Leasing lab equipment can be a game-changer—especially for startups trying to stretch limited capital, scale quickly, or outfit a new lab space without sinking a fortune into fixed assets. But despite its growing popularity in the biotech and life sciences world, there’s still plenty of confusion about what can actually be leased—and what can’t.
If you're opening a new research lab, managing operations in an incubator, or simply looking for smarter ways to reduce upfront expenditures, it’s critical to understand which types of equipment are eligible for leasing. Equally important? Knowing where leasing typically doesn’t apply—so you can plan around it.
This post breaks down what leasing companies usually cover (think: freezers, autoclaves, and fume hoods), what’s typically excluded (like building upgrades and custom tenant improvements), and how to navigate those gray areas in between. Whether you're outfitting a lab from scratch or upgrading an existing facility, understanding your leasing options is a key part of building a scalable, cost-effective procurement strategy.
What You Can Lease in a Research Lab
For many labs—especially early-stage startups—leasing makes it possible to access high-quality, high-cost lab equipment without tying up capital. Leasing companies typically focus on standalone instruments, core lab equipment, and other assets that retain value over time and are easy to relocate, service, or upgrade.
Here’s what generally qualifies:
Standalone scientific instruments
This is the heart of most lease portfolios. Equipment like centrifuges, incubators, thermal cyclers, spectrophotometers, microscopes, and plate readers are all commonly leased. These systems are essential to biotech, pharma, diagnostics, and academic research labs—and leasing them provides flexibility in both financing and technology upgrades.
Cold storage and sterilization
Freezers (including ultra-low temperature models), refrigerators, and autoclaves are frequently included in lease agreements. These pieces play critical roles in biological sample storage and lab sterilization routines, but they’re also expensive to buy outright and tend to depreciate slowly—making them attractive to leasing companies.
Safety and containment systems
Equipment like biosafety cabinets and ductless fume hoods are often leasable as well. Because these systems are essential to maintaining compliance and protecting lab personnel, they’re frequently prioritized early in lab buildouts.
Benchtop analyzers and specialized systems
Depending on your lab’s focus, systems like HPLCs, PCR machines, cell counters, and flow cytometers can often be leased—especially when sourced through a vendor that understands your scientific workflow. Leasing allows labs to adopt the latest technology without long-term capital commitment.
Equipment bundles and multi-system packages
Leasing can also cover grouped equipment purchases—such as outfitting an entire tissue culture room or analytical chemistry bench. Many leasing providers are open to bundling multiple items under one agreement, giving you the flexibility to outfit a complete workflow all at once.
Leasing companies typically prioritize equipment with clear resale value, defined serviceability, and portable installation. If the system can be unboxed, plugged in, and validated without major infrastructure changes, there’s a good chance it’s leasable.
What You Can’t (Usually) Lease in a Research Lab
While leasing opens up access to a wide range of lab equipment, it doesn’t cover everything. Some items are typically excluded from leasing agreements due to installation complexity, lack of portability, or how they're classified for accounting and depreciation purposes.
Understanding what’s off the table can help you avoid surprises—and budget more effectively from the start.
Built-in infrastructure and tenant improvements
Things like ducted fume hoods, lab benches, casework, gas lines, and electrical rewiring are almost never leasable. These are considered permanent modifications to the facility and are often treated as tenant improvements tied to the building itself—not movable equipment.
If you're customizing your lab space, these buildout costs may need to be paid upfront, or negotiated with your landlord as part of your lease agreement. That makes early planning with your real estate provider and facilities team essential.
Facility-wide systems
HVAC upgrades, backup generators, deionized water systems, and central vacuum lines typically fall outside the scope of equipment leases. These systems are either too complex to relocate or too integrated into the broader building infrastructure.
In most cases, these upgrades are handled by building owners or bundled into long-term facility improvement budgets—not individual lab equipment financing.
Furniture and common-area fixtures
Conference tables, office chairs, desks, and lounge furniture—while important—are usually excluded from scientific equipment leases. That said, some leasing companies may partner with office furniture providers separately if you're doing a full lab-office hybrid buildout.
Similarly, common-area equipment shared across research facilities (like dishwashers or ice machines in shared labs or incubators) may not qualify unless your organization owns and manages the space directly.
Consumables, reagents, and software licenses
While some lease packages bundle in service contracts or preventative maintenance, leasing doesn’t typically cover one-time-use items like pipette tips, reagents, calibration standards, or proprietary software subscriptions. These are considered operating expenses and should be handled separately in your lab’s budget.
