IPv4 is still scarce and still necessary for a large share of the workloads that land on a host. Leasing has become the default way many operators obtain space without the capital cost of a transfer.
In 2026 lease rates on major platforms sit roughly in the $0.35–$0.55 per IP per month range for clean space, with variation by RIR, block size, and reputation. A /24 is still the practical minimum for most BGP announcements.
What a lease actually includes
A usable lease is more than a list of addresses. It needs:
- A Letter of Authorization (LOA) that the upstream will accept.
- Route objects and, increasingly, RPKI ROAs.
- WHOIS / RDAP that matches the operational reality.
- A provider that will help when a geofeed or a reputation problem appears.
LogicWeb has leased IPv4 for years and keeps a substantial pool. The tickets that come with leasing are usually about LOA format, RPKI status, or the occasional need to swap a block that has picked up unwanted reputation.
Why customers lease instead of buy
Buying a /24 still costs thousands of dollars up front. Leasing turns that into an operating expense that can be cancelled. For many VPN, proxy, hosting, and application use cases the flexibility outweighs the long-term cost of leasing.
The tickets that appear
- “The upstream rejected the LOA.”
- “The ROA is not visible yet.”
- “This block is listed on a DNSBL we care about.”
- “We need a different geolocation.”
A lessor that has done this for a long time closes those tickets faster because the process and the relationships already exist. A lessor that treats IP space as a pure marketplace commodity often leaves the customer to figure out the routing and reputation side alone.
Practical advice
Lease from someone who can also host or who at least understands the network side. Confirm RPKI and IRR will be created. Keep the LOA and the contact path clear. Plan for the possibility that a block may need to be replaced; reputation is not static.
IPv4 is not going away in 2026. The operators who treat it as a managed resource rather than a one-time purchase continue to have the smoother path.
Written at the desk
ChadBe the first to weigh in.