We think this question has a definite answer, and it's not close.
Okay, disclosure. We're a piano rental company, so of course we prefer renting. But a lot of people don't know that we also sell pianos. We're arguably on both sides of this argument.
With that in mind: we think you should rent. Rent for a season, rent forever, or buy whenever you're ready. Renting keeps every one of those options open, and it puts you in the driver’s seat!
Here's the case.
What does a piano actually cost?
A new piano runs from $3,000 to $35,000 and up, and that's before delivery. Now, we think having a piano in your home is incredible. We think making music is an incomparable experience, something that should be enjoyed by everyone. That’s why we got into this business. We believe the joy is worth it, especially over generations. But it's a large outlay to make blind. We also think you don’t have to, and if you knew what we knew, it’s not clear why you would want to.
Renting puts the piano you want in your home now. See how it fits your space. See how often it actually gets played, and when you're done, we come and pick it up. If you want to buy it, you can:
Rent from us and you can buy at any time, rent as long as you like, or send it back, with delivery discounted and pickup prepaid. Where else can you find this kind of flexibility?
For an object of such incredible craft, meaning, and elegance, something that brings the kind of joy a piano does? Nowhere.
The worst case with renting is that you paid a modest monthly rate for a piano you enjoyed. You’ll never be stuck owning an instrument you no longer want.
Winner: rental.
Doesn't renting cost more in the long run?
You'll see this claim everywhere: renting costs more (over a few years) than buying. It treats a piano like a math problem, and it misses how people actually live.
What our customers value is a predictable number. Your rent is the same every month, forever, and it never increases no matter how long you keep the piano. There is no tuning bill you forgot to plan for, no moving quote, no resale project at the end. One number, and everything is handled, leaving you to concentrate on making music.
And if the sum still matters to you, renting protects it. You can still buy at any time, and 100% of your rental payments in the first 12 months applies to the price. Your purchase price is locked the day you rent, so waiting costs you nothing. But who’s waiting? We can deliver the piano now.
Winner: rental.
How often does a piano need tuning, and what does it cost?
A piano needs tuning twice a year. If you own the piano, that schedule is not optional: regular tuning keeps your warranty intact, and a piano that goes untuned loses whatever value it has left, even as a giveaway. The obligation continues whether or not anyone is playing it.
Rent from us and tunings are discounted. We send a technician from our own vetted team. And when you no longer need the piano, you send it back. The next tuning is someone else's problem.
Winner: rental.
Can you resell a piano later?
Most owners assume someone will want the piano when they're finished with it. Someone probably does. Finding them at the right moment is the hard part, and pianos depreciate fast.
We hear from people trying to sell us their old pianos every week. Churches, schools, universities, families. We say no, and so does everyone else. Often you can't even give one away, and these beautiful instruments end up on a street corner or in a landfill.
Rental covers this cleanly. Done with it, moving, whatever the reason, you don’t need to worry about placing an ad on Facebook Marketplace, or having strangers into your living room. We come and pick it up. It's kind of our thing, actually. You just kind of go on, living your life.
Winner: rental.
What happens when your needs change?
Life happens. A move, a smaller apartment, a child who quits after four months (or four years). Renting takes the uncertainty out of all of it.
Just as often it's good news. We get calls from home pianists who want a fuller sound, from proud parents whose child has outgrown their first instrument, from musicians who want to practice on the kind of piano they'll find at the venue. When you own outright, you've got what you've got. Rent, and you have options, you can switch.
We'd be delighted to exchange your piano at any time for something larger or smaller as your space changes, your skills improve, or your business grows. It's one of our favorite calls to get!
Winner: rental.
Are rental pianos good enough for serious players?
Some rental pianos aren't. Many piano stores rent whatever came in on trade. Ours are different, and we can prove it.
The New York Philharmonic teaches its classes in our studios, on our Young Chang pianos. Jazz at Lincoln Center and the New York Pops hold their children's programs here. Juilliard students rent from us through the semester and often through their entire degree. Our pianos appear in professional performances all over New York: opera companies, theater companies, and concert pianists playing galas.
If our pianos are good enough for a Juilliard student, they're good enough for your fifth grader. And if you're a serious player, renting puts a professional instrument in your home now, with the flexibility to exchange it for another as your playing develops.
We can’t speak for every rental company, but our pianos are good enough, and then some.
Winner: rental.
The PianoPiano rental model
Rental is only as good as the terms. So here's exactly what you get, whether you plan to buy, rent forever, or rent for a season.
Quality guarantee. Every piano comes from the manufacturer or our reconditioning facility, maintained to our standards, with a warranty and the option to extend. You know what you're getting, and you know where to find us. We've been here since 1975 and we aren't going anywhere. You can’t say that about the “free” piano you found on the internet.
