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TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF Hire

  1. Oxford University Technical Theatre Society (OUTTS); 3rd June 2025, v2 

  2. Definitions 

    1. ‘The Society’ is defined as Oxford University Technical Theatre Society (OUTTS). 
    2. For purpose of this document, members of OUTTS are defined as full members, as laid out by the constitution.] 
    3. ‘The Executive Committee’ means the Executive Committee as defined in the Constitution or Bylaws of the Society, or in the absence of such a definition shall mean the President, Treasurer, and Secretary. 
    4. ‘The Society Rep’ refers to the relevant committee member of the Society. 
    5. An ‘authorised agent’ of the Society means any person nominated by the Society Rep to act on behalf of the society. 
    6. ‘The Store’ refers to the OUTTS Prop and Equipment Store as laid out in the Bylaws. 
    7. ’The Props and/or Equipment’ means any items provided by the society, with the exception of items listed for sale. 
    8. ‘The Hirer’ and ‘You’ means the individual or company entering into the hire agreement with the Society. 
    9. ‘The Hire Period’ refers to the period between the Props or Equipment being collected by The Hirer and all the Props or Equipment being returned to the Society Rep. 
    10. ‘The Hire Fee’ refers to the cost of hire as paid by The Hirer to the Society. 
    11. ‘OUCD’ refers to the Oxford University Contemporary Dance Troupe. 
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  4. Eligibility for Hire 

    1. These terms must be read and agreed to by The Hirer before the Hire Period commences. 
    2. You must be a member of the Society to use hire services from the Store. 
    3. If You are not currently a member, You must become a Temporary Member (for the Hire Period) and comply with the Society’s Constitution (and, by extension, the Bylaws) and the Code of Conduct on Safety Matters (all of which can be found on the society’s website INSERT WEB LINK). 
    4. The Hirer must ensure that all health and safety regulations and any operating procedures are adhered to when the Equipment and Props are in use. 
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  6. Visiting the Store 

    1. The Society Rep reserves the right to amend the regular opening hours of the store, provided they make this known to Society Members via email. 
    2. Reservations can be made any period of time in advance of the Hire Period. 
    3. Payment of rental charges must be paid in full by bank transfer to The Society after receiving the invoice. 
    4. The Hirer will be charged an invoice for any Equipment or Props hired upon confirmed return of the Equipment and/or Props.  
    5. The standard Hire Period is seven days (collection on Monday, returns on Sunday), although this may be amended in agreements with the Society Rep. 

    6. Out of Hours: 

      1.  In the event that the Hirer wishes to deviate from the standard Hire Period with the agreement of the Society Rep, the Hirer must request an out of hours opening. 
      2. An out of hours slot may be requested via the OUTTS website up to two (2) weeks in advance and can be cancelled with at least 48 hours notice.  
      3. For a quantity of props which cannot be stored overnight, at a venue with a strict get out policy that prohibits the overnight storage of hired Props and Equipment until the nearest opening time, the Store may, at the discretion of the Society Rep, be opened for get outs for no extra charge with at least 48 hours notice. 
      4. A fee of £15 will be charged to open out of hours at other times. 
      5. If the out of hours opening slot exceeds 30 minutes for reasons not controlled by the Hires Managers, they are at liberty to charge an additional £15 per half an hour. 
      6. An out of hours opening is expected to take 30 minutes; any extension of this time is up to the discretion of the Hires Manager. The Hires Manager is at liberty to close the Store after the initial 30 minutes, regardless of whether the Hirer is finished. 
      7. In the event that an out of hours opening is arranged with a Hires Manager and defaulted on without notice, twice the out of hours fee will be charged. 
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  8. Deposits 

    1. In some cases, the Hirer will be required to pay a deposit prior to the hire of Props and Equipment, preferably by cheque, though cash can be accepted. 

