Terms and conditions for a bouncy castle and party hire business

An inflatable hire hands a large piece of equipment to a customer for a day and relies on them to supervise it. The terms have to make supervision the customer's responsibility, set the conditions in which the inflatable must be deflated, deal with damage and misuse, and fix what happens when the forecast changes. I draft those terms for a fixed fee of £995, delivered in five working days.

Who this is for

Bouncy castle, inflatable and party equipment hire businesses in England and Wales delivering to private homes, village halls, schools and events, with customers who are mostly consumers and some businesses, and with hires that are either supervised by your staff or left in the customer's care.

What matters in inflatable hire terms

Supervision and the customer's responsibility

For an unattended hire the customer is responsible for supervising the inflatable at all times, enforcing the user limits shown on it, keeping adults, shoes, food and sharp objects off it, and stopping use when it is wet. The terms should say so in plain words and should record that the customer received the safety briefing at delivery. That briefing, signed for, is your most important document.

Site, anchoring and weather

The terms should make the customer responsible for a suitable level site, free of hazards and with access for delivery, and should state the wind conditions in which the inflatable must not be used, because deflating in rising wind is a safety requirement and not a courtesy. Where you judge the site or the weather unsafe at delivery, the hire may be refused with the fee payable, or rescheduled if you agree.

Injury and what cannot be excluded

Injuries on inflatables usually follow a breach of the supervision rules. The terms should record that use is at the customer's risk as to injuries caused by misuse or a failure to supervise, while accepting, because the law requires it, that you remain liable for injury caused by your own negligence, such as faulty equipment or inadequate anchoring. Your public liability insurance should be stated and the customer told that it does not cover their own failure to supervise. Your own duty to hirers arises under section 3 of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, and the inflatable is work equipment that must be maintained and inspected under the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998.

Damage, cleaning and equipment

Damage to the inflatable, the blower or accessories during the hire is the customer's responsibility, and the terms should say that repair or replacement is charged at cost and that excessive dirt, face paint, silly string or food will incur a cleaning charge. Equipment must not be moved from where it was sited, and the terms should say that the customer will report any damage at once rather than at collection.

Booking, deposits and cancellation

A hire for a specific date is excluded from the fourteen-day cancellation right by regulation 28 of the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013, so your own cancellation terms apply and must be fair under the Consumer Rights Act 2015. A stated deposit, a scale for late cancellation and a clear rule for cancellation by you for weather (a refund or a rebooking) are what the terms should contain. Payment should be in full before or at delivery.

What it costs

Customer or supplier terms and conditions, £995. One set of terms, customer-facing or supplier-facing, drafted for your business. Five working days.

Review of your existing terms, £495. You already have terms and want them checked and brought up to date. Returned marked up with my amendments and an explanation of the changes. Three working days.

Buying online forms the engagement on payment. The scope is what the terms and conditions drafting page describes, you accept the Terms of Service at checkout, and I email you within four working hours to get started. If you would rather ask something first, email me.

What you get

• A full set of bespoke terms drafted for your business, reflecting the legal requirements that apply to your business and sector
• A note in plain English explaining the terms I have drafted for you
• Liability, payment, termination and IP provisions that protect your position and are drafted to withstand scrutiny from the other side
• Guidance on how to incorporate the terms properly
• Your questions and comments answered by email or phone
• One round of amendments to finalise the terms ready for use

What is not included

• Negotiating your terms with individual customers (I am happy to quote for this as an additional service if required)
• Sector-specific regulatory compliance beyond the contract terms themselves
• Website privacy notice and cookie compliance, which I quote separately
• Terms governed by the law of another country
• Tax advice

Questions I am often asked

Can I charge the customer if the wind gets up and the hire is cancelled on the day?

If you cancel for safety before delivery, the fairest and most defensible position is a refund of what the customer has paid or a free rebooking, and the terms should say which. If the hire is under way and must be stopped for weather, the terms can say the fee stays payable.

A child was hurt when adults were bouncing with them. Am I liable?

If the terms and the signed briefing prohibited adult use and required supervision, and the equipment was sound and properly anchored, the failure was the customer's. You remain liable for defects in the equipment or your set-up, and the terms should be honest about that.

Do I need different terms for a school fete?

The same document works with a business customer section: the school or organiser as the party responsible for supervision, an invoice rather than payment on the day, and interest on late payment under the Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998.

Related guidance and services

• Terms and conditions drafting, £995, the service this page describes
• Contract review, £495
• Terms and conditions for a marquee hire business

This page is general guidance for businesses in England and Wales, not advice on your own circumstances. Last reviewed: September 2026. Email geoffrey@caesar.co.uk.