysis over a five year period is proof that buying isn’t always best. Top 5 cheapest office photocopiers to rentThese photocopiers are reliable, no-frills options for businesses with low printing needs:Brother DCP-9020CDW This is a compact three-in-one copier, printer and scanner. It produces great quality printouts, and is robust and reliable. This is a great all-round option for a business with low volume needs.Print Speed – 18ppmPaper Capacity – 250 sheetsColour/Mono? – ColourFunctionality – Print/Copy/ScanConnectivity – Wireless, USB, Wired NetworkSize (w x h x d) – 602mm x 565mm x 534mm Canon i-SENSYS MF3010 This highly energy-efficient model is ideal for home offices or very small businesses. It has an all-in-one cartridge containing all the toner, drum and cleaning units. This makes it quick to clean, and reliable.Print Speed – 18ppmPaper Capacity – 150 sheetsColour/Mono? – MonoFunctionality – Print/Copy/ScanConnectivity – USBSize (w x h x d) – 372mm x 254mm x 276mm Dell Colour MFP E525w This is a four in one machine (copy, print, scan, and fax) that champions versatility and value. You can easily connect to Wi-Fi, or via the USB portal, and can even print straight from your smartphone or tablet.Print Speed – 18ppmPaper Capacity – 150 sheetColour/Mono? – ColourFunctionality – Print/Copy/Scan/FaxConnectivity – Wireless, USBSize (w x h x d) – 561mm x 520mm x 549mm HP Officejet Pro 8620 e-All-in-One This is an ergonomic copier that uses inkjet technology. This claims to halve printer costs (compared to laser). The machine itself is very small, so perfect for offices with limited space. It can print remotely, although reviews suggest this isn’t always as simple as it could be.Print Speed – 21ppmPaper Capacity – 500 sheetsColour/Mono? – ColourFunctionality – Print/Copy/Scan/FaxConnectivity – Wireless, USB, Wired NetworkSize (w x h x d) – 569mm x 518mm x 377mm Xerox WorkCentre 6025 This is one of the more modest offerings in the Xerox portfolio, but still stands tall in terms of features and quality. Businesses looking for a high-volume copier should look at a more hi-spec model, but this one is a great fuss-free choice for smaller businesses.Print Speed – 12ppmPaper Capacity – 160 sheetsColour/Mono? – ColourFunctionality – Print/Copy/Scan/EmailConnectivity – USB, WifeSize (w x h x d) – 410mm x 318mm x 439mm Top 5 high-volume office photocopiers to rentThese are much more sophisticated photocopiers, and will be able to cope with the most demanding office environments:Canon imageRUNNER ADVANCE C7280i II This award-winning Canon machine promises unrivalled volume capacity and quality printing. It’s energy efficient with advanced security capabilities and easy cloud integration. In short, it’ll do everything you want it to – and probably a whole lot more.Print Speed – 70ppmPaper Capacity – 9,300 sheetsColour/Mono? – ColourFunctionality – Print/Copy/Scan/Optional FaxConnectivity – USB, Wired NetworkSize (w x h x d) – 689mm x 1,220mm x 941mm Konica bizhub C754 The Konica bizhub C754 is a high volume, multi-function photocopier. Konica Minolta‘s unique colour technology means this machine offers excellent quality at high volumes. You can also connect it to office servers and provide detailed metric and account tracking for all users.Print Speed – 75ppmPaper Capacity – 3,650 sheetsColour/Mono? – ColourFunctionality – Print/Copy/Scan/FaxConnectivity – USB, Wired network, (Optional Wireless)Size (w x h x d) – 650mm x 1155mm x 799mm Lexmark CX860DTFE This is another very fast-printing yet economical photocopier. High-yield colour ink cartridges help to cut costs, while fast print speeds and a high-volume paper cartridge keeps you printing for longer. It has an advanced touchscreen that behaves much like a tablet.Print Speed – 57ppmPaper Capacity – 4,500 sheetsColour/Mono? – ColourFunctionality – Print/Copy/Scan/FaxConnectivity – USB, Wired NetworkSize (w x h x d) – 762mm x 1380mm x 830mm Sharp MX-M950 If you’re after serious speed, the Sharp MX-M950 might be just what you’re looking for. This copier was made for the most demanding office environments, and has a large 80GB internal hard-drive – ideal for remote printing.Print Speed – 95ppmPaper Capacity – 8,050 sheetsColour/Mono? – MonoFunctionality – Print/Copy/Scan/FaxConnectivity – USBSize (w x h x d) – 1031mm x 1518mm x 771mm Xerox WorkCentre 7855 The Xerox WorkCentre 7855 is a reliable, multifunctional photocopier that is perfect for medium to large businesses. Capable of printing crisply finished documents at high speeds, the WorkCentre 7855 is a great office addition.Print Speed – 55ppmPaper Capacity – 2,180 sheetsColour/Mono? – ColourFunctionality – Print/Copy/Scan/Optional FaxConnectivity – USB, Wired network, (Optional Wireless)Size (w x h x d) – 640mm x 1150mm x 700mm Next steps: how to get your photocopierIf you’re interested in buying or leasing a photocopier for your business, fill in this short form. A member of the Expert Market team will get in touch to discuss the best options for you, and will then get you tailored quotes from up to four trusted suppliers.Do you need to rent a printer rather than a photocopier? If your business is unlikely to need to make many (or any) copies, you’ll be best off looking at leasing an A3 laser printer instead. Some of these models can photocopy as well, but it makes sense to make a choice based on its printing capabilities first and foremost. FAQsWhy should I rent a photocopier?The most common reason that businesses choose to rent a photocopier is flexibility. You can get flexible contract-lengths to suit your needs, and you’ll have freedom to switch models at any time. With renting, you can also avoid large upfront costs and ongoing maintenance fees that you’d get from buying a photocopier outright.Who pays for the maintenance?The photocopier supplier will offer a separate maintenance contract as part of the overall rental agreement, which will cover all the maintenance fees you might expect to incur over the course of your lease. These fees might include ink toner replacement (around £40 – £90 per toner), or general labour costs typically ranging from £50 – £80 per hour.How much does photocopier installation cost?Most photocopier suppliers will offer free installation and training as standard, meaning you can get up and running quickly and stress-free.What should I look out for in my rental contract?Photocopier leasing and tax efficiencyBy leasing a photocopier, you’ll reduce your tax bill. Payments are 100% tax deductible as a business expense. Buying a photocopier is also tax deductible, but at 40% in the first year and 25% the year after.Double check unusually low photocopier rental costsEveryone loves finding a good deal, but be wary of quotes that seem too good to be true. Always read the small print. Often a much larger deposit is required to achieve the stated rate. Dan Barraclough Dan’s a Senior Writer at Expert Market, specialising in digital marketing, web design, and photocopiers, amongst other topics.