New Residential customers now rent the dish for $10 a month

What changed

RV Mobile Internet reported on Jun 16, 2026 that Starlink stopped selling the Standard kit outright to new Residential customers and instead offered it through a $10 monthly rental fee. Our own fact file dates the start to about Jun 9, 2026, a week earlier, from other reporting; the source we cite here is dated Jun 16.

Renting changes what happens when you leave. The kit must be returned when you cancel; if it isn't, you're charged its full price and it becomes yours. Rental kits also can't use Standby Mode, the low-cost pause option that seasonal homes rely on.

One-time high-demand surcharges still applied in congested areas, which the source said reached $1,500 in some places, such as around Tacoma, Washington.

"All new Residential customers are now offered the equipment only through a $10 monthly rental fee."

Who it affects

New Residential customers from mid-June 2026. Over a year, $10 a month adds $120 to the bill compared with a dish you already own.

Seasonal and part-time users, who lose the Standby option on a rented kit.

Not existing customers who already own their dish; the source says they're unaffected.

What you can do now

This is background. Since Jul 20, 2026 the rental fee is $0 a month in select areas (see our separate item). Check the hardware line at checkout for your address to see which applies.

If you want to own the kit, look for a purchase option at checkout or compare a store kit on our store comparison page; store kits are bought, not rented.

What hasn't changed

Monthly Residential plan prices weren't changed by the rental switch; those had already risen in May 2026 ($55, $85 and $130 a month for the three plans).

Context

The switch reversed how Starlink had sold its home service since launch. For years new customers paid for the dish up front: $499 at launch, $599 from 2022, then $349 from October 2024. Renting lowers the cost of getting started but adds a monthly charge, and it makes leaving simpler because the dish just goes back.

It didn't last long in its original form: about a month later, the fee was dropped to $0 in select areas.

What we don't know yet

• The exact start date: about Jun 9 per some reports, Jun 16 in the source we cite.
• Whether purchase is still offered at some addresses. Our fact file notes that some addresses see rental only and others a purchase option.