Industry kit

Equipment rental templates for hire businesses

An equipment hire business books gear out, signs a hire agreement that covers damage and late returns, records the condition at both ends and takes a deposit. This kit links finished examples of each, written for invented Australian hire businesses.

Every hire is a small contract

An equipment hire is a short contract with real risk. The hirer takes a valuable item away, uses it in conditions the business cannot see, and brings it back, hopefully on time and in the same condition. The booking form collects what is wanted, when and where, and who will operate it. The hire agreement sets the rate, the deposit, the insurance or damage waiver, fuel and cleaning, late return charges and who is responsible for loss or damage. A condition report at handover and return decides most disputes.

Small hire, big hire

Party and event hire, tool hire, boat and car hire, and plant hire all use the same pattern with different detail. Plant and machinery add operator licences, site safety and delivery terms. Boats and vehicles add licences and named drivers. Loans of equipment, such as a demo unit or a school laptop, use a loan agreement with the same condition and return rules but no hire fee. The examples below cover each pattern as finished pieces, so the clauses and questions can be read and compared before they are adapted.

Who the kit is for

The kit is written for equipment hire and rental businesses in Australia, from a party hire business to a small plant hire yard, and for businesses that lend equipment. The Hire and Rental Industry Association publishes guidance for the industry, and longer hires of some goods may need to be registered on the PPSR to protect the owner if a hirer becomes insolvent. Prices are in dollars with GST at 10%, the businesses are invented, and each card opens a complete example.

The kit, piece by piece

The agreement that covers the gear

A hire agreement should list each item with its serial or asset number, the hire period, the rate, the deposit and how it is returned, the damage waiver or insurance, fuel and cleaning rules, who may operate the item, where it may be used, late return charges and responsibility for loss, theft and damage. The equipment hire agreement in this kit carries each of these and attaches the condition report, so the hirer signs the condition they received.

Condition at both ends

Most hire disputes are about damage, and most are settled by the condition report. Record the condition of each item at handover, with photos, hours or kilometres and fuel level, and do the same on return. Have the hirer sign at handover. A loan agreement uses the same report without a fee. The loan agreement signing example shows the borrower signing online with an email code, with a certified PDF kept by both sides.

Deposits, invoices and longer hires

Take a security deposit at booking or handover and give a receipt that states when and how it will be returned. Invoice the hire fee with the items and dates listed; from the proposals module, an invoice carries a pay link that opens Stripe Checkout on a paid plan with a connected Stripe account. For longer hires of valuable equipment, check whether the hire should be registered on the PPSR.

The tools behind the kit

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Questions people ask

What should an equipment hire agreement include?

It should include the parties, each item with its identifying number, the hire period, rate, deposit, damage waiver or insurance, fuel and cleaning rules, permitted operators and use, delivery and collection, late return charges, loss and damage responsibility and the condition report.

Why use a condition report for equipment hire?

A condition report records the state of each item at handover and return, with photos and readings such as hours or fuel. It is the evidence that settles damage disputes, and having the hirer sign it at handover makes it much harder to dispute later.

Should equipment hire businesses register on the PPSR?

For some longer hires of valuable goods, registering the owner interest on the Personal Property Securities Register protects the equipment if the hirer becomes insolvent. The rules depend on the type of goods and the length of hire, so check the PPSR guidance.

How much security deposit should a hire business take?

Set the deposit to cover the likely cost of damage, cleaning or late return for that item, and state the amount and the return conditions in the agreement. High value items often need a larger deposit or a damage waiver fee.

Can hire agreements be signed online?

Yes. A hire or loan agreement can be sent for e-signing before collection. The hirer confirms with a code sent to their email, signs on a phone, and both sides receive a certified PDF with a record of when it was signed.

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Sources

Written and checked by the OneCraft team. Last checked .