Terms and conditions for a portable toilet and generator hire business

Toilet and generator hire is delivered by lorry to sites with difficult access, then left with customers who may not follow the instructions. The terms have to fix access and siting, who services, who fuels and who pays when a unit is damaged, and they have to work for a wedding in a field and a six-month building site alike. I draft those terms for a fixed fee of £995, delivered in five working days.

Who this is for

Portable toilet, welfare unit, generator and site equipment hire businesses in England and Wales serving events, festivals, weddings and construction sites, with consumer customers for private events and business customers for sites and organised events.

What matters in toilet and generator hire terms

Siting, access and ground conditions

The terms should make the customer responsible for a level, firm site the delivery vehicle can reach, for permissions from the landowner, and for telling you about soft ground, overhead lines and underground services. A unit that cannot be delivered because the lorry cannot get in is still chargeable, and the terms should give you the right to refuse to site equipment where it would be unsafe.

Servicing, fuel and consumables

The terms should say how often units are serviced during a long hire, what a service includes, and that additional services are charged. For generators, they should say whether fuel is included, who refuels during the hire, that running a generator dry or on the wrong fuel is the customer's responsibility, and that the customer must not connect loads above the stated capacity. A stated servicing schedule prevents disputes about the condition of the units during the hire.

Damage, vandalism and theft

Equipment is at the customer's risk from delivery to collection, including damage by guests, vandalism and theft, and the terms should say that repair and replacement are charged at cost. The customer should be required to keep units secure overnight and to report damage promptly. Your liability for a unit that fails should be limited to replacement or refund of the hire for the period of failure.

Safety, noise and the environment

Generators produce fumes and noise, and toilets produce waste. The terms should require the customer to keep generators outdoors and away from tents, to observe the venue's noise restrictions, and not to interfere with the equipment. Waste disposal is your responsibility and is done under your own waste carrier registration under the Control of Pollution (Amendment) Act 1989, and generator noise near neighbours can amount to a statutory nuisance under section 79 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990; the terms should say that units used for anything other than their purpose are charged for cleaning or replacement.

Cancellation, sites and payment

A hire for an event on 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 scale applies and must be fair. For construction and other business customers, the terms should provide for a minimum hire period, weekly or monthly invoicing, interest and compensation on late payment under the Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998, and a liability cap with consequential loss excluded.

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

The generator failed during the wedding reception. What am I liable for?

If the failure was caused by the customer overloading or running it dry, the terms should make that their responsibility. If the equipment was defective, the terms can limit your liability to a replacement or a refund of the hire for the period lost, but you cannot exclude liability for injury caused by your negligence.

Can I charge for a wasted delivery when the field was too soft?

If the terms made ground conditions and access the customer's responsibility and you could not deliver safely, the wasted journey and, depending on the terms, the hire fee are chargeable. Photographs at the time settle it.

Do I need separate terms for building sites?

The same document can serve both with a business customer section covering minimum periods, invoicing, servicing frequency and a liability cap. Site customers rarely negotiate if the terms are sensible.

Related guidance and services

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