Hire & Design Terms

Equipment hire, design, delivery, installation and crew services
Version: 4 October 2026

1. Definitions and scope

1.1 The Company means LastLight Design Ltd. The Customer means the person or organisation entering into the booking. Equipment means the items and accessories listed in the agreed quotation or booking confirmation. Services means any agreed delivery, collection, installation, dismantling, technical operation, crew or design services. Design Deliverables means the final designs, drawings, documents or other design outputs specified in the Booking.

1.2 The Booking means the agreed quotation, written booking confirmation and these conditions. The Site means the agreed location at which the Equipment or Services will be used. A Consumer is an individual acting wholly or mainly outside their trade, business, craft or profession. Other Customers are Business Customers.

1.3 These conditions apply to Equipment and Services supplied under the Booking. They cover design-only, hire-only and combined bookings. Equipment-specific provisions apply only where Equipment is supplied. Sales are excluded unless expressly agreed. Design-specific payment and cancellation provisions in clauses 3.5 and 17 take precedence for the design element. Nothing in these conditions restricts a Consumer's statutory rights.

2. Quotations and booking confirmation

2.1 A quotation is valid for 30 days from issue unless a different period is stated in it. Availability is subject to confirmation. Equipment and crew are reserved when the Company confirms the Booking in writing after the Customer accepts the quotation and these conditions. Any required deposit must be paid by the stated deadline.

2.2 The quotation or confirmation will identify the Equipment, Services, dates, Site, prices, VAT, transport arrangements and any special requirements. The Customer must check these details and promptly notify the Company of errors.

2.3 Changes must be agreed in writing, including any price or date changes. Specific terms expressly agreed in the Booking take precedence over these general conditions, subject to Consumer rights. The Customer's purchase order terms apply only if expressly accepted by the Company in writing.

3. Payment

3.1 For Equipment hire and non-design Services, new customers and customers without an approved credit account must pay a 50% advance deposit before Equipment is released or on-site Services commence. The remaining 50% is payable within 14 days of the date of the balance invoice.

3.2 For Equipment hire and non-design Services, customers with an approved credit account must pay within 14 days of the invoice date unless otherwise agreed in writing. Payments must be made in GBP. VAT and any additional charges will be stated in the quotation; Consumer quotations will show the total price including applicable VAT.

3.3 Deposits are credited against the Booking price and are dealt with under clauses 4 and 5 on cancellation. If a required deposit is overdue, the Company may withhold release or commencement after notifying the Customer. Any resulting cancellation charge remains subject to clause 4.

3.4 For overdue Business Customer invoices, the Company may claim statutory interest and debt recovery compensation where permitted by the Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998. This clause does not impose those commercial charges on Consumers.

3.5 For design services, payment is due on or before delivery of the final Design Deliverables, unless the quotation expressly agrees different terms or staged payments. This applies to the design element of combined bookings and overrides clauses 3.1 and 3.2 for that element. The quotation will separately identify design charges and any design advance payment. Clause 3.4 applies to overdue Business Customer design invoices; no separate 1% accruing fee applies.

4. Cancellation, reductions and postponement

4.1 The Customer must notify the Company of cancellation in writing, including by email to hire@lastlight.uk. Notice is calculated in calendar days before the first agreed date of Equipment collection, delivery or on-site Services, whichever is earliest. Statutory Consumer cancellation rights and clause 5 take precedence over this clause.

4.2 For cancellation of a confirmed Booking, the following maximum charges apply to the value of the cancelled Equipment hire and non-design Services. Cancellation of design services is governed by clause 17.6. VAT will be accounted for as required by law.

Notice before commencementMaximum cancellation chargeMore than 30 daysWork undertaken and unavoidable third-party costs15-30 days25% of the cancelled booking value8-14 days50% of the cancelled booking value3-7 days75% of the cancelled booking valueLess than 3 days100% of the cancelled booking value

4.3 The charge will not exceed either the applicable maximum, the cancelled Booking value or the Company's reasonable net loss. Loss may include work already undertaken, unavoidable supplier or crew commitments and lost profit, less costs saved and replacement bookings that reduce the loss. The Company will take reasonable steps to reduce its losses, explain the charge on request and will not recover the same loss twice. Third-party costs are included within, not added to, these limits.