It’s important to highlight that while second hand pianos or those found on platforms like Facebook or Craigslist may appear free or very inexpensive, they often come with hidden costs related to quality, reliability, and functionality. These instruments frequently lack proper maintenance history, which can lead to expensive repairs and a poor playing experience.
At PianoPiano, we carefully hand select/pick our pianos from trusted manufactures and maintain detailed service records, with professional piano tuners who tune every six months. This consistent care is crucial to preserving the piano’s performance, longevity, and overall life span, ensuring our customers receive an instrument they can rely on with confidence for years to come. And we stand behind our product and reputation. Every piano delivered from PianoPiano to your home is handled with the same care and attention as if it were being delivered to our own.
Predictable monthly costs. The price you start with is the price you pay, forever. Your monthly rent will never increase, no matter how long you rent.
No delivery surprises. Delivery and pickup are part of your first payment. Stairs, tight turns, difficult buildings: we handle all of it. And our in-house piano movers have decades of experience so you don’t need to worry about finding someone to move your piano in or out.
Maintenance handled. Tune every six months using our certified technicians, and we'll remind you when it's time. Our rates stay below market because we give those technicians volume work. The piano stays in good condition and you're never surprised by a bill. You can even sign up for our tuning plan and get an even bigger discount.
Unlimited exchanges. Wrong size? Child ready to switch? Want a different finish? Exchange as often as you like. In our experience, 9 out of 10 customers end up happy with their first choice, but all of them can make a change at any time. We won't let you make a mistake!
No security deposit, ever. Pickup is paid at signing, so there's nothing left to pay when you return the piano. And the price is locked in, even if our delivery prices go up in the future.
End anytime. Give us 30 days notice and we pick it up. No selling it. No strangers. No disposal problem. Just done.
Rent, then buy if you want. No purchase decision upfront. If you decide to buy later, 100% of your rent paid during the first 12 months applies to the price. And your purchase price is locked the day you rent. Rent for ten years and it's still the same number. At a traditional piano store, that number goes up every single year.
A green choice. Rental keeps pianos out of landfills. When you're done, we recondition the instrument and find it a new home, extending its life for generations. A piano can contain as many as eight different kinds of wood. Rental means fewer trees chopped down, fewer pianos manufactured, less overseas shipping, and instruments that get played and maintained for decades - exactly as they were meant to be - instead of being discarded after only a few years.
We often hear that via ownership, the piano becomes an heirloom that you will pass down, and it can be. But we see heirlooms all the time that became junk because no one tuned and maintained them. They required many thousands of dollars of investment, often more than the cost of just buying a new piano, to make them playable. If you want to make sure your piano is enjoyed for generations, then rent it. If you want something to pass down to your kids, there's always your wedding china.
Renting a piano is what smart, responsible consumption looks like.
Who is piano rental really for?
Everyone! Seriously. This is the best deal for everyone. Homeowners, first of all. Many of our renters own their homes and have no plans to move; they rent for the flexibility, not the price. Professionals who want a serious instrument without a permanent decision. Families whose child has spent two years on a keyboard and is ready for the real thing, and who want to be sure the piano fits before it becomes theirs. Conservatory students in town for only a few years. Beginners finding out whether the piano will stick. (By the way: If a young student is struggling, sometimes the answer is a better teacher fit: we work with a network of piano teachers and are glad to make an introduction.) Oh, and former piano owners who learned about depreciation the hard way. And probably, you. Not sure which piano fits? Take our quiz and we'll narrow it down.
Professionals
Beginners
Families
Explore rental options
- Browse by brand: Yamaha | Young Chang | Weber
- See all rental inventory — 41 pianos available to rent
- Learn more about how it works — pricing, terms, and rent-then-buy details
Still have questions?
Our Extended Piano Rental FAQ covers the rental process, maintenance, exchanges, and more. Or call us at (212) 586-9057 on the East Coast, or (714) 805-8645 on the West Coast. We've been doing this for 50 years, and we've probably talked to someone in your exact situation before.
A final thought
You want a piano in your home. Music drifting in from the living room while you're making dinner. Kids who grow up with an instrument they can always come back to. Somewhere to sit down after a long day and lose yourself in something beautiful. That's what this is all about.
What we've learned is that the best piano is the one that actually makes it into your home and gets played. We built PianoPiano around a single idea: a piano in your home, with the flexibility to change your mind. Start with a console, switch to a professional upright when you're ready, switch to a baby grand if you fall in love. Play any time of day with a silent piano. Or rent for twenty years and never buy. Both paths are good if they put you in the chair, making music.
If you want to buy eventually, your payments work toward it. If not, send us an email and we'll come and pick it up. That's it.
No sunk costs, no moving problem, no guilt. Just music in your home, for as long as you want it. Ready to try?