Choosing a stairlift supplier and living with your stairlift

Updated 9 November 2026 · 10 minute read · General guidance only: check your own project with your council, Building Control and a qualified professional.

What a proper home survey should cover

A stairlift should never be sold over the phone or from a brochure alone. A surveyor or installer should visit, look at the stairs and the space at each end, and talk to the person who will use the lift. A good survey covers the following.

• Measuring the stairs, including any bends, winders and landings. For curved stairs this is often done with photographic or laser equipment.
• Checking the treads are sound enough for the rail fixings, and where the rail will start and finish.
• Where the chair will park, whether it blocks a doorway or hallway, and whether a hinged rail or a parking bend is needed.
• Where the nearest socket is for charging, and whether a new one is needed.
• How the user will get on and off, including whether a swivel seat, perch seat or powered swivel would help, and the user's height and weight.
• How much width will be left for others on the stairs with the lift folded.
• Who else lives in the home and whether a key switch is needed to stop children using the lift.

It helps to have a relative, friend or carer with you at the survey, and to have a list of questions ready. If an occupational therapist has made recommendations, show them to the surveyor.

Written quotes and how to compare them

Ask every supplier for a written quote, and ask them to leave it with you rather than asking you to decide there and then. A clear quote should state the following.

• The make and model of the lift, whether it is new or reconditioned, and its age if reconditioned.
• The rail type and length, and any extras such as a hinged rail, powered swivel or extra remote controls.
• Whether the price includes fitting, VAT and any electrical work, and how VAT relief has been applied.
• The expected fitting date or lead time.
• The length and terms of the warranty, and whether the first service is included.
• Any deposit, when the balance is due, and what happens to the deposit if you cancel.
• Removal terms when the lift is no longer needed, and any buy-back arrangement.

When you have two or three quotes, put them side by side and compare the same things in each. A lower price may leave out servicing, or a higher price may include several years of breakdown cover. If something isn't clear, ask the supplier to explain it in writing. The costs guide on this site gives typical price ranges as a sense check.

Warranty, servicing plans and breakdown cover

A stairlift is something the user will rely on every day, so what happens after fitting matters as much as the lift. These are the questions to ask each supplier.

• How long is the warranty, and what does it cover: parts, labour, call-outs, batteries?
• Is a service included in the first year, and how often does the manufacturer recommend servicing? Many recommend once a year.
• What does a service plan cost after the warranty ends, and what does it include?
• How quickly will an engineer come if the lift breaks down, particularly if someone is stuck upstairs? Is there an out-of-hours number?
• Are engineers local, or do they travel from further away?
• Can the lift be serviced by another company if needed, and are spare parts widely available for the model?
• Does any warranty depend on using only the supplier's own engineers?

Read the warranty document itself rather than relying on a summary in a brochure. Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, goods must be of satisfactory quality and fit for purpose, and a service such as installation must be carried out with reasonable care and skill. A warranty adds to those rights; it doesn't replace them.

The safety standard and what LOLER means at home

Stairlifts are covered by a European safety standard, published in the UK as BS EN 81-40. The current edition is BS EN 81-40:2020, which replaced the 2008 edition and covers the construction, installation and maintenance of stairlifts and inclined lifting platforms for people with impaired mobility. It doesn't apply to lifts made before it was published, so an older lift may have been built to the earlier edition. Ask each supplier to confirm which standard the lift is made to.

You may also hear about LOLER, the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998, which require lifting equipment used at work to be thoroughly examined at set intervals. The Health and Safety Executive says that in most cases lifting equipment that isn't provided for, or used by, people at work, such as a stairlift in a private home, won't be subject to LOLER. Equipment provided by an employer, a care provider or a community equipment service can be different.

Your right to cancel after a home visit

If you agree to buy a stairlift during a visit to your home, it is usually an off-premises contract under the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013, and you normally have 14 days to cancel. The supplier must give you information about your right to cancel.

• For goods, the 14 days usually run from when the goods are delivered. For a service, they run from the day the contract is made.
• If the supplier doesn't give you the cancellation information, the cancellation period can be extended by up to 12 months.
• The supplier must not start a service during the cancellation period unless you ask them to. For an off-premises contract, that request has to be made on paper or another durable medium. If you then cancel, you may have to pay for work already done.
• Goods made to your specifications or clearly personalised are an exception. Regulation 28 lists this exception, and a curved rail made to measure for your stairs may fall within it, so be sure before you agree to a curved rail being made.
• Cancel in writing and keep a copy. Citizens Advice has a template letter for goods or services bought at home.

Because the rules depend on how the contract is set up, ask the supplier to explain in writing what your cancellation rights are, and when a curved rail order becomes final. If in doubt, contact Citizens Advice before you sign.

