The option of renting or borrowing a drone can be very tempting at first glance. In this article, we explain when it’s worth renting a drone and what you should definitely bear in mind.
Let’s be clear from the outset: hiring a drone does not “protect” you from having to comply with drone laws and regulations. It makes no difference whether you buy or rent the drone: The law is the law. If you want to fly a drone, you also have to observe a few legal points. If you already know them, all the better. If not, we’ll cover all the important points at the end of the article. But let’s start from the beginning.
The first part is about hiring drones from commercial providers. Finally, we give some tips on what to bear in mind when borrowing drones from friends, relatives and acquaintances.
When is it worth renting a drone instead of buying one?
Renting a drone is particularly useful in two cases:
- You want to test a drone model without obligation before buying it.
- You only need the drone for a fixed (rather short) period of time.
In both cases, the price will of course determine whether the drone rental is really attractive. Which brings us to the next point.
Costs for renting of drones
The cost of renting a drone can vary considerably depending on the supplier. Prices also change regularly, so we do not list current prices here, but give examples. A list of some of the more popular drone rental companies can be found below. When it comes to the cost of hiring a drone, there are a few important points to bear in mind.
Prices depending on the model
Prices for drones vary greatly, especially depending on the model. Logically, the more expensive the model is for sale, the more expensive it is to rent.
Prices depending on the minimum rental period
Be careful with “from” prices. Most landlords quote a very favourable “from” price, but this often refers to a high minimum rental period. Using Grover as an example, it looks like this (as of 07/2024):
The initial €58.90/month looks tempting. If you then look at the drone and the offer in detail, you realise that this price only applies for a minimum rental period of 12 months. This would mean total costs of €706.08 over the full rental period (RRP for the Fly More package with RC 2 is currently €1129).
If you set the minimum rental period to just one month, the price is already €218.90. The offer already looks different again.
It is therefore very important to look at the offers carefully and compare the prices for the desired rental period. Not all companies are flexible when it comes to minimum rental periods. This is especially true if you only want to hire the drone for a few days rather than a whole month.
Prices depending on additional services
You probably know this from car rental: no rental without (optional) extras. The same applies to drone rental. Especially when it comes to insurance, companies usually offer several options, which will also affect the price. It is important to shop around and make sure you only buy the extras you really need. Insurance is discussed in more detail below.
Security deposit
In addition to the actual rental costs, a deposit may also be due. This is deposited with the rental company of the drone in order to provide the customer with security in the event of damage. If there is no damage, the deposit will be refunded. Should damage occur to the drone that is not covered by any insurance, the deposit will be used to pay for the damage.
Even if you ideally get your money back, you should make sure that the deposit is not disproportionately high. Base it on the actual value of the drone and the rental costs. You also need to raise any deposit first and have the money to hand.
Further details can be found in the respective rental company’s offer.
What is included in the rent?
The accessories included in the rental price are not insignificant (also in terms of price). How many batteries are supplied? What remote control is included? This often depends on the specific model or package of the drone (in the case of DJI drones, the well-known Fly More versions); this information can usually be found on the product page. If you want to hire the drone for more than a day, make sure that multiple batteries are included in the rental price.
Note: It is not always the case that a memory card is included in the rental price. Although some drones have internal memory, this is rarely enough for many shots. So remember to make sure you also have a suitable memory card.
What happens if the drone is damaged?
Liability insurance only covers the cost of damage to third parties, not to the drone itself. That’s why every drone hire company will always have terms and conditions about how they deal with damage to the drone itself and what costs you will be responsible for. Again, always check the terms and conditions of the rental company.
Minor signs of use such as light scratches are often included in the price and are not charged for. The situation is different for major damage. Then it can be expensive under certain circumstances. Whether additional cover is worthwhile must be weighed up on a case-by-case basis depending on the costs and conditions of the insurer.
Upon receipt of the drone
To protect yourself against unauthorised claims, you should check the drone for visible and functional damage immediately upon receipt and document this. Simple photos with your smartphone camera are sufficient. This way, you can record any defects that are not your fault in advance. Inform the landlord of these before the first use. This will protect you from additional costs when returning the drone.
Checklist before commissioning
- Are there scratches on the housing?
- Can scratches be seen on the camera (lens)?
- Any damage to the propellers?
- Are there any major defects?
