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Local services booked online · Budget: £1,000 to £5,000 · Minimum age: 18+

Event hire

Event hire means supplying items or spaces for parties and gatherings, with customers booking and arranging collection or delivery. Start small, check local demand and plan carefully for storage, transport, cleaning and damage.

In plain words

• You hire items for parties and gatherings.
• Choose a few items people nearby want.
• Store, clean and check them after every hire.
• Agree prices, delivery and damage rules before booking.
• Start small and keep a record of bookings and costs.

Who it suits

Suits someone organised and practical who can store, maintain and transport hire items, communicate clearly with customers and manage bookings. It may suit a beginner who wants to start with a small selection of equipment rather than a full venue or large catalogue.

People organising parties may prefer to hire items they need only briefly, rather than buy and store them. A focused local range, clear booking terms and reliable delivery or collection can make the service useful to customers.

Step by step

1. Choose a small, focused range of hire items. Pick one type, such as tableware, party furniture, soft play or decorations. Start with items you can store, clean and transport reliably; avoid buying a wide range before you know what customers want. About 1-2 hours.
2. Ask local people what they need. Ask potential customers, community groups and venues what they need and what is difficult to find nearby. Use a short written survey or message, then note which requests come up more than once. About 1-3 days.
3. Make a simple budget before buying stock. List likely costs for stock, cleaning, storage, delivery, repairs and replacement items. Treat any cost estimates you have as rough planning figures, not quotes, and keep a reserve for unexpected costs. About 1-2 hours.
4. Check storage and transport before purchasing. Measure your storage space, doorways and vehicle space. Work out how each item will be moved, protected in transit and checked back in after a hire. About 1-2 hours.
5. Check safety and insurance for your equipment. Research the safety guidance for the items you plan to hire and ask an insurer what cover may suit your business. One Winkfield Parish Council hall agreement requires a valid PIPA certificate issued within the previous 12 months, Public Liability Insurance of at least £5 million, and equipment meeting BS EN 14960; these are that venue's conditions, not a general rule for every hire business. Winkfield Parish Council About 1-3 days.
6. Write clear booking terms. Explain payment, collection or delivery, cancellations, damage, cleaning and late returns in writing. Make sure customers can see what is included before they confirm. About 2-4 hours.
7. Create listings with useful details. Use clear photographs and state each item's size, condition, delivery area and booking instructions. AddtoEvent's example supplier page says the supplier takes a £20 booking fee from customers, refunded if the supplier cancels for weather or safety reasons; it does not state an AddtoEvent platform commission. AddtoEvent About 2-4 hours.
8. Track bookings, stock and payments. Keep a booking calendar and an inventory record. Check items before and after each hire, record missing parts or damage, and note payments and expenses. About 10-20 minutes per booking.
9. Review what is worth hiring out. Note what customers request and which items take a manageable amount of time to clean, store and deliver. Reinvest gradually in items that suit your capacity and local demand. About 30 minutes each month.

Your first 15 minutes

This week, speak with nearby venues and party organisers about what hire items customers most often ask them for, then choose one small offer to investigate.

The money

Add up stock, cleaning, storage, delivery, repairs and the time each booking takes. Compare local offers, then set a price that covers your costs and suits your service; treat other suppliers' prices as examples, not guaranteed earnings.

Example only: UK, 3 hires at £60 each = £180 income; £45 estimated costs leaves £135 before tax and your own pay. Ireland, 3 hires at €70 each = €210 income; €55 estimated costs leaves €155 before tax and your own pay. These are invented figures to show the maths, not typical prices or earnings.

The rules

You can run an event-hire business in the UK or Ireland, but you must follow the rules for your business, equipment and customers. There is no general event-hire licence identified. Check with your local council and the relevant safety body about your offer.

UK and Northern Ireland

• Tax. The first £1,000 a year of trading income is covered by the trading allowance. This is gross income before expenses. Tell HMRC if your income is over £1,000. If you need to register for Self Assessment, register by 5 October after the end of the relevant tax year. You must register for VAT if your taxable turnover is over £90,000. GOV.UK Tax Help for Hustles GOV.UK Business.gov.uk
• Inflatables and safety. In Northern Ireland, health and safety law applies when you supply, hire out or use inflatables for commercial purposes. A new inflatable needs an initial test to check that it meets BS EN 14960. If you own an inflatable or make it available, you are responsible for getting it inspected every year by a competent person. The inspection should identify the inflatable and blower by serial number, review previous reports and certificates, and cover any parts and equipment that could affect safe operation. HSENI guidance also covers anchoring, supervision, regular wind and internal-pressure measurements, and safe-use checks. Do not use inflatables in winds above 24 mph (38 km/h), or above a lower limit set by the manufacturer. HSENI In Great Britain, HSE gives guidance but does not set registration or licensing requirements. HSE
• Inspection schemes and venues. PIPA and ADiPs are industry inspection schemes, not legal licences. PIPA says commercial inflatables that you hire out need an annual inspection. It describes PIPA tags as the registration plate for inflatables in its scheme. PIPA also says inflatables must be anchored correctly, must not be used when wind speed is greater than 24 mph, and must have internal pressure of at least 1 kPa. HSENI PIPA
• Insurance. Consider insurance that suits your equipment, deliveries and customer risks.
• Customer terms. Write clear terms for payment, cancellations, delivery, damage and late returns. Check the consumer cancellation and refund rules that apply before you take bookings.
• Advertising and customer data. Clearly label paid or affiliate social media posts. For example, use “Ad”. Use the ICO self-assessment tool to check whether you need to pay a data protection fee. The ICO's wholesale and retail guidance says you are likely to be exempt if you hold customer details only for your own accounts and transaction records, subject to its stated exception. ASA ICO
• Age. This information is for adults. No general legal minimum age for event hire is identified. If you are under 18, check the platform terms and young-worker rules that apply where you live.

Ireland

• Tax registration. If you are a PAYE worker, register for self-assessment using Form 11 if your taxable non-PAYE income is over €5,000 or your gross non-PAYE income is over €30,000. Below those amounts, declare the income on Form 12 through myAccount. The VAT thresholds are €42,500 for services and €85,000 for goods. Check which threshold applies to your hire activity. Revenue Revenue
• Self-employment tax. If you are self-employed, you pay income tax, PRSI (Class S) and USC through self-assessment. Preliminary tax is due by 31 October. Check your position with Revenue or an accountant. Citizens Information
• Business name. If you trade under a name other than your own, register the business name with the CRO. Online registration costs €20. CRO
• Safety, licences and insurance. There is no confirmed general event-hire licence, and no Ireland-specific inflatable rules are identified. Check with your local authority and the Health and Safety Authority about your equipment and work. Consider insurance that suits your business.
• Customer terms and adverts. Write clear booking terms. Check the consumer cancellation and refund rules that apply before you take bookings. If you publish commercial influencer content, label it clearly. For example, use “#Ad”. CCPC
• Age. This information is for adults. No general legal minimum age for event hire is identified. If you are under 18, check the young-worker rules and platform terms that apply to you. Citizens Information

Checked against official sources: 22 October 2026. Not yet reviewed by a qualified tax or legal adviser. General guidance, not legal advice. Check the official link beside each point before you start.

Common mistakes

• Buying too many items before checking local demand.
• Underestimating storage, cleaning, delivery and repair time.
• Leaving payment, cancellation, damage or late-return terms unclear.
• Skipping condition checks or failing to record missing parts and damage.
• Assuming one venue's safety or insurance conditions apply everywhere.

AI-made demonstration: this module has a 20-second street-chat video in the interactive guide. The presenter and the people in it are computer-generated, not real people.

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