Pressure selling and how to say no

Most stairlift suppliers are helpful and patient. A small number use pressure tactics, and older people, or people who have just come home from hospital, can be particularly affected. Watch out for these signs.

• A discount that is only available if you sign today.
• A long visit that doesn't end until you agree to something.
• Reluctance to leave a written quote, or a quote that only shows a monthly payment.
• Being discouraged from talking to family, an occupational therapist or another supplier.
• Claims that you must buy now because of a price rise, or that a grant won't be available if you wait.
• Pressure to sign a finance agreement on the spot.

It is always fine to say you would like time to think, to ask for the quote in writing, and to end the visit. Having a relative or friend present, or on the phone, can help. Remember that the 14-day cancellation right may not apply to a made-to-measure rail, so take your time before ordering one. Stairlifts Kent passes your request to installers on the understanding that nothing is booked until you accept.

The day of fitting and the first few weeks

On the day, the installer fixes the rail to the treads, fits the chair and charging points, and tests the lift. A straight lift often takes a few hours. Before the installer leaves, they should do the following.

1. Demonstrate the liftShow the user and anyone helping them how to get on and off, use the seat belt, swivel the seat, use the controls and the remote controls, and park the lift so it charges.
2. Watch the user try itThe user should make a few journeys with the installer present, so any problems with the seat height or controls can be adjusted.
3. Explain the safety featuresThese usually include sensors that stop the lift if something is in the way, a key switch, and what to do if the lift stops part way.
4. Leave the paperworkYou should have the user manual, warranty details, the breakdown and service number, and any VAT declaration you signed.

In the first few weeks, notice how the user is getting on. If the seat height, swivel or parking position isn't quite right, call the supplier. Small adjustments are usually simple, and it is better to sort them early.

Looking after the lift and when to call an engineer

A stairlift needs little day-to-day care, but a few habits help it run reliably.

• Always park the lift at a charging point and keep the socket switched on.
• Keep the stairs and rail clear. Something caught under the footrest can trigger a safety sensor and stop the lift.
• Wipe the rail with a dry cloth if the manufacturer advises, and don't oil it unless the manual says so.
• Book servicing at the interval the manufacturer recommends.
• Listen for new noises, jerky movement or slower travel, which can be signs that the batteries or another part need attention.

If the lift won't move, check the key switch is on, the seat is fully swivelled back, the chair is parked properly and the socket is switched on. If none of that helps, or the lift makes an unusual noise or stops repeatedly, stop using it and call an engineer rather than forcing it.

When something goes wrong: complaints and Trading Standards

If you are unhappy with a stairlift or the way it was sold or fitted, start by contacting the supplier in writing, explaining the problem and what you would like them to do. Keep copies of everything, including the quote, contract, warranty and any letters or emails.

• Citizens Advice gives free consumer advice, including on cancelling contracts made at home and on faulty goods.
• Trading Standards deals with unfair or illegal trading, such as misleading claims or failing to give cancellation information. In most of Kent this is Kent County Council's Trading Standards service, and in Medway it is Medway Council's. GOV.UK has a postcode search to find the right office.
• If the user is vulnerable and you are worried about pressure selling or doorstep crime, tell their family, carer or social worker as well.

If you paid by card or with finance, you may also have rights through the card issuer or lender. Citizens Advice can explain which applies to you.

Get quotes from local stairlift installers

When you're ready, describe your project once and we'll pass it to vetted stairlift installers who cover your part of Kent. They quote you directly, and nothing is booked until you accept.

Get a quote

Sources

• legislation.gov.uk: Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013, regulation 28 (exceptions): www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2013/3134/regulation/28
• legislation.gov.uk: Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013, regulation 31 (extended cancellation period): www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2013/3134/regulation/31
• legislation.gov.uk: Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013, regulation 36 (services in the cancellation period): www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2013/3134/regulation/36
• legislation.gov.uk: Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 49: www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2015/15/section/49
• HSE: Passenger lifts and escalators (LOLER and PUWER scope): www.hse.gov.uk/work-equipment-machinery/passenger-lifts.htm
• HSE: Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 (LOLER): www.hse.gov.uk/work-equipment-machinery/loler.htm
• BSI: BS EN 81-40:2020, stairlifts and inclined lifting platforms intended for persons with impaired mobility: knowledge.bsigroup.com/products/safety-rules-for-the-construction-and-installation-of-lifts-special-lifts-for-the-transport-of-persons-and-goods-stairlifts-and-inclined-lifting-platforms-intended-for-persons-with-impaired-mobility
• Citizens Advice: Letter to cancel goods or services bought at home or in a public place: www.citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer/template-letters/letters/cancelling-goods-or-services/letter-to-cancel-goods-or-services-bought-at-home-or-in-a-public-place/
• GOV.UK: Find your local Trading Standards office: www.gov.uk/find-local-trading-standards-office