- Gimbal
- Batteries
- Remote control
Before returning the drone
Before you return the drone, you should also consider a few points:
- Delete all your personal data from the drone and any inserted memory cards, or remove them if they belong to you.
- Reset the drone to the factory settings or at least disconnect it from your logged-in accounts (e.g. DJI account).
- Remove the drone sticker if you have attached your own.
- Give the drone a final clean.
Overview: Drone hire companies
The following overview provides some providers who rent out drones. We have not (yet) tested the providers ourselves. The order is random and says nothing about which provider is better. We will keep this list up to date as far as possible.
| Anbieter | Webseite |
|---|---|
| Grover | https://www.grover.com/ |
| Drohnen Vermietung | https://vermietung-drohnen.de/ |
| Objektvermietung | https://www.objektivvermietung.de/produkt-kategorie/kameras/dji-kameras/drohnen/ |
| Mietedoch | https://mietedoch.de/produkt-kategorie/drohnen/dji-drohnen/ |
| MIQUAKO | https://www.miquako.de/ |
Obligations as the owner of a drone
Whether bought or rented: If you own a drone, you must obey the law. This results in a number of obligations. You can read about these in detail in the article on the EU Drone Regulation. We have summarised everything you need to know there. We strongly recommend that you read the article. However, below you will find the absolute minimum version for a quick overview of the most important points.
The obligation to take out liability insurance for drones
In case you didn’t know, liability insurance for drones is mandatory in Germany and Austria (as well as throughout the EU). Whether you buy, hire or borrow. No drone can take off without insurance.
Most providers already include appropriate insurance in the rental price of the drone. However, you should always take a look at the details. These insurances are often associated with a very high excess. In the case of Grover, for example, this is a hefty €1500 in the basic version. This value can be reduced to €0 with optional packages for an additional charge.
However, it is always advisable to take a look at your existing personal liability insurance. In some cases, drone flights are already covered. It is important that the borrowed drone is covered by the insurance conditions (this usually depends on the weight), whether it is a private or commercial flight and also the scope of the insurance.
If you want to be on the safe side and plan to fly drones frequently, we definitely recommend that you take out your own special drone liability insurance. This is already available for less than €40/year. Take a look at our detailed comparison in the article Drone liability insurance.
Registering as a drone operator
If you rent a drone, you become a drone operator(as Grover also writes on their website). This requires registration with the LBA. Upon registration, you will receive an e-ID, which you must then attach to the drone. You can find out what else you need to know about this in our article Drone licence plate and sticker – obligations and rules.
Drone licences
Depending on which drone has been rented and where it is to be flown, as the renter of the drone and therefore as the drone pilot, you may need to have one or even two drone pilot licences. You can find details on this in our article Drone driving licence – obligations, regulations and costs.
Where am I even allowed to fly?
Our article Where am I allowed to fly my drone with or without a licence will tell you where you are allowed to fly your drone?
You should note the following points for drone flights if you want to fly without authorisation (flights in the Open category):
- The weight of the drone is less than 25kg.
- The maximum flight altitude is 120m.
- The drone flight takes place at a safe distance from people and not over crowds of people.
- The flight takes place within visual range.
- No dangerous goods are transported.
- No objects are dropped from the drone.
Rentals from private individuals (friends, family, acquaintances)
Of course, the possibility of renting a drone from private individuals should not go unmentioned. Be it friends, family, acquaintances or people from the drone community. Many of the points mentioned in this article naturally also apply in this case. What is omitted is the point about the costs, assuming that the drone is provided to you free of charge.
There are then two differences in the legal points:
- The owner of the drone can act as the drone operator, while you are “only” the drone pilot. In this case, this would save you from having to register with the LBA.
- The owner and drone operator may already have drone insurance that authorises third parties to fly the drone. In this case, you would also be covered as a drone pilot and would not have to take out a separate insurance policy.
We have summarised the exact difference between drone operator and drone pilot in the linked article.
Borrowing a drone from private individuals instead of commercial providers can definitely have advantages – and not just in terms of price. However, this is of course only an option if you already have the necessary contacts.
Summary
In this article, you have learnt when it is worth renting or borrowing a drone. We have also given you the most important points to consider when hiring a drone. Be it the rental period and the associated price, the small print of the included insurance cover with often high deductibles or additional services or short checklists when picking up and returning the drone. There was also a short crash course on legal points with corresponding references.
Even though hiring drones can be a good option, there is no way around familiarising yourself with the drone laws and complying with them.
