End of Copier Lease: What to Do Before the Term Ends

The end of a copier lease is where many small businesses lose money without noticing. Leases and the service agreements attached to them often renew automatically, return terms can put shipping costs on you, and the device may still hold copies of your documents. A little planning turns the end of the term into a chance to cut costs and fix what did not work. This guide covers what to check, when, and in what order.

Start six to twelve months early

Copier leases typically run for several years, and the notice clause is easy to forget by the time it matters. Find these documents now:

• the lease agreement with the leasing company;
• the service or cost-per-click agreement, which may be with a different company;
• any amendments, upgrades or add-on schedules.

For each one, record the end date, the notice period, how notice must be given (letter, email, specific address) and what happens if you do nothing. Put the opening and closing dates of the notice window in a shared calendar.

Your usual options

Leases differ, but the end of a copier lease normally leads to one of four outcomes.

Option	What it means	When it suits
Return	Device goes back to the lessor; you stop paying	You are replacing the device or no longer need it
Buy out	You pay a set or fair market amount and own it	The device is reliable and volumes are stable
Extend	Lease continues, often month to month or for a fixed renewal	You need time to decide or to align with a move
Upgrade	A new lease replaces the old one, sometimes rolling in the remaining balance	Your needs have changed and you compare several quotes

A buyout clause matters. A nominal buyout price behaves like a purchase on credit; a fair market value buyout means you negotiate a price at the end. Read which one you have.

Watch for automatic renewal

Many leases say that if you do not give notice within the window, the lease renews for a further period or continues monthly at the same payment. Service agreements can have their own renewal clause, separate from the lease. If you return the device but forget the service agreement, you may keep receiving invoices. Treat the two contracts separately.

Re-measure before you decide

Before talking to any supplier, take two sets of counter readings a month apart. Compare current mono and colour volumes with what you print now against the original contract minimums. Offices often shrink their printing over a lease term, especially with hybrid working, so the device and the minimum volume that made sense years ago may now be too big. An office print audit is the quickest way to get a reliable baseline, and our duty cycle guide helps size the next device.

Compare like for like

If you plan to replace the device, ask several suppliers for quotes on the same basis: device class, monthly volumes, click rates, minimums, term and exit terms. Our printer RFP checklist lists the questions, and copier cost per click explained shows how to turn each quote into one monthly figure. Weigh this against simply buying, using lease vs buy an office printer.

Be careful with offers to “roll over” the remaining balance of the old lease into a new one. The balance does not disappear; it is spread across the new payments.

Wipe your data before the device leaves

Most office copiers store data: scan and print job images on a drive or flash storage, address books, scan-to-email credentials and network settings. Before the device is collected:

1. Export anything you need, such as the address book.
2. Remove stored credentials for email and file shares, and change those passwords afterwards.
3. Run the device’s data overwrite or initialisation function, or ask for drive removal.
4. Ask the lessor or dealer for written confirmation of how storage will be sanitised.

NIST SP 800-88 describes the clear, purge and destroy levels of media sanitisation. Our copier hard drive data security guide explains each step.

Return logistics and final readings

• Record final meter readings with a photo of the counter page on the day of collection.
• Check who pays for packing, shipping and insurance, and where the device must go.
• Keep the collection receipt and serial number.
• Check the last invoices against the final readings.

If you buy the device out and later dispose of it, use an electronics recycler; the EPA lists options for businesses.

Accounting and budget points

Leases can be treated differently in your accounts depending on the standards you report under, such as IFRS 16. Ask your accountant how ending, extending or replacing a lease affects your figures before you sign. Put the new monthly cost into your printing budget alongside paper and other supplies so the total is visible.

Red flags when signing the next lease

• No clear notice window or a very short one.
• Automatic renewal for a long fixed term rather than month to month.
• Service agreement that continues after the lease ends.
• Return costs placed entirely on you, at an unspecified location.
• Minimum volumes based on the supplier’s estimate rather than your measured volumes.

Replace, extend or keep running

The end of a lease is a natural point to decide whether the device should be replaced at all. Our guide on when to replace an office printer sets out a repair-or-replace test based on downtime, support status and running costs, which works just as well for leased devices. If you keep a device beyond its original term, confirm in writing what service cover continues and on what terms; for owned or bought-out devices, compare the supplier’s offer with the points in printer extended warranty for business. Either way, record the final meter readings and update your office printing budget for the new arrangement.

Summary

Treat the end of a copier lease as a project with a deadline. Find both contracts, diarise the notice window, re-measure your volumes, choose return, buyout, extension or upgrade on the numbers, give notice in writing, and wipe the device before it leaves.