Reconditioned stairlifts: when one is safe to buy, and when it is not

Published 8 September 2025 · Last updated 12 November 2026

Quick answer: A reconditioned stairlift is a reasonable buy when a stairlift company has refurbished it, fits it with its own trained engineers, puts in new batteries, supplies a new rail where the stairs need one and gives you a written warranty. It is not a safe buy when it comes from a private seller, is fitted by someone untrained or arrives with no paperwork. The warranty is the weak point: the ones we read ran from three months to two years.

Last checked: 12 November 2026. What we checked: the reconditioned stairlift pages of Millercare and TK Home Solutions, Which? and Which? Trusted Traders guidance, the BSI summary of BS EN 81-40:2020, trade press statements from Handicare and the Lift and Escalator Industry Association, and our own Companies House study of stairlift firms.

Who this is for: anyone offered a reconditioned or second-hand stairlift, and relatives checking the offer before a parent signs.

This page is about safety and paperwork. For prices, see how much a stairlift costs. We do not test stairlifts; everything here comes from the documents named.

Reconditioned and second-hand are different things

The words get used as if they mean the same. They do not. Which? Trusted Traders draws the line this way: a refurbished or reconditioned lift has been worked on by a professional dealer, while a second-hand one is sold by a private person and has not been refurbished.

What a proper reconditioning includes

There is no single legal definition of “reconditioned”, so the work varies from firm to firm. These are the things suppliers and Which? describe.

• New batteries. Which? says the batteries will have been replaced. A trader quoted by Which? Trusted Traders says the same and adds that the wiring is checked for breaks and wear.
• A rail that fits your stairs. On a straight staircase a rail can be cut to length. A curved rail is made to measure. One trader told Which? Trusted Traders that on a curved lift the reused parts are the chair and the motor carriage, and the rail is new. TK Home Solutions says it supplies custom-made tracks with its second-hand lifts.
• A documented inspection. TK Home Solutions says each of its second-hand lifts goes through a 42-point check. Ask any supplier for its checklist in writing.
• Worn parts replaced. One trader describes checking, cleaning and replacing any visibly worn parts. Ask which parts were changed on the lift you are being sold.

Six checks that make a reconditioned stairlift a safe buy

1. The seller is a trading company you can look up. Find it on Companies House and in our list of UK stairlift companies. Our guide to checking a mobility company before you buy shows how.
2. The engineers are trained on that make. Handicare’s sales and marketing director told the trade magazine THIIS in 2020: “Stairlifts should always be installed by manufacturer trained engineers.” Ask who trained the fitter and on which models.
3. You are told the make, model and year of manufacture. Without the year you cannot tell which safety standard the lift was built to, or how long parts will be available.
4. The batteries are new and the rail is right for your stairs. Get both in writing on the quote.
5. The warranty is written down. It should give the length, say whether parts, labour and call-outs are all covered, and name who pays if the lift fails at a weekend.
6. You know what servicing costs after the warranty. Ask for the annual service price and the call-out charge now. Our stairlift servicing guide explains what a service covers.

If a seller cannot answer all six, treat the lift as second-hand whatever the advert calls it.

Warranties as the suppliers publish them

In the supplier statements we could read, the warranty on a reconditioned stairlift ran from three months to two years, an eightfold spread. A new stairlift usually comes with longer cover, and Which? notes that reconditioned lifts get a shorter warranty.

The two trader statements date from 2022 and may have changed, so ask each firm for its current terms. You can check the company record and any buyer reviews for Millercare, Easystep Stairlifts, TK Home Solutions (Thyssenkrupp), Stannah and Handicare in our directory. No company paid to be named here, and a listing is not an endorsement.