4.4 Payments received will be applied against the cancellation charge. Any surplus will be refunded within 14 days of confirming the final charge. Any shortfall will be invoiced on the applicable payment terms.

4.5 Reducing quantities or Services is treated as cancellation of the affected part. Postponement requires written agreement and is subject to availability and revised pricing. Unless an alternative is agreed, the original Booking is cancelled under this clause and replacement dates form a new Booking.

4.6 These charges do not apply to design services or where the Customer is entitled to cancel because of the Company's breach. Early return after hire starts does not itself cancel agreed charges; any reduction will take account of costs saved or replacement bookings, and Consumer rights.

5. Private customers: cancellation and early commencement

5.1 For a Consumer Booking made online, by email or telephone, or away from the Company's business premises, the Company provides a right to cancel without a cancellation fee within 14 days after the contract is made. This right is provided even where a specific-date exemption might otherwise apply. Any longer cancellation period required by law remains available.

5.2 To cancel, send a clear statement to hire@lastlight.uk or the office address in clause 16. Sending notice before the period expires is sufficient.

5.3 If performance is requested during this period, the Company will obtain the Consumer's express request before starting. On cancellation, the Consumer may be charged only a lawful, proportionate amount for hire or Services actually supplied, where the required information and express request have been obtained. Clause 4's cancellation schedule does not apply to this cancellation.

5.4 The cancellation right ends for fully performed Services only where the Consumer expressly requested early performance and acknowledged in advance that the right would be lost upon full performance. Equipment hire is not fully performed merely because Equipment has been delivered.

5.5 The Company will refund payments, less any lawful proportionate charge, within 14 days of cancellation notice using the original payment method unless otherwise agreed, without a refund fee. The Consumer must arrange prompt return of supplied Equipment. Any lawful direct return cost payable by the Consumer, including an estimate for items not normally returnable by post, must be disclosed in the quotation before booking.

6. Hire period, delivery and transfer of risk

6.1 The Booking will state the hire start and end dates, collection or delivery times and return or collection arrangements. Extensions require the Company's written agreement and are subject to availability and the agreed additional rates.

6.2 For dry hire collected by the Customer or its appointed carrier, responsibility for loss, theft or damage begins on physical handover. For delivery arranged by the Company, it begins on physical handover to the Customer or its authorised representative at the Site. Notice that Equipment is ready for dispatch does not itself transfer risk.

6.3 Where the Company installs Equipment, the Company remains responsible for its installation work. Unless the Booking states that the Equipment remains exclusively under the Company's operation and control, the Customer's responsibility for Equipment begins on agreed handover following installation.

6.4 The Customer is not responsible for loss or damage caused by the Company's negligence or breach, or by an inherent defect or fair wear and tear. The Company remains responsible for the acts and omissions of its crew in performing Services.

6.5 The Customer must provide safe access and an authorised representative for handover. If customer-caused access problems or failed appointments lead to additional work or transport, reasonable additional charges may apply at rates disclosed in the Booking or agreed before the extra work is undertaken. The Company must explain the basis of those charges.

6.6 The Company will use reasonable care to meet agreed timings and promptly notify the Customer of likely delays. Any essential event deadline should be expressly recorded in the Booking. Nothing in this clause excludes liability for the Company's breach or limits Consumer remedies.

7. Return, collection and late return

7.1 For Customer-arranged returns, responsibility ends on physical handover back to the Company or its authorised representative. For Company-arranged collection, responsibility ends on physical handover to the Company or its appointed carrier, subject to clause 7.3.

7.2 The Customer must return all Equipment, cases, cables and accessories on time, in the condition supplied, allowing for fair wear and tear. The Company will inspect returns within a reasonable time and provide details and supporting evidence of any claimed shortages or damage.

7.3 Where collection is the Company's responsibility and Equipment is ready at the agreed time and place, no extra hire charge arises solely because the Company collects late. The Customer must take reasonable care pending collection. The Customer is not liable for loss or damage resulting from the Company's collection delay despite that reasonable care.

