The mistake is treating rental as automatically better or automatically more expensive. A useful comparison looks at the full requirement: how long the laptop is needed, who will support it, what happens when an employee leaves and how predictable you want the monthly IT cost to be.
When buying usually makes sense
Buying can work well when the laptop will stay with the business for a long period, the organisation has available capital and it already has a mature process for imaging, security, support, repair and eventual disposal. Ownership can also make sense for specialist devices that will be kept beyond a normal rental term.
When rental can make more sense
Rental becomes attractive when the requirement is tied to a temporary role, project, rapid hiring period or a preference to spread costs. It can also simplify budgeting when the laptop and managed support are presented together.
Compare the whole cost, not just the hardware
A laptop purchase price does not include the time spent preparing it, Microsoft 365 licensing, user support, device management or the administrative work around joiners and leavers. A fair comparison should consider those operating costs alongside the hardware itself.
Think about the end of the requirement
If an employee leaves after six months, a purchased laptop may sit unused or need to be reassigned. A rental agreement has its own contractual term and return obligations, so the business should select a term that reflects how certain the requirement is.