Leased or Rented Equipment For The Entertainment Industry

Like many in the entertainment industry you may rent or lease equipment from time to time. You may be planning a special event and need a tent to accommodate 250 people as part of a fund raising activity. Or, perhaps you are renting a sound system for a concert, or leasing office equipment such as your copier.  These kinds of activities create added risk to organization.

It is important to have an understanding of who is responsible for the rented equipment and that your understanding is consistent with the written rental agreement. Not all rental agreements are the same. Some rental agreements will include property damage insurance as part of the rental fee. Other rental agreements may require the you to be responsible for all damage. And finally, some rental agreements may require you to pay a deductible if there is damage. This can be very confusing especially if you are leasing or renting a high value item.

There are many important things to remember when considering a rental agreement:

•           Leasing companies come in many varieties, including banks, brokers, equipment specialists, independents, and companies of all sizes. Each has different levels of flexibility and requirements.
• 
  
•           Understand what the agreement says regarding repairs, maintenance, and upgrades. This applies more to long term leases rather than short term leases.
•           It may be in your best interest to insure the equipment separately. It may be more cost effective depending on how the agreement is written.

The staff at John Hart Insurance has over 60 years combined experience in the field of entertainment insurance.  We focus exclusively on understanding the unique needs of motion picture, television, video, music and theatrical companies.  This knowledge base allows us to structure an insurance program specifically for