7.4 Where return is the Customer's responsibility, late return may incur additional hire at the extension rates stated in the Booking until return or another agreed endpoint. If no rate is stated, the Company will explain a reasonable charge based on the agreed hire rate and duration. Additional losses must be evidenced, reasonable and not duplicate hire charges.

7.5 Where Equipment is lost, irreparably damaged or not returned, replacement charges are governed by clause 9. Continuing hire or loss-of-hire charges must reflect actual, reasonable loss and end no later than the date replacement is obtained or could reasonably have been obtained. They do not continue indefinitely until an invoice is paid.

8. Equipment use and care

8.1 The Customer must use Equipment safely, competently, within its capacity and in accordance with supplied instructions. It must ensure that operators have appropriate training and that applicable safety requirements are observed.

8.2 The Customer must keep Equipment secure, protect it from unsuitable weather, moisture, heat and power supplies, and check its condition during use. Equipment must remain at the agreed Site and must not be sub-hired or transferred without written consent.

8.3 The Customer must not alter, dismantle or repair Equipment, remove identification, sell it or grant security over it. Equipment remains the property of the Company or its supplier throughout. Payment of a loss or replacement invoice does not transfer ownership unless expressly agreed.

8.4 Visible damage or shortages should be reported on handover and confirmed in writing within two working days. Faults not reasonably apparent at handover must be reported promptly on discovery. Failure to report within two days does not remove rights relating to hidden defects or Consumer statutory rights.

8.5 If Equipment becomes unsafe or develops a fault, stop using the affected Equipment, make it safe and immediately contact the Company. Do not attempt repairs without permission. The Customer is responsible for additional damage caused by knowingly continuing unsafe use.

8.6 The Customer must allow reasonable access, on reasonable notice, for inspection, maintenance, replacement or agreed recovery. In an emergency, the parties will cooperate to secure safe access. Access remains subject to law and Site safety requirements.

9. Loss, damage and insurance

9.1 The Company does not provide Equipment insurance or a damage waiver. The Customer must arrange hired-in Equipment insurance against loss, theft and accidental damage for full replacement value throughout the period for which it is responsible under clauses 6 and 7, including transit where transport is its responsibility.

9.2 The Company will provide replacement values on request and may require evidence of cover before releasing Equipment. If cover cannot be obtained, the Customer must contact the Company before confirming the Booking. A policy excess, exclusion or shortfall remains the Customer's responsibility only to the extent it is liable under these conditions.

9.3 For damage for which the Customer is responsible, the Company may charge reasonable evidenced repair costs. For loss or damage beyond economic repair, it may charge the reasonable cost of a new equivalent replacement, less any applicable salvage value and recoveries. Discontinued items will be valued by reference to a suitable equivalent, not an unavailable manufacturer list price.

9.4 The Company will not recover the same loss twice from the Customer, an insurer or any other party. Cleaning or restoration beyond ordinary use may be charged at reasonable evidenced cost. Fair wear and tear is not chargeable.

10. Breakdown and replacement

10.1 For a fault not caused by the Customer, the Company will take reasonable steps to repair or replace the affected Equipment promptly. Hire charges for unusable Equipment will be reduced for the period it is unavailable, assessed from notification or an earlier time supported by evidence. The Company bears the associated repair, replacement and transport costs.

10.2 If no suitable replacement is available, the affected part of the Booking may be ended and the unused charges refunded. This does not restrict any other remedy available by law, including where failure defeats the purpose of the Booking.

10.3 For faults caused by Customer misuse or negligence, reasonable repair and transport costs may be charged under clause 9. Any hire or loss-of-hire charge must reflect reasonable loss, avoid double recovery and be subject to the endpoint in clause 7.5.

11. Installation, crew and Site requirements

11.1 The Company will perform agreed Services with reasonable care and skill using suitably competent crew. The Booking must identify whether installation, dismantling, operation, delivery or collection is included. Services outside that scope require written agreement.

11.2 The Customer must provide accurate Site information, suitable and safe access, an appropriate working area, agreed power supplies and facilities, and permissions within its control. It must disclose relevant hazards, access restrictions, structural limitations and venue rules in advance. The Company must assess the suitability of information for the work it undertakes.

