WELCOME TO SHOWBIZ RENTALS! 

If you have questions email us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call 416 836-0710

Below is a FAQ and the site rules

** If you have multiples of more than 10 of any item you will be billed $7.00 extra

• You must be a registered user to post ads.

• You may only list one item per ad. 

• You must own the rental item, or at least have permission from the owner in order to publish an ad.

• Your ads may not make reference to any items that you don't intend to rent through this site.

• You may not market any outside product or service.

• You may not post a link to any external web site (banner ad clients excepted).

• This site is for rentals only. If you wish to sell an item, post it  on Ready Set Recycle.com 

• If you have a property that you wish to rent out as a film location, post it on All About Locations

These simple rules WILL be enforced, so please abide by them. (Violation will result in deletion of your posting.)

That's pretty much the whole story, so...

FAQ

Here is a quick Q&A that we hope will making creating ads easier. If you have a question but don't see the answer below, we'd love to hear it, so please... contact us here.

Q. Can I post ads without registering on the site?

A. No. You need to register. (It's pretty painless.)

Q. How much does it cost to post ads on ShowbizRENTALS.com?

A. The price per ad is based on category.  The cheapest category is $3.00 per ad, and the most expensive is $10 per ad.  (You'll see all the categories and prices during the ad creation process.)

Q. How long will my ad stay up and active on the site?

A. 1 year. So if you post an item with a weekly  rental price of $300, that gives you, on a daily basis, more than 365 chances to make $300. Not bad eh?

Q. Should I list a price for my item or items? 

A. If you want to, go ahead, but most places or people who are posting a lot of items will  want to play their cards close to their vests, They will not post a rental price for several reasons. They Maybe willing to take a lower price from a not for profit company than they would say from a big budget movie. Or they may want to rent out multiple items at once, thus offering a "package deal". 

Q. Once I have posted an ad, can I swap the item in the ad for a different item?

A. You sure can! Just log in, choose the ad from your ad list, and edit away!

Q. Can I put multiple items in one ad?

A. No. If you list multiple items in one ad we'll ask you to pay more for the ad. (For example, in a $2 ad we'd ask for about  $1 per extra item.)

Q. Do I pay any commission to ShowbizRENTALS.com from the money I make on rentals?

A. Nope. You keep 100% of whatever you make.

Q. When I purchase an ad, what payment options do you have?

A. We accept Pay Pal (which means PayPal plus major credit cards).  Interac coming soon.

Q. Do I pay for my ad up front?

A. Yes.  When you decide to publish an ad you'll see payment options.

Q. Can I edit or update my listing, change photos or add more text?

A. By all means, and no charge for that.

Q. Who will be looking at my stuff?

A. Props people, production designers, art directors, events planners, drama teachers, real estate home staging companies (and probably lots more).

Q. How do I know if the person wanting to rent my stuff is legit? How do I protect myself?

A. That is totally up to you.  This site accepts no liability.  But there are many steps you can take.  Know who you are dealing with, the name of the production company, their address and phone number. Call the company to confirm that the person who is contacting you is employed there. When they come to pick the your item, write down the license plate number.  And of course insisting on a Visa imprint or a certified cheque are precautions you might want to take.

Q. I want to post my vintage car. How do I make certain my car comes back in the condition it went out in, what if they wreck it?

A. Again... we take no liability.  But having the renter sign a clearly written contract would be a good idea, The contract could stipulate that the renter is responsible for any and all damages. If the customer does not want to sign, perhaps you should not rent to them. For very expensive items, like tool packages, boats, vehicles, or equipment, you may the renter to pay extra for you to be on set to supervise.

Q. How do I make sure to get paid?

A. Until you have a number of rentals under your belt with repeat customers, we suggest you make everyone (EVERYONE) pay in advance. No money, no rental! And don't forget to ask for a safety deposit up front.

Q. What kind of info should I put into my my ad?

A. As much as you can. Tell us about the size, weight, what kind of dolly/truck/crane you will be needed to move it. Also specify if it can get wet or be repainted or altered in any way. Also tell the would be renter how much you will charge if they lose or break it. Make certain you put all necessary info in your ad such as...  when the item can be picked up and returned, how much notice you need, what your store hours are, how many people are needed to load the item and whether or not you can assist. Never agree to a renter returning an item when you are not there, or to the renter leaving on your door step.

Q. should I charge taxes?

A. Yes. The tax man will want his cut.  If you plan to conduct business under the table, you leave your self open to all kinds of grief, such as never seeing your stuff again, and or a big fat tax audit. Our terms and conditions include a stipulation that you must agree to comply with all tax laws to use this site.

Q. I do not own a business, so I do not have an HST number, so what do I do? How do I invoice?

A. If this is the case, most production companies will just ask for your Social Insurance Number, or in the USA, your Social Security Number. You could include the number in your invoices.

Q. What if the client does not want to pay taxes or sign an agreement?

A. Then don't do business with them! Hang Up! Run away!! Slam the door!!! All professionals will want to you to provide an invoice and will give you a receipt.

Q. How much should I charge for my rentals?

A. This is always a difficult question. Many prop houses charge about 20% of the item's value for a daily or a weekly rental.  If a customer wants an item for a longer period – say for a couple of months – you may want to consider charging bout 40 to 50% of the purchase value. The important thing is not to price your self out of the market. You want to do business after all. Many not-for-profits will ask for discount. Whether they get one is up to you.

Q. What if a customer insists I deliver my rental items to them?

A. If you can charge them an extra fee that makes it worth your while... go for it.  But if it is going to be stressful or a big headache, we recommend you just say no. Remember, you are the boss:  your items, your terms.

Q. If I have questions or suggestions for this site, can I contact you?

A. Sure.  If we can help you we will.  Use the contact link that appears on every page or call 416 836-0710.

Q. How long will it take to start renting my stuff?

A. No idea.  It really is pretty random. When I co-owned a company called Set/Reset, we had a huge inventory of stuff – enough to fill a 40,000 square foot warehouse! Sometimes, items would sit for months and not move, then in one or two months, they would go out 8 times! The trick on this site is to have your stuff on display for the long haul. Every day, art directors, event planners, production designers, etc. will be seeing your items and saying to themselves... ""Not for this show, but now that I know it's here, I will remember for my next one." They will also say to themselves "My buddy could sure use this for his/her next show. I will send a web link to them." The longer stuff is up where folks can see it, the better your chances are. That's why we've decided that every ad should run for 1 year

Q. You've already said you take no liability for rental transactions. Do you take liability for anything?

A.  Short answer: No. Longer answer: Please also be advised thatShowbizRENTALS.com and its parent company The SHOW Must GO accept no responsibility for any liability that arises between the users of this site, their agents or employers, nor any other third party claiming damages for any loss of revenue, due to damages or loss of goods by anyone posting on this site. The SHOW Must GO and ShowbizRENTALS.com shall be held harmless by both the users of this site of the people who rent from them for any disputes that may arise from the use of this site.

Thanks and good luck to all!

Grant Heggie