Home lift warranties compared: what nine UK brands publish

UK Homelifts guide / September 2026

By UK Homelifts Editorial Team. Last reviewed 26 September 2026.

Our check: nine brands, one date

We read each manufacturer’s own UK website on 26 September 2026 and copied the warranty terms as written.

Sources for every row are listed below. Stannah’s main website would not load its content without JavaScript, so its row comes from Stannah’s own blog, which carries a 2026 Stannah Lift Services copyright line.

What the check found

• Two brands publish five years, and both are screw-drive shaft lifts. Aritco and SWIFT each publish five years on the lift and ten on the screw and nut drive.
• Stannah is the only through-floor brand consistently publishing more than 12 months. Its two years include a free service in each year.
• Four brands publish exactly 12 months parts and labour: Stiltz, Lifton, Terry and Companion.
• Wessex publishes no standard warranty length on its current website, though it sells three-year and five-year extensions.
• Three brands tie cover to their own servicing network: Aritco, SWIFT and Cibes. The other six do not publish a servicing condition, which is not the same as having none.
• Lifton contradicts itself. Its FAQ says 12 months; its “A-Z of Lifton Home Lifts” guide says “All lifts are supplied with a two-year warranty.” Get the figure in writing.

UK Homelifts does not sell, supply or install lifts, and none of these brands pays us. Our 12-model comparison adds price, footprint and load.

Read the conditions before the length

A five-year warranty that needs an annual visit from the maker’s approved engineers is a five-year service commitment. Aritco’s terms say “Installation and service need to be carried out by an Aritco partner and any replaced parts or consumables must be original Aritco spare parts.” SWIFT’s say the warranty “requires the lift to be serviced and maintained by SWIFT or any of our appointed local experts in the UK”. Cibes is shortest: “No maintenance, no manufacturer warranty.”

Illustration, using published single-visit service prices of £195 to about £350 a year: keeping a five-year warranty alive with four paid services after a free first year costs roughly £780 to £1,400 in servicing, and more on a contract with call-out cover. See what a home lift service costs. Cibes publishes its own prices, from £350 to £1,250 a year depending on use. Ask how late a service can be before cover lapses.

Warranty, extended warranty and service contract

The lines blur: Wessex’s extended warranties include scheduled services, call-outs and parts, much like a top-tier service contract.

Your legal rights run alongside the warranty

A warranty does not replace your statutory rights. Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, as Which? summarises it, goods must be “satisfactory quality”, “fit for purpose” and “as described”, and a service must be carried out with “reasonable care and skill”. Citizens Advice puts the service test plainly: the trader “should have done a good job that’s worth the amount they’re charging you”.

A fitted lift is both goods and a service. Your claim is against the business you contracted with, usually the installer or dealer. Which? sets out the timings:

So a drive failing in year three of a 12-month warranty is not automatically your problem: satisfactory quality includes durability.

If the installer or dealer stops trading

A maker’s warranty can survive a dealer’s collapse; a dealer’s own warranty may not. Citizens Advice says that when a business stops trading you can still “use the guarantee or warranty which came with the item or contract to get repairs or a replacement”, or register as a creditor, with “no guarantee you’ll get what you paid for”.

• Pay part by credit card. Citizens Advice says Section 75 applies “If you paid any part of the cost by credit card” where the total is “more than £100 and no more than £30,000”. Most through-floor lifts fall inside that cap; larger shaft lifts can exceed it.
• Check trade scheme protection. TrustMark says “Registered Businesses are expected to provide a minimum two-year guarantee” and lists insurance against the tradesperson ceasing to trade among its protections. Terry Lifts advertises “the Trustmark guarantee”.
• Protect the deposit. Ask whether your deposit is insured, and keep it small.

Reconditioned lifts

When we reviewed 12 UK listings for our reconditioned lifts guide, ten offered no warranty, one stated a warranty without terms, and one private seller offered to pass on the original paperwork. Do not assume a manufacturer’s warranty passes to a second owner unless the maker confirms it in writing. A trade refurbisher that re-installs and commissions the lift is the only route we found that includes any cover.

Questions to ask before you sign

1. Who issues the warranty: the manufacturer, the installer or both?
2. How long is it, and does it cover parts, labour and call-outs?
3. How many services are included, and what does each cost afterwards?
4. Who is allowed to service the lift without voiding cover?
5. What is excluded? Ask about batteries, doors and remote controls.
6. Does it transfer if you sell, and what happens if the dealer stops trading?

Frequently asked questions

Which home lift has the longest warranty in the UK?

Of the nine brands we checked on 26 September 2026, Aritco and SWIFT publish the longest: five years on the lift and ten years on the screw and nut drive. Both make screw-drive shaft lifts, not through-floor lifts. Among through-floor brands, Stannah publishes the longest at two years with a free service each year. Stiltz, Lifton, Terry and Companion publish 12 months parts and labour.

Does missing a service void a home lift warranty?

It can. Aritco, SWIFT and Cibes all state that servicing through their own network is a condition of the warranty, and Cibes says “No maintenance, no manufacturer warranty.” The other six brands we checked do not publish a servicing condition, but their full terms may contain one. Ask for the written warranty terms before you sign and diary the service dates from the day of handover.

What are my rights after the warranty runs out?

The Consumer Rights Act 2015 still applies. Goods must be of satisfactory quality, which includes durability, and installation must be done with reasonable care and skill. According to Which?, you have up to six years to take a claim to the small claims court in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and five years in Scotland. The claim is against the business you bought from, usually the installer or dealer.

Do reconditioned home lifts come with a warranty?

Rarely, in our research. Of 12 UK reconditioned or used lift listings we reviewed, ten offered no warranty and one mentioned a warranty without giving terms. A trade refurbisher that removes, refurbishes, re-installs and commissions the lift is the most likely to include cover. Get the length and terms in writing, and ask who carries out the servicing.

Who honours the warranty if the installer goes bust?

That depends on who issued it. A manufacturer’s warranty may still be honoured through another approved installer, while a dealer’s own warranty may lapse with the business. Paying at least part by credit card can give Section 75 protection on purchases between £100 and £30,000, and TrustMark lists insurance against a registered trader ceasing to trade among its protections.

UK Homelifts is an independent information site. We do not sell, supply, install or service lifts and are not affiliated with any manufacturer. This page is general information, not legal or financial advice. Warranty terms change, so get the full written terms from your supplier and check your own circumstances with Citizens Advice or a solicitor.