That said, some leasing companies will work with you to structure predictable monthly payments that incorporate equipment servicing or software that's tied directly to system function.
What Falls in the Middle: Gray Areas & Special Cases
Not everything in a research lab is clearly leasable or non-leasable. Some items fall into a gray zone where eligibility depends on how they’re bundled, how your lab is set up, or what type of leasing partner you’re working with. Knowing where there’s flexibility can help you make smarter procurement choices—and possibly unlock access to more equipment than you expected.
Custom or specialized equipment
Highly customized systems—like prototype imaging platforms, proprietary robotic liquid handlers, or one-off fabrication tools—can be harder to lease unless they’re built by an established manufacturer with long-term serviceability. Leasing companies want assurance that equipment retains value and has long-term support from the vendor.
That said, if the system has documented resale value, service agreements, and clear installation requirements, it may still be eligible—especially if bundled with more traditional equipment.
Equipment installed in shared lab spaces or incubators
If you're working out of a shared facility or life science incubator, you may face unique leasing challenges. Some leasing companies may hesitate to finance gear placed in common areas or facilities you don’t directly control. However, leasing is often possible for items that are used exclusively by your team—even if the facility is shared.
In these situations, working closely with your incubator or lab operator is key. Some landlords may offer buildout support or connect you with a preferred leasing partner familiar with the space.
Equipment tied to grant funding or academic IP
If you're operating within a university-affiliated lab or using grant funding, leasing can get complicated. Some grants restrict how funds can be used—or require equipment to be classified as a capital asset for compliance reasons. If your research is tied to intellectual property developed under academic terms, clarify ownership and depreciation rules early.
In many cases, startups spinning out of universities find it easier to lease once they’ve moved into their own space and established a clean business plan that separates IP ownership from institutional overhead.
Software-embedded systems
If the system you're acquiring relies heavily on licensed software (e.g., bioinformatics platforms, image analysis tools), check whether the license can be transferred or bundled under the lease. Some instruments require annual renewals or cloud subscriptions that aren't easily folded into traditional leasing models.
In these cases, it’s often possible to lease the hardware and handle the software separately—just make sure the cost split is clearly defined in your procurement plan.
Why Leasing Eligibility Matters for Planning & Budgeting
Leasing lab equipment isn’t just a tactical decision—it’s a strategic one. Understanding what you can and can’t lease helps you build a more realistic business plan, allocate capital effectively, and avoid delays when setting up or expanding your research lab.
Budgeting with accuracy
If you assume everything is leasable and build your budget accordingly, you may face unexpected out-of-pocket expenses for tenant improvements, common-area upgrades, or unqualified items. On the other hand, underestimating what leasing can cover may lead you to delay projects unnecessarily—or spend capital where you didn’t have to.
Clarifying what falls under a lease agreement allows you to align spending with your operational goals and avoid costly surprises.
Keeping capital flexible
Early-stage biotech and life sciences startups are often tight on cash. Leasing eligible equipment allows you to conserve capital for other critical expenses—like hiring, regulatory approvals, IP protection, or expanding your lab space. Knowing where leasing applies can help reduce upfront expenditures and smooth out cash flow during high-growth periods.
Accelerating occupancy and lab buildout
Time matters—especially when you're racing toward data, funding milestones, or clinical partnerships. If you know in advance which systems you can lease, you’ll be better equipped to move quickly once your lab lease is signed. That means less time negotiating procurement and more time running experiments.
Supporting future scalability
Leasing can make it easier to scale up as your research grows. Instead of overcommitting to capital equipment too early, you can lease what you need now, then add systems as your test volumes, assay development needs, or headcount increase. This kind of financial flexibility is especially valuable for growing research facilities that need to adapt fast.
Final thoughts: Use Leasing Strategically, Not Blindly
Outfitting a research lab takes more than just picking the right equipment—it takes knowing how to fund it smartly. Leasing can be a powerful tool to reduce upfront costs, improve cash flow, and access the latest technology faster—but only if you know what’s on the table.
The most successful labs treat leasing as part of a broader operational strategy. They know which assets to finance, which upgrades require direct investment, and how to balance both within their budget and growth plan. Whether you're building your first lab, expanding into new lab space, or upgrading specialized equipment, understanding leasing eligibility gives you a stronger starting point—and fewer financial surprises.
At Excedr, we help biotech and life sciences companies lease the lab equipment they need to get started, scale up, or stay competitive. From freezers and fume hoods to autoclaves and analytical instruments, our flexible lease terms and expert support help reduce downtime and simplify the procurement process.
Not sure what you can lease in your lab? Talk to our team.