Free hire paperwork
Free Equipment Hire Agreement Template (UK)
A practical, editable hire agreement and handover record for independent UK tool, equipment and light-plant hire businesses.
Free. No email required. Edit it for your business.
Use this template to record the customer, equipment, hire dates, agreed charges, condition at handover, return condition, damage and signatures for an individual hire.
It is designed as a practical starting point for small independent hire businesses that still manage some or all of their hire paperwork manually.
Important: This free template is provided as a practical starting point for recording an equipment hire. It is not legal advice and is not a substitute for terms and conditions or a hire agreement reviewed for your business, equipment and customer type. You are responsible for adapting it to your circumstances and complying with applicable law. Consider taking independent legal advice before relying on it.
EQUIPMENT HIRE AGREEMENT / HIRE RECORD
Read the template below, or download the Word or PDF version with space to complete each field.
A. AGREEMENT DETAILS
- Agreement reference
- Agreement date
B. HIRE COMPANY
- Business name
- Address
- Telephone
C. HIRER / CUSTOMER
- Name / business
- Address
- Telephone
- Customer type: Business / Consumer
- Site or delivery address
D. HIRE DETAILS
- Hire start date/time
- Expected return date/time
- Hire type: Equipment only / With operator
- Delivery / collection arrangement
E. EQUIPMENT
- Item / description
- Make / model
- Asset / serial number
- Quantity
- Additional equipment / attachments
F. AGREED CHARGES
Record monetary amounts in GBP (£).
- Daily rate
- Weekly rate
- Deposit
- Delivery charge
- Collection charge
- Other agreed charges
- VAT
- Payment terms
G. CONDITION AT HANDOVER
- Overall condition
- Existing marks / damage
- Accessories / attachments supplied
- Fuel / battery level
- Hour meter / mileage if applicable
- Photo references
H. HIRER ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
- The equipment listed above is being hired for the period and charges recorded in this agreement.
- The hirer will use the equipment for its intended purpose and follow the manufacturer's operating and safety instructions.
- Any fault, breakdown, loss or damage should be reported to the hire company promptly.
- Any extension to the agreed hire period should be agreed with the hire company before the expected return time.
- The equipment remains the property of the hire company unless a separate written agreement states otherwise.
- The equipment should be returned with the accessories and attachments supplied. Its condition will be recorded when returned.
- Any charge relating to late return, missing items, fuel, cleaning, damage or loss is subject to the hire company's applicable terms and applicable law.
- Any additional hire terms supplied with this agreement also apply where accepted by the hirer.
- Terms supplied / version
I. HANDOVER ACCEPTANCE
Hire company representative
- Name
- Signature
- Date / time
Hirer
- Name
- Signature
- Date / time
J. RETURN / OFF-HIRE RECORD
- Actual return date/time
- Returned by
- Condition on return
- New damage noted
- Missing items / attachments
- Fuel / battery level
- Hour meter / mileage
- Cleaning required: Yes / No
- Damage photos taken: Yes / No
- Photo references
- Additional charges to be reviewed
K. RETURN SIGN-OFF
Hire company representative
- Name
- Signature
- Date / time
Customer acknowledgement
- Name
- Signature
- Date / time
What should an equipment hire agreement record?
A useful hire record identifies the customer and the exact equipment supplied, including asset or serial numbers. It records the agreed hire period, charges and delivery or collection arrangements.
At handover, note the equipment’s condition, existing damage and supplied accessories or attachments, with photo references where used. Leave space for signatures or acknowledgement, then record the return condition, new damage and any missing items when the hire ends.
Need a separate condition record for equipment going out and coming back? Download our free equipment handover and return checklist.
Who is this template for?
It is a starting point for independent tool hire shops, small light-plant hire businesses and equipment rental companies. Owner-operated businesses and small teams using paper, Word, Excel or basic digital records can adapt it to their paperwork.
If you also need a simple register for equipment, customers and hires, try the free equipment hire spreadsheet. Check that both resources suit your equipment and customer type before use.
Hire agreement vs terms and conditions
This template is primarily a practical record for an individual hire. Your business may also use separate, detailed hire terms and conditions. It is not intended to replace business-specific legal terms; review your legal documentation for your own circumstances and consider independent legal advice.
How to use the template
- Enter the customer and hire details.
- Identify the exact equipment being handed out.
- Record the agreed dates and charges.
- Record existing condition, damage and supplied accessories.
- Add photo references where appropriate.
- Obtain the relevant acknowledgements/signatures.
- Complete the return/off-hire section when the equipment comes back.
- Record any new damage, missing items or additional charges that need review.
Still managing every hire with forms and spreadsheets?
A hire agreement works well when you're handling a small number of jobs. As the business grows, the harder part becomes keeping equipment availability, customers, hires, hand-outs, returns, damage records and invoices connected.
DepotEase keeps that workflow together for independent UK tool and light-plant hire businesses.
See how our tool hire software or plant hire software fits your business, or explore the day-to-day workflow in our hire management software.
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