Renting an item or service, that we do not want to pay out the full expense for, is pretty standard these days.  We rent homes, cars, suits, tools and movies to name but a few.  So, why not rent a casket for a funeral instead of the huge cost of purchasing a casket?

Rental caskets are not a new phenomenon, they have been around for years.  Funeral homes offered them to families who could not afford (or did not want the expense) of purchasing an elaborate casket for a funeral.  A rental casket could be used for the purpose of the visitation and funeral, with the deceased later moved into a more basic casket for burial.

With the shift towards cremation, there has been a growing demand for a ceremonial casket that can be used for a ceremony prior to cremation.  Funeral homes may have used a standard casket as a rental casket, which required de-sanitization after each rental, and the deceased physically being moved in and out of the casket.  Today, a funeral home can purchase a bespoke ceremonial rental casket to offer their families more flexibility in their casket and ceremony choices.

What is a ceremonial rental casket?

A ceremonial rental casket appears from the outside very like a standard casket.  The difference is that the casket is structured so that an inner cremation container is held as an ‘insert’ within the casket.  This can be easily slid out after the visitation or ceremony for the deceased to be cremated.

This means the deceased remains within the simple cremation container always, so there is no unnecessary physical man-handling of the deceased.  It also enables the funeral home to offer a ‘sanitized’ rental casket, as the body is always held within an inner insert.

What costs can be saved in opting to use a rental casket for a cremation?

A funeral casket generally costs around $2,000, but some models can cost as much as $10,000.

A rental casket will cost between $750 to $1,500 to rent for a funeral ceremony.  So, choosing to rent a ceremonial rental casket is likely to save you at least $1,250 or more on your casket expenses.

What are the benefits of choosing a rental casket?

The main benefit is the saving on costs for a casket.  It can also be easier for the family to decide about holding a visitation or ceremony before the cremation if they do not have to make a decision about purchasing a casket.

This year the NFDA report that the cremation rate will reach 57%  Families are often choosing cremation because it saves on funeral costs. Funeral homes and families can benefit from the reduced cost of using rental caskets.  The family saves on casket costs, and the funeral home can generate some revenue from renting a ceremonial casket, as opposed to losing a casket sale altogether.  Renting a casket is more sustainable.

How do you obtain a cremation rental casket?

Ceremonial rental caskets are sold by casket wholesalers to funeral homes.  You would need to find a funeral home that has rental caskets available.  As more families show interest in renting a casket for a cremation service, then more funeral homes will see the advantage in offering the choice of a rental casket.

Is renting a casket legal?

Yes, it is completely legal to rent a casket, and for a funeral home to offer a rental casket, so long as certain legal provisions are met.  These provisions are detailed below.

Regulations that apply to Rental Caskets

There are certain funeral laws that pertain to a funeral consumer renting a casket:

• The casket must be manufactured specifically for multi-use and be fitted with a new removable insert after each use.
• The casket should not be reused if a non-removable portion has been soiled, stained, or contaminated by the body placed in the removable insert.
• The funeral consumer who rents the casket must be informed in writing that the casket may have been used already and that it will be reclaimed by the funeral establishment renting it.