    2. Deposit amounts: 

      1. For productions or films shot in Oxford, no deposit is required. 
      2. For productions, shows, or films touring outside of Oxford, but within the UK, the deposit will be twice the hire fee. 
      3. For an international tour, the deposit will be four times the hire fee. 
      4. For a University Ball, the deposit will be four times the hire fee. 
      5. For charitable events, the deposit shall be the hire fee prior to any discounts. 
    3. Safety items may be hired free of charge and without deposit within Oxford. Such equipment (hard hats, gloves, steelies, stage weights) can be reserved via the hires website subject to availability.  
    4. Deposits must be paid prior to collection of Props and Equipment. 

  10. Returns 

    1. It is The Hirer’s responsibility to ensure all Props and Equipment are returned in the same condition they were hired in, with the fair exemption of consumables, such as haze fluid. 
    2. Items should not be significantly marked, broken, or weather-damaged when returned. 

    3. All cables must be returned neatly coiled and taped with electrical tape.  

      1.  Time spent by the Society Rep or authorised agent returning cables to adequate condition will be charged to the hirer at a rate of £5 per every 10 minutes.  
    4. Equipment and Props must be returned to the Society Rep or an authorised agent and marked as returned by them. 
    5. Equipment and Props left unattended outside the Prop Store are not deemed to be returned and may incur liability under section 11. 
    6. If the Equipment and Props are not cared for appropriately as detailed above and in section 9, the Society Rep reserves the right to levy a charge up to the replacement-cost of the damaged item in order to return the item to working order. 
    7. Any damage or loss of items must be reported at the first opportunity and no later than the end of the Hire Period to the Society Rep. 

  11. Complimentary tickets 

    1. If the Hirer places a hire of Props or Equipment over the amount of £30 for a theatrical production, they are obliged to offer the Committee of the Society one (1) complimentary ticket. 
    2. The date and time for which the ticket is claimed is to be agreed between the Producer of the production and the Committee, subject to availability. 
    3. If the Hirer places a hire of Props and Equipment for a production under Appendix B, they are obliged to offer the Committee of the Society three (3) complimentary tickets. 

  13. Indemnity 

    1. The Hirer shall be wholly responsible and hold the Society (and its members) indemnified against all loss or damage, liabilities, claims, demands and legal proceedings that may arise as a consequence of any accident or default involving the Equipment. 

  15. Termination of Hire 

    1. The Society shall terminate the Contract for Hire in the event that: 

      1. The Hirer is in default payment of Hire Charges, or 
      2. The Hirer commits a breach of their obligations, as outlined by these Terms of Hire. 

  17. Care of Props and Equipment 

    1. All Props and Equipment will be inspected on the day of hire and their condition will be recorded. Any changed to the condition between this date and the end of the Hire Period will be deemed the Hirer’s liability. 

      1. It is, however, reasonable to accept that some damage incurred may be due to general wear and tear outside of the Hirer’s control, for which the Hirer will not be deemed liable. This shall be decided at the discretion of the Society Reps. 
    2. The Hirer must always seek advice in using OUTTS Equipment rather than attempt to use it without proper knowledge; OUTTS will provide technical advice and assistance. This should in the first instance be sought by requesting help through the OUTTS website (LINK). 

  19. Refunds 

    1. Under the circumstances outlined in 10.2 and 10.4, the Hirer may be granted a partial or full refund for any Props or Equipment hired, at the discretion of the Society Reps. 
    2. Refunds for damaged Props or Equipment may be granted partially or in full if the Hirer is deemed not liable for the damage, as outlined in section 9.1a.
    3. No refund will be granted for any damaged Props or Equipment that is deemed by the Society Reps to be the liability of the Hirer, as outlined in section 9.1. 
    4. Refunds for Equipment may be granted if Equipment is unusable due to factors outside of the Hirer’s control. This will be decided at the discretion of the Society Reps. 
    5. No refunds will be granted for Equipment which the Hirer is unable to use if they have not sought technical assistance from OUTTS as outlined in section 9.2. This will supersede section 10.4. 

