Wheelchair hire with local delivery

People recovering from surgery or injury, visitors and older relatives, families heading to events, and holiday-makers or accommodation providers who need a chair for a short stay.

A daily or weekly hire rate per chair, with extra for delivery and pick-up, and sometimes a refundable bond. Longer hires usually get a lower daily rate.

• Friendly, patient customer service
• Organised booking and record keeping
• Basic equipment cleaning and maintenance
• Comfortable with local driving and lifting

• Public liability and product liability insurance, and cover for your stock and vehicle use, so check what your insurer needs
• Whether the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) rules or any state requirements apply to hiring out wheelchairs, which you should confirm before you buy stock
• Hygiene between hires, with a written cleaning routine and a record of each check
• Council rules for storing stock and running a home-based business, so check with your local council
• Damage, loss and late returns, which a clear hire agreement and bond can help with
• NDIS and aged care funding may not cover short-term hire, so check before promising it to customers

Startup costs are estimated at typically around $3,000 to $12,000, depending on how many wheelchairs you buy, your cleaning supplies, insurance and how you handle delivery. A smaller starting fleet generally means a lower upfront cost.

Check whether Therapeutic Goods Administration rules or any state requirements apply to hiring wheelchairs before you buy stock. Also check insurance for public and product liability, stock and vehicle use, plus council rules for storing stock at home.

Monthly revenue is estimated at typically around $800 to $4,000, depending on fleet size, how often chairs are booked and your delivery area. The estimates assume at least about 6 hours a week. Check whether NDIS or aged care funding covers short-term hire.