How To Rent Starlink Hardware: A Detailed Guide (2024)

Back in March 2023, Starlink introduced the option to temporarily rent its hardware, which is currently available in selected markets.

In this article, I will walk you through how to rent Starlink equipment, how much it costs, where the option to rent is available, and things to consider when returning your hardware.

Where Can Starlink Be Rented?

Before we delve into how to rent Starlink equipment, it’s probably best to highlight where this option is obtainable.

For example, Starlink rentals are not available in the United States – by far its biggest market. That’s because demand is already strong enough, so Starlink does not need to incentivize interested buyers.

With that said, here are all the countries and jurisdictions in which Starlink’s rental option is available for Residential users:

• Austria
• Belgium
• Bulgaria
• Chile
• Croatia
• Czech Republic
• Denmark
• Estonia
• Finland
• France
• Germany
• Greece
• Guernsey
• Ireland
• Isle of Man
• Italy
• Jersey
• Latvia
• Luxembourg
• Macedonia
• Malta
• Netherlands
• New Zealand
• Norway
• Portugal
• Slovenia
• Spain
• Sweden
• Switzerland
• United Kingdom

Furthermore, renting is also available for Business subscribers, namely in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, and the United States.

As you can see, Starlink’s rental option is mostly available in Europe. That’s because internet adoption, thanks to Europe’s relatively sophisticated infrastructure and high population density, is very high.

Starlink thus has to entice consumers through hefty discounts (both on subscriptions and hardware), 30-day money-back guarantees, flexible cancellation policies, and multiple booking options – including rentals.

Here’s How You Rent Starlink Equipment

Renting a Starlink kit is just as easy as subscribing to the regular plans. Here’s how you rent Starlink hardware as a new user.

First, navigate to Starlink’s website, which you can access here. You automatically land on the homepage of Residential, which is the only option renting is available for.

Once you’re on the website, simply type in your address in the text box (‘Service Address’) below and then click on ‘ORDER NOW’.

Then, you arrive on the order page where you need to select ‘RENT’ on the right-hand side. Afterward, you will be prompted to enter your contact information, shipping address, and payment details.

Once you’ve inserted all the necessary information, simply click on the white ‘PLACE ORDER’ button appearing at the bottom of the page.

You will then be redirected to an order confirmation page and receive a confirmation code. Additionally, you will have the option to set up a password for your account.

The password and email you set up can then be used to log into your Starlink account (here) where you can track the status of your order, purchase additional accessories, and more.

How Much Does Renting Starlink Cost?

The single biggest advantage of renting Starlink hardware is that you don’t have to pay for the kit. Instead, you pay a monthly rental fee.

For Germany, where I am based, the monthly hardware fee is equal to €15. You will also have to pay the regular Residential subscription fee, which is €65 per month in Germany.

You are also charged a one-time activation fee of €50. The activation fee will be fully refunded if you return your hardware within 30 days.

As a result, given that a piece of hardware costs €300 in most of Europe, renting is more economical than Residential for the first 15 months.

Lastly, Starlink may also impose a retail penalty fee on you if you fail to return the kit to Starlink undamaged, untampered, and unmodified, within 30 days of canceling your service.

Otherwise, you will be charged the full retail price of the hardware kit as described during the online order process (i.e., €300).

Things To Consider When Renting And Returning Hardware

There are a few things to consider before you go ahead and click on that order button. First and foremost, you can only rent hardware while on the Residential plan.

This means that the hardware can only be used in a stationary manner. As such, you can’t use Starlink anywhere but at your registered address. Renting is also not available for Business and Maritime subscribers.

Related: how to set up Starlink

Billing for the service is conducted on a monthly basis, and it can be discontinued whenever you wish.

In case of cancellation, your service will continue to be available until the end of the existing payment cycle.

If a Starlink Kit has been rented by you, it’s your responsibility to return the equipment in good condition. This should be done within a 30-day window following the cancellation of the Service.

Failure to do so will result in you being charged the full price of the kit, a detail that’s clearly mentioned on the online order page.

Starlink facilitates the return process by providing you with a return shipping label, which you can use to return the Kit.

Lastly, for the process of returning rented Kits, please adhere to the guidelines laid out in Starlink’s Return Policy, which is available in the Starlink Customer Portal.

How To Rent Starlink If You’re Based In The USA

As mentioned above, Starlink does not offer the option to rent to consumers based in the United States.

That said, there are a few, albeit costly, options you could try. The first one would be to use Facebook Marketplace.

Renting a kit on Facebook’s Marketplace normally costs around $30 to $40 a day, with discounts for multi-week bookings.

Lenders often require you to pay a deposit, equal to the value of the hardware kit (around $599) and rent the kit for a minimum number of days.

There are also services like Borrow Starlink, which charge similar daily prices and deposits. In either case, I would refrain from renting the kit from a third party.

Instead, especially if you plan to use the hardware multiple times, I’d suggest to just order it directly from Starlink and subscribe to the Roam plan.

One of Roam’s biggest perks is that it can be paused at any time. If you decide you don’t need the hardware anymore, you can resell it for around $300 to $400 (depending on condition).

Alternatively, if you don’t intend to use the kit for too long (i.e., less than 30 days), you can simply take advantage of Starlink’s return policy and send it back at almost no cost (except shipping).

Wrapping Up

In conclusion, renting Starlink equipment is a viable and economical option for those residing in Europe.

However, it’s crucial to carefully understand and follow the return policies, as failure to return the hardware in an acceptable condition could lead to additional costs.