  21. Fines and Fees 

    1. OUTTS reserves the right to impose additional charges onto the Hirer in the event that any Props or Equipment is returned late, not returned, lost, or damaged, or if payment is received late, not in full, or not at all, as outlined in section 11.3. 
    2. Any fines or fees imposed on the Hirer in accordance with the measures outlined in section 11.3, or may be lessened at the discretion of the Society Reps. 

    3. The fines or fees imposed on the Hirer will be as follows: 

      1. Upon the first failure to pay for hired items, in full or in part, one (1) week after the invoice was sent: £10 fine or half the weekly hire fee (whichever is greater), and an emailed reminder to pay. 
      2. Upon continued failure to pay, in part or in full, after one (1) week and up to two (2) weeks after the invoice was sent: An additional £10 fine or twice the weekly hire fee (whichever is greater).
      3. Upon continued failure to pay, in part or in full, more than two (2) weeks after the invoice was sent: Neither the production company in question, nor the Hirer, may hire items from the store until the invoice has been paid.
      4. Upon failure to return items, in full or in part, at the end of the Hire Period: An additional fee of the full purchase cost of all items not returned, which shall be reduced to twice the weekly fee of all items not returned, per week not returned, if the items are returned within two (2) weeks.
      5. Upon failure to return items, in full or in part, more than two (2) weeks after the end of the hire period: An additional fee of the full purchase cost of all items not returned.
    4.  Any loss or damage to props or equipment will result in the Hirer reimbursing the Society for repair or replacement. The Hirer is deemed responsible for damage to Props or Equipment as outlined in section 9.1. 
    5. At any point where a Hirer has outstanding payments to be made and/or outstanding Props or Equipment to be returned, both the individual Hirer and the production company/organisation for which the Hires were made will be banned from making further hires from The Society. 
    6. If returns or payment are still not received after the sanctions imposed in section 11.3, OUTTS reserves the right to impose disciplinary action on any Hirer failing to return or pay for Props or Equipment. This may include disciplinary action via the University Drama Officer, the OUTTS Senior Member, the Hirer’s College disciplinary team, the University Proctors, and the Local Authorities. 
    7. The hire fee within this section is the fee before any discounts or refunds have been applied, including but not limited to discounts awarded under Appendix B (Charitable Hires), Section 9 (Refunds), or any implied or express variations made to these Terms of Hire. 

    22.  

  22. Appendices 

    1. Dancefloor Hire 

      1. Hire orders for dancefloor must be submitted to the Society Rep at least 10 working days in advance, except with the agreement of the Society Rep. 
      2. No tape or adhesive is to be used on the dancefloor other than that supplied by the Society Rep or approved by the Society Rep or OUCD. 
      3. All questions regarding availability, pricing, collections and returns of the dancefloor should be directed to the Society Rep. 
      4. All questions regarding usage or suitability of the dancefloor should be directed to OUCD: contemporarydance.society@studentclubs.ox.ac.uk or to the Society Rep, who shall forward such questions to OUCD. 
      5. Reservations for dancefloor may be cancelled prior to six (6) weeks before the proposed end date of hire if the dancefloor is required by OUCD. 
      6. Dancefloor hires of a period longer than four (4) weeks must be approved beforehand with the Society Rep, who will confirm with OUCD that the dancefloor can be made available for this length of time. 

    2. ​Charitable Hires 

      1. Hires for a show that is fully charitable in nature may be given discounted Hires rates in order for additional funds to be made available to support the charity in question. 
      2. The producer of an eligible show must contact the Society via hires@outts.org, attaching details of any hires places in relation to the show and a completed Charitable Hires Form (Available ??). The Society Rep and Executive Committee will consider all applications on a case-by-case basis. 
      3. The Society maintain the rights to charge any and all fees outlined in section 11 in accordance with the pre-discounted rate.