11.3 Responsibility for rigging, structural checks, electrical connections, permits and supervision must be stated in the Booking where relevant. The Company remains responsible for the safety and competence of its own work and for checks required of it by law.

11.4 Crew remain under the Company's supervision and control. The Customer may coordinate timings and requirements but must not direct unsafe work or changes outside the agreed scope. The Company may pause unsafe work, explain the concern and cooperate on a safe solution.

11.5 Customer-caused waiting time, restricted access, changed instructions or extra attendance may incur reasonable additional charges at disclosed or agreed rates. The Company will notify the Customer promptly and obtain agreement before discretionary extra work. No additional charge arises from delays caused by the Company.

11.6 The Customer must not alter an installation or use it outside its agreed limits without consent. Where Equipment will remain unattended, security and weather precautions must be agreed. The Company will explain relevant operating limits and handover instructions.

12. Liability and third-party claims

12.1 Nothing excludes or limits liability for death or personal injury caused by negligence, fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation, or any other liability that cannot lawfully be excluded or limited. The Company's obligations concerning title to Equipment and Consumer statutory rights are preserved.

12.2 For Business Customers only, and subject to clause 12.1, the Company is not liable for indirect or consequential loss, or loss of profit, revenue, business opportunity or anticipated savings. This exclusion does not excuse the Company from performing its contractual obligations.

12.3 For Business Customers only, and subject to clause 12.1, the Company's aggregate liability arising from a Booking is limited to the total Equipment hire and Services charges payable under that Booking. This limit applies only to the extent permitted by law and subject to any applicable reasonableness requirement.

12.4 For Consumers, the Company is responsible for loss or damage that is a foreseeable result of its breach or failure to use reasonable care and skill. The business exclusions and cap in clauses 12.2 and 12.3 do not apply.

12.5 A Business Customer must reimburse reasonable, evidenced third-party claims and costs to the extent directly caused by its negligence, misuse of Equipment or breach of these conditions. This obligation does not cover loss caused by the Company's negligence or breach. The Company must notify the Customer promptly, allow reasonable involvement in the response and not agree a settlement binding the Customer without its reasonable consent.

12.6 Each party must take reasonable steps to reduce loss arising from a breach. The Company does not guarantee an event's commercial outcome, but remains responsible for the Equipment and Services it agrees to supply.

13. Suspension and termination

13.1 For a material breach, including non-payment, the Company may give written notice describing the breach and a reasonable opportunity to remedy it. It may suspend or terminate the affected Booking if it is not remedied. Immediate action may be taken where necessary to address serious safety risks, unlawful use or a substantial risk of loss of Equipment.

13.2 Any termination relating to insolvency is subject to applicable law. Recovery of Equipment must use lawful access arrangements; these conditions do not authorise forced entry or entry without permission or other lawful authority.

13.3 For hire with no agreed end date, either party may end the hire on seven calendar days' written notice. Return arrangements must be agreed, and payment and risk remain governed by clauses 6 and 7. A Consumer may exercise any earlier cancellation right available under clause 5 or by law.

13.4 If the Company cancels for reasons not attributable to the Customer, it will refund charges for Equipment or Services not supplied. The Customer's other legal remedies are preserved. Sums properly due for completed performance remain payable, subject to any lawful refund or claim.

14. Events beyond reasonable control

14.1 Neither party is responsible for delay or failure caused by an event beyond its reasonable control that it could not reasonably avoid or overcome. Examples include severe weather, fire, flood, government restrictions and widespread utility failure. The affected party must notify the other promptly and take reasonable steps to reduce the impact.

14.2 The parties will discuss a suitable alternative or postponement. If the event prevents performance by an essential agreed event date, or for more than 14 days otherwise, either may end the affected part in writing. Charges for Equipment or Services not supplied will be refunded; amounts for work already performed remain payable only to the extent permitted by law. Clause 4's cancellation schedule does not automatically apply. Consumer rights are preserved.

15. General provisions

15.1 Notices may be sent by email to the contact details in the Booking. Changes require written agreement. If a provision is unenforceable, the remaining provisions continue to apply so far as legally possible. A delay in enforcing a right does not waive it.

