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This is a general guide. It is not legal or insurance advice. Rental terms and insurance needs vary by place and by policy. Have a lawyer check your agreement and your broker check what you ask renters for.
The short answer
| Step | What you need |
|---|---|
| Rates | A day rate per item or kit, a rule for a week, a minimum |
| Quote | Lines, days billed, waiver, tax and deposit, open for a set number of days |
| Agreement | Signed before pickup, attached to the quote |
| Insurance | A certificate of insurance from the renter, reviewed before pickup |
| Deposit | Refundable, paid before pickup |
| Pickup | Every item scanned out and signed for |
| Return | Every item scanned in, with its condition |
| After | Late days or damage on a separate invoice, then the deposit back |
Setting rates
Many rental houses bill a week as fewer than seven days, so a weekly rental is cheaper per day than a single day. A few common rules:
| Rule | What it means |
|---|---|
| A week bills as 3 or 4 days | Seven days out costs three or four day rates |
| A minimum | A rental shorter than this still bills this many days |
| Weekends | Saturday and Sunday counted as one day, or Sunday free |
Check what rental houses near you charge for the same body before you set your rate. Your gear competes with theirs.
A worked example
A sample camera package rented for seven days, Monday to Sunday:
| Line | Sum | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Camera package day rate | $450 | |
| Days billed | A week bills as 4 days | 4 |
| Rental | 4 days at $450 | $1,800 |
| Damage waiver | 10% of the rental | $180 |
| Sales tax | At your rate, if rentals are taxable where you are | Varies |
| Refundable deposit | 20% of replacement value of $12,000 | $2,400 |
The renter pays $1,980 plus any tax for the rental, and a separate $2,400 deposit that comes back when the gear does. If they return it a day late, one more day at $450 goes on a separate invoice. These are sample numbers.
The rental agreement
Write your own, or have a lawyer adapt one. Agreements commonly cover:
| Topic | What it settles |
|---|---|
| The gear | Each item and its replacement value |
| Dates | Pickup and return, and what a late return costs |
| Care | Who may use it, where it may go, and what counts as misuse |
| Loss and damage | Who pays, up to what, and how damage is valued |
| Insurance | What cover the renter must hold, and that it names you |
| Deposit | When it is paid, when it is returned, and what can be kept |
| Waiver | What a damage waiver covers and what it does not |
Send it with the quote, and do not hand over gear until it is signed.
Certificates of insurance
A certificate of insurance, often called a COI, is a one-page summary of the renter's policy. It shows that cover exists. It is not the policy itself. When one arrives, check:
| On the certificate | What to look for |
|---|---|
| Insured | The renter's company, the one on your agreement |
| Dates | Covers the whole rental, pickup to return |
| Limits | At least the replacement value of what they take |
| Additional insured | Names your company, if you ask for it |
| Loss payee | Names your company for equipment, if you ask for it |
| Insurer and policy number | So you can ask the insurer if you need to |
Keep it on file and note when it ends. A regular renter's certificate can cover many rentals, until it expires.
Deposits
| Kind | When it suits |
|---|---|
| None | Productions you know well, with a solid certificate |
| A fixed amount | Simple gear, simple rentals |
| A percent of replacement value | Expensive packages |
Invoice the deposit on its own, so returning it is a clean refund and it never mixes with the rental. Hold it until the gear is checked in.
Pickup and return
Scan each item out at pickup and have the renter sign. At return, scan each item back and note its condition. Anything damaged goes on a charge sheet: late days at the day rate, and the cost of a repair or replacement, as its own invoice. Then refund the deposit, or what is left of it, as your agreement says.
Mistakes that cost money
- Handing over gear on a verbal yes, with nothing signed.
- Accepting a certificate that ended last month.
- Not writing down the scratch that was already there at pickup.
- Keeping the deposit and the rental on one invoice, so a refund is a mess.
- Renting to someone who returned gear late twice. Keep a do-not-rent list.
Doing it in Cutvey
On Pro and up, Gear rents gear to others. Set day rates with a weekly rule and a minimum, a damage waiver, a deposit rule and whether a certificate is needed. Each rental goes from a quote with your agreement to the renter's own page, where they sign and upload their certificate. Confirming holds the gear and makes the deposit and rental invoices as drafts, and late days or damage become another draft invoice. A client can be marked do not rent. See Rent out your gear and Certificates of insurance.