Community hall rental agreement checklist

A community hall is often an association's steadiest income and its biggest source of headaches. Most problems, like the party that ran two hours late, the deposit argument, or the broken table nobody owned up to, trace back to an agreement that didn't say clearly what was expected. Use this checklist to review yours.

1. The parties and the booking

• Legal names of the association and the renter, with the renter's phone and email.
• The responsible adult who must be present for the whole event, if different from the renter.
• Which space: main hall, kitchen, meeting room, stage, parking lot.
• The date and the full booking window, including set-up and clean-up time, not just the event hours. Most disputes are about the last hour.
• The purpose of the event and the expected number of guests.
• Member and non-member rates, if you offer them, and how membership is checked.

2. Fees, deposits and cancellations

• Rental fee, how it's calculated (hourly, half-day, day) and when it's due.
• GST, if your association is registered and charges it.
• Damage deposit: the amount, how it's held, what it covers (cleaning, damage, overtime, lost keys) and when it's returned.
• Overtime: what you charge if the renter stays past the booking window.
• Cancellation: refund amounts by notice period, and what happens if the association has to cancel (for example, a facility emergency).
• Payment method: card, e-transfer, cheque. Keep the receipt with the booking.

3. Insurance and liability

• Event liability insurance: whether the renter must carry it, the minimum limit your insurer recommends, and whether the association must be named as an additional insured.
• Proof of insurance due a set number of days before the event.
• Responsibility for guests: the renter is responsible for the conduct and safety of their guests.
• Damage: the renter pays for damage beyond normal wear, above the deposit if needed.
• A signed waiver where your insurer requires one, especially for bouncy castles, sports or kids' activities.

4. Alcohol

• Whether alcohol is allowed at all, and in which spaces.
• A liquor licence when alcohol is served. In Alberta, AGLC says you need a private special event licence (SEL) to sell or provide liquor at private events like weddings, family reunions or birthdays, or at public events like festivals or beer gardens. Ask for a copy before the event.
• Who serves, and any training requirement your insurer sets.
• A higher deposit or extra insurance for events with alcohol, if your board decides so.
• End time for service, earlier than the end of the booking.

5. Capacity, safety and accessibility

• Maximum occupancy for each room, as posted in the hall, and a commitment not to exceed it.
• Fire exits kept clear and unlocked; no blocking doors with tables or decorations.
• Prohibited items: open flames, fog machines, confetti, glitter, tape on walls, whatever your hall bans.
• Kitchen use: what's included, what must be cleaned, and any food safety rules.
• Emergency contacts: who the renter calls if the power fails, a pipe leaks or the alarm goes off.
• Accessible entrance and washroom information, so renters can plan for guests.

6. Noise and neighbours

• Quiet hours. In Calgary, the City's noise rules treat 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. Monday to Saturday, and 10 p.m. to 9 a.m. on Sundays and holidays, as night-time. Set music to end before then, or earlier if your neighbours expect it.
• Doors and windows closed when music is playing.
• Parking: where guests may park, and that they must not block neighbours' driveways.
• Leaving quietly, especially late at night.

7. Keys, door codes and clean-up

• How the renter gets in: key pick-up and return, or a door code that works only during the booking window.
• A fresh code for each booking, changed afterwards, so codes don't circulate.
• The clean-up list: tables and chairs put away, floors swept, garbage and recycling out, kitchen wiped, lights off, doors locked.
• An inspection after the event, with photos, before the deposit is returned.
• Lost-key or lock-out charges, if any.

8. Privacy and records

• What personal information you collect from renters and why. Alberta's Personal Information Protection Act applies to non-profits for their commercial activities, which can include renting out a hall.
• Where the signed agreement is stored, and for how long.
• Who on the board can see renter details.

9. Signing

• Signatures and date from the renter and an authorized person for the association.
• The hall rules attached or linked, and acknowledged.
• Electronic signature is fine for most rental agreements and makes the paper chase disappear; make sure you keep a copy.

Making the process run itself

A good agreement only helps if every renter actually signs it, pays the deposit and gets the right instructions. That's where most halls fall down: a booking request by email, an agreement sent as a PDF, an e-transfer to match, a key handed over in a parking lot.

In PartOf, renters pick a half-hour slot on your website, pay the rental fee and deposit into your own Stripe account, and e-sign the rental agreement and waiver before the booking is confirmed. On the morning of the booking, they get an email with that day's door code. The booking, the signed agreement and the payment stay together on one record. See hall bookings in PartOf.

Sources

• AGLC: Liquor licences for private special events
• City of Calgary: Noise in non-residential developments (daytime and night-time hours)