Mobility equipment hire and delivery service
Hire out wheelchairs, mobility scooters and care beds locally, delivered and collected by you.
- £15k-60k
- Part-time
- Out and about
Estimates for a small start in the UK, not guarantees.
Official data
2,916 UK companies in this field, 25% registered in the last 2 years
SIC 47749 “Retail sale of medical and orthopaedic goods in specialised stores (not incl. hearing aids) n.e.c.”. Source: Companies House, November 2026.
What it is
A local service renting mobility and care equipment for short or longer periods, such as wheelchairs, rollators, commodes, mobility scooters and profiling beds. You deliver, set up, collect, clean and check each item between hires.
Your first three steps
- Choose a small starting range (for example wheelchairs, rollators and a few scooters, adding profiling beds later) and cost it up: purchase price, likely hire days per year and cleaning time
- Get quotes for a suitable van, insurance and storage before you buy stock, so your budget covers the whole setup
- Draft simple hire terms, a deposit policy and a cleaning and inspection checklist, and have the terms checked by someone qualified
Who pays
Families after a hospital stay, people on holiday or recovering from injury, care homes covering short-term needs, and event organisers.
How it makes money
Daily, weekly or monthly hire fees, plus delivery and collection charges and refundable deposits. Care homes and clinics may take regular contracts.
Skills that help
- Practical, safe handling of equipment
- Cleaning and maintenance routines
- Booking and record keeping
- Patient, reassuring customer service
Watch out for
- Start-up costs rise quickly: profiling beds and mobility scooters are expensive per item, and a van, insurance and storage add to the total
- Insurance covering hired-out equipment, public liability and product liability, and cover for your van
- Equipment safety: keep service records, and check MHRA guidance on medical devices and any rules on powered mobility scooters
- Infection control and cleaning standards, especially for care homes and clinics
- Equipment can be damaged or not returned, so use deposits and clear agreements
- Storage space: check what your home, landlord or lender allows, or consider a small unit
Deep research report · UK
Everything you need to start: mobility equipment hire and delivery service
Researched with live web search for United Kingdom: real startup prices, the licences and rules, what others charge, a break-even example, how to find your first customers and a 30-day launch plan. With sources.
- Startup costs with real prices
- Licences, registration and rules
- Pricing: what others charge
- Break-even example
- Finding your first customers
- 30-day launch plan
- Risks and how to reduce them
Questions people ask
How much does it cost to start a mobility equipment hire business?
Estimates suggest startup costs typically around £15,000 to £60,000, depending on the equipment you buy, your van, insurance and storage. Costs rise quickly because profiling beds and mobility scooters are expensive per item.
How much revenue can mobility equipment hire bring in?
Estimated monthly revenue is typically around £800 to £4,000, depending on how much equipment you own, how often it is hired and your local area. That is revenue, not profit. Estimates start from around 15 hours a week.
What should I check before hiring out mobility equipment?
Check insurance for hired-out equipment, public and product liability, and your van. Check MHRA guidance on medical devices and any rules on powered mobility scooters, keep service records, and consider infection control, deposits and clear agreements.
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Photo: Carola68 on Pixabay