When a reconditioned stairlift is not safe

• It is a private sale. A lift from an online marketplace or a house clearance has no warranty and no known service history. A trader told Which? Trusted Traders a stairlift should be “never self installed as a DIY job”.
• It is a curved lift being sold with its old rail. A curved rail was bent for one staircase. It will not fit yours.
• Nobody will tell you its age. An older lift may be out of production, which can make parts harder to find.
• The user’s needs do not match the lift. Check the weight limit, the seat type and whether the user can work the controls. A cheap lift that does not suit the person is not safe for them. An occupational therapist can advise.
• The price is the only thing in writing. No model, no warranty terms and no named installer means no comeback.

Which safety standard applies to an older lift

The current British Standard for stairlifts is BS EN 81-40:2020. BSI says it covers construction, installation, maintenance and dismantling, and that it does not apply to stairlifts made before it was published. It replaced the 2008 edition. A reconditioned lift built before autumn 2020 was therefore made to the earlier standard. That does not make it unsafe. It does mean the year of manufacture is worth asking for.

The Lift and Escalator Industry Association has said the installation and testing of new stairlifts fall under the Supply of Machinery (Safety) Regulations. The article that statement appeared in asked whether stairlift installers needed a register like Gas Safe. None existed when it was written, which is why the installer’s training matters so much.

Who stands behind the warranty

A warranty is only as good as the firm that wrote it. Our Companies House study of stairlift firms found that 148 of 323 UK stairlift companies had been dissolved, and the typical dissolved one lasted 2.6 years. A two-year warranty from a firm that closes after one year is worth nothing.

Before you pay a deposit, check how long the company has traded and whether it files accounts. Paying part of the price by credit card gives extra protection on purchases costing more than £100 and up to £30,000, under section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act 1974. Our page on stairlift companies to avoid lists the warning signs.

Two alternatives worth pricing

• Renting. If the lift is needed for months, not years, stairlift rental may cost less. Check what the monthly price includes.
• Help from the council. A Disabled Facilities Grant can pay for a stairlift if you qualify. Start with the funding finder or our Disabled Facilities Grant guide before spending your own money.

What to do next

• Get two or three written quotes, at least one for a new lift, so you can see the real saving.
• Ask each firm the six questions above and keep the answers.
• Compare the quotes side by side with the quote comparison tool, or check one with the mobility quote checker.
• Read our guide to the stairlift home survey before anyone visits.
• Do not sign on the day.

This is general information, not safety certification of any product or company. If a figure here is out of date, email hello@reviewmobility.co.uk and we will correct it and note the change.

Frequently asked questions

Are reconditioned stairlifts safe?

They can be, when a stairlift company has refurbished the lift, fitted new batteries, supplied a rail that fits your stairs, installed it with trained engineers and given a written warranty. A private second-hand sale offers none of that.

How long is the warranty on a reconditioned stairlift?

It varies widely. The statements we read ran from three months to two years. Which? Trusted Traders suggests looking for one year.

Can you buy a reconditioned curved stairlift?

Yes, but the rail has to be made for your staircase. The reused parts are normally the chair and the motor carriage.

Can I fit a second-hand stairlift myself?

Suppliers and Which? Trusted Traders advise against it. A stairlift carries a person up a staircase, and a badly fitted rail or untested safety sensor can cause a fall.

What should I ask before buying a reconditioned stairlift?

Ask for the make, model and year, whether the batteries and rail are new, who will fit it and who trained them, the warranty in writing, and the cost of servicing after the warranty ends.

Sources

• Everything you need to know about buying a refurbished stairlift – Which? Trusted Traders, last updated August 2022, accessed 12 November 2026
• What stairlift experts think you should know before buying – Which?, 30 January 2025, accessed 12 November 2026
• Reconditioned stairlifts – Millercare, accessed 12 November 2026
• Second hand stairlifts – TK Home Solutions, accessed 12 November 2026
• BS EN 81-40:2020 – BSI, accessed 12 November 2026
• Does the stairlift sector need a formal registration system? – THIIS, 1 April 2020, accessed 12 November 2026
• Stairlift company survival – Review Mobility, Companies House records

Published 8 September 2025 · Last updated 12 November 2026