15.2 These conditions are governed by the law of England and Wales. Business Customers submit to the courts of England and Wales. Consumers retain any mandatory protections and rights to bring proceedings in the courts available to them by law.

16. Company details and cancellation contact

LastLight Design Ltd
Registered office: 50 St. Mary's Road, Hemel Hempstead, HP2 5HL, UK
Office, warehouse and postal cancellation address: LastLight Design Ltd, Unit 12 Glenmore Business Park, Langford Locks, Kidlington, Oxfordshire, OX5 1GL, UK
Email: hire@lastlight.uk
Telephone: 01865 638938

17. Design services

17.1 The quotation will identify the design brief, intended use, final deliverables, file formats, project stages, included revision rounds and any agreed deadlines. Editable source files, working files, unused concepts and specialist engineering or certification are included only where expressly stated. No particular number of revisions is implied if none is stated; this must be agreed before work begins.

17.2 The Customer must provide an accurate brief, relevant Site information, content and feedback, and obtain permissions for materials it supplies. It grants the Company permission to use those materials solely to perform the Booking. The Company must exercise reasonable care in its own work and raise apparent inconsistencies requiring clarification.

17.3 The Company will submit work for review at the agreed stages. The Customer must check it against the agreed brief and provide consolidated feedback or approval in writing. Silence does not constitute approval. Approval does not waive hidden defects, the Company's duty of care or Consumer rights.

17.4 Revisions within the agreed brief and included allowance are covered by the quoted fee. Changes to the brief, extra revision rounds or changes to approved work may require a further quotation and revised timetable. The Company will explain and obtain written agreement to additional charges before undertaking extra work. Correcting the Company's failure to meet the agreed brief is not an additional paid revision.

17.5 The Company will use reasonable care to meet agreed design milestones and promptly explain likely delays. Timings depend on timely information, feedback and approvals, but essential deadlines must be recorded in the Booking. Delays or changes beyond reasonable control are dealt with under clause 14; no blanket exclusion of responsibility for the Company's own breach applies.

17.6 On cancellation of design services, the Customer must notify the Company in writing. Subject to clause 5 and any right to cancel for the Company's breach, it must pay for work properly performed up to cancellation, valued at agreed stage prices or rates, and reasonable unavoidable third-party commitments made for the design work. Charges will not exceed the agreed design price, will reflect costs saved and recoveries, and will not duplicate hire cancellation charges. Advance payments are credited against the charge and any surplus refunded within 14 days of confirming the final amount. Clause 4's percentage schedule does not apply to design fees.

17.7 Copyright and other intellectual property in the Company's original design work remain with the Company, including after payment, unless a separate written assignment is agreed. Intellectual property belonging to the Customer or third parties remains with its respective owner. The Company will obtain the rights needed to grant the licence described below for its supplied work.

17.8 After full payment of the relevant design fees, the Customer receives a non-exclusive, perpetual licence to use the final Design Deliverables for the intended purpose identified in the Booking. This includes sharing them with contractors to implement that purpose, but does not permit resale, unrelated reuse or a separate commercial licence to others without written agreement. Before payment, drafts may be reviewed and shared for project approval; operational use requires written permission. Third-party materials are subject to disclosed licence restrictions. Liability and Consumer protections remain governed by clause 12.

18. Confidentiality and portfolio use

18.1 Each party must keep confidential the other's non-public commercial, technical and personal information and use it only for the Booking. Information may be shared with staff, advisers and contractors who need it and are subject to appropriate confidentiality obligations. Disclosure is also permitted where required by law. Information already public without breach, lawfully obtained elsewhere or independently developed is excluded. These duties continue after the Booking ends.

18.2 Subject to confidentiality, permissions and data protection requirements, the Company may photograph or record its work and use completed, publicly released work in its portfolio, website and social media. It will respect any written embargo or agreed restriction. It will not publish confidential material or imply the Customer's endorsement without permission.

18.3 For private or domestic projects, the Company will obtain the Customer's express written permission before public portfolio or social media use. Permission from the Customer does not replace permissions required from photographers, venues, identifiable individuals or other rights holders. Appropriate permissions must be obtained before publication.