Lendus.

MOT Bay Equipment Finance

Spread the cost of a Class 1, 2, 4 or 7 MOT bay from £10,000 to £35,000+ with flexible finance options. HP, lease, or refinance, compare rates from 40+ lenders.

Can you finance a mot bay equipment?

Yes, mot bay equipments are financed as a standard asset purchase, usually on hire purchase or a lease, with the machine itself acting as the security. UK prices typically run £10,000 to £35,000, and most deals are written over 12–60 months with a deposit of around 10–20%. Decisions typically take 24–48 hours. Used machines are financeable too, usually with a shorter term.

200+ UK lenders
2-minute application
No credit check to apply
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Typical Cost

£10k – £35k

Approval Speed

24–48 hours

Subject to separate DVSA site approval

Rates From

5.3% APR

What would a mot bay equipment cost per month?

£24,000
10%
60 months
9%
£0

Your estimate

Indicative only. Not a quote and not an offer of finance.

Pre-filled with a typical mot bay equipment price. Indicative only, not a quote.

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Finance options

Hire Purchase (HP)

Rate
From 5.8% APR
Term
12–60 months
Deposit
10–20%
Ownership
Yours at the end
Best for
Garages wanting to own their MOT bay equipment outright

Finance Lease

Rate
From 5.3% APR
Term
12–60 months
Deposit
None required
Ownership
Return or buy (balloon payment)
Best for
Tax efficient; claim 100% of payments against profit

Operating Lease

Rate
From 6.0% APR
Term
24–48 months
Deposit
None required
Ownership
Return at end
Best for
Suits garages refreshing equipment on a lease cycle. Off balance sheet.

Representative example

On a purchase price of £24,000: a 10% deposit of £2,400, then 48 monthly payments of £506 at 5.9% APR representative (fixed). Total amount payable £26,688, including the deposit. The rate you are offered depends on your business and the asset.

What buyers actually specify

Guide prices for sizing a finance agreement, not quotes. Manufacturers in this market mostly price on application, so where a current UK list price could not be confirmed the row describes a specification class rather than naming a model. Your supplier quote is what the agreement is written against.

Machine or specification Guide price Type
Class 1 & 2 MOT Bay (Motorcycle) £10,000 – £15,000 Motorcycle MOT Bay
Class 4 MOT Bay (Cars & Light Commercials) £25,000 – £35,000 Class 4 MOT Bay
Class 7 MOT Bay (Larger Commercials) £21,000 – £32,000 Class 7 MOT Bay
Headlamp Beam Tester £700 – £1,500 Beam Tester

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Tax benefits

MOT bay equipment, including brake testers, headlamp beam setters, emissions analysers and the lift itself, is moveable plant and machinery and generally qualifies for Annual Investment Allowance, letting the cost be deducted from taxable profits in the year of purchase. HP agreements let you claim capital allowances directly; lease payments are deducted as a running cost instead. Fixed building works needed to prepare a bay, such as pit construction or ventilation, are treated separately, as they become part of the property.

Market context

Setting up an MOT test bay is a significant equipment investment, and the specification required depends entirely on the vehicle test class a garage applies to run, motorcycle classes 1 and 2, car and light commercial class 4, or larger commercial vehicle class 7, each requiring a different combination of brake tester, lift, emissions equipment and headlamp beam setter. Every piece of equipment used for MOT testing must appear on the DVSA's published list of approved testing equipment, which is a procurement and approval matter set by the regulator rather than a finance consideration, but it directly determines which specific products a garage can buy and finance for a given test class. Equipment is generally sized to the busiest class a garage wants to test, and many garages later add capability for an additional class as demand and testing volumes grow, financing the incremental equipment needed rather than replacing the original bay.

Bad credit?

Several of our 200+ lenders specialise in businesses with imperfect credit histories. You may need a larger deposit or personal guarantee, but options exist. Checking your options here does not affect your credit score, because we do not run a credit search to match you. A lender will run their own checks only if you decide to apply.

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Frequently asked questions

Does MOT bay equipment need to be DVSA approved?
Yes. Equipment used for MOT testing must be on the DVSA's published list of approved testing equipment for its class. This is a regulatory requirement set by the DVSA rather than by any lender, and you should confirm with your supplier and the DVSA's current approved list that a specific product is approved for your intended test class before ordering; this content does not confirm approval of any specific product.
What determines whether I need a Class 4 or Class 7 MOT bay?
The test class depends on the vehicles you intend to test: Class 4 covers cars and light commercial vehicles, while Class 7 covers larger commercial vehicles up to 3,000kg design gross weight. The vehicle types your garage services should determine which class of bay, and therefore which combination of equipment, you specify and apply to become an authorised test centre for.
Can I finance the whole MOT bay, including the lift and testers, on one agreement?
Yes. Most lenders will finance the full combination of lift, brake tester, headlamp beam setter and emissions equipment needed for a given test class on a single agreement, provided everything is on the same supplier invoice. This is the standard way a new MOT bay is financed. A specialist broker comparing quotes across multiple lenders can usually confirm which product and rate best fits your specific circumstances within the same working day.
Can I upgrade from one test class to another later?
Yes. Many garages start with a Class 4 bay and later add the additional equipment needed for Class 7 as commercial vehicle testing demand grows. The additional equipment is typically financed as a separate agreement rather than requiring the original bay equipment to be replaced or refinanced. A specialist broker comparing quotes across multiple lenders can usually confirm which product and rate best fits your specific circumstances within the same working day.
How quickly can I get MOT bay equipment finance?
Most applications are approved within 24 to 48 hours once a full supplier quote for the equipment is available. Because becoming an authorised test centre also involves a separate DVSA application and site inspection process, the overall time to start testing depends on that process alongside the equipment finance itself. Where a quote mixes new and used mot bay equipment, or covers more than one site, it is sensible to allow a little extra time while the lender reviews the full specification before releasing funds.

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