Renting as a financial alternative to purchasing: As we continue on the journey of what to rent next - by Ron Lanzo

Many of you column readers have followed our stories at AFR Furniture Rental Inc., and you know by now I too started out asking who really rents office furniture? At least that was asked at just about every business or networking event I’d attended. It took too much time, energy and research to finally overcome these initial perceptions. For example, many people choose to rent or lease a car instead of making such a large initial capital expenditure to purchase one. 

And of course as you’ve followed many of my columns here at The New York Real Estate Journal, you’ve recognized I’m always looking out to see what new products and services can be rented. Recently I noticed a fairly non-descript white truck with red lettering and the company name was RENTEX. When I looked them up, much to my surprise, I uncovered yet a new niche among rental companies. When checking out their website, www.rentex.com, I discovered their niche can best be described as a sub-renter. They are a nationwide AV rental company that offers audio, video computers and TV monitors. In business since 1980, with offices on both the East & West Coast, and Texas too, they are indeed truly a nationwide firm, much like AFR Furniture Rental. 

The following is from their website: 

“RENTEX is one of the largest and most trusted wholesale providers of AV rental equipment in the nation. We are a longtime leader in the cross rental market supplying AV equipment to the nation’s largest AV rental, staging, production, and other live event companies.”

So, basically they are a wholesale rental company renting to other businesses. They offer same day deliveries, or promise to deliver whatever you’ve rented within 24 hours. Among their other promises is their guarantee of the lowest cost cross rental rates. And they have 24/7 sales and tech support. There is a hot button on their website that’s labeled, “Rental Emergency Support.” Yes there is always a sense of “urgency” involved with any request for rentals. It seems it’s always a last minute request, and although certainly not a life threatening event, it is to most people critically important. And if you only need to rent a camera or a lens, then check out Lensrentals, www.lensrentals.com/rent/cameras/. You could try a very expensive professional video camera for about $400 a week! This gives you a chance to actually test and learn before you buy and make a substantial purchase investment. 

At AFR Furniture Rental Inc. we also offer rental of a wide range of products available for short term, just a single day, or up to two years or more, with delivery, installation and return pickup all included in our rental agreements. As a rental company we too go the extra mile to provide our customers with the personalized service and support they need to get their products completed “on time” and “on budget!”

If your business plans include new construction or an existing office construction project you are an ideal candidate for what we refer to as a “swing space rental.” It’s a fact that your company must continue to run the business and service customers. Rent the furniture you’ll need to staff all of your employees so they can continue to be productive while you begin to reconstruct your new facility. We recently helped Bertelsmann, and their Penguin and Random House publishing units, with a similar project supplying 50 temporary benching systems. We removed 22 existing larger cubicles and replaced them with 50 smaller ones in two days. They were fully operational by Monday morning, as all power, data and phones were connected. When the construction is completed on both sides of the floor, they call AFR to schedule the pickup of the rental work stations. They simply arrange to return the original cubicles back in place. Meanwhile the company continues to conduct business and generate revenues without any disruption. 

Experience the AFR difference, your # 1 resource for temporary office furniture solutions. 

Ron Lanzo, is the commercial account executive for AFR Furniture Rental & Events Inc., New York, N.Y.