A bounce house rental contract is the written agreement between the inflatable rental company and the customer that fixes who pays what, who supervises the unit, who is on the hook if something breaks or someone gets hurt, and what happens when the weather turns. A good one covers identifying details, pricing and deposits, safety and supervision rules, setup and anchoring, liability and insurance, damage charges, weather and cancellation terms, and any permits the venue requires. Below is what each of those sections should actually say.
Parties and Setup Location
Start with the full legal name of the renter, a working phone number, an email address, and the event date. If the booking is for a school, church, HOA, or other organization, name both the entity and the individual signing. That person is the point of contact and the one legally bound.
A street address isn’t enough for the setup location. The contract should identify the specific setup spot, the surface (grass, concrete, asphalt, dirt), and any access issues like locked gates or narrow side yards. Anchoring method depends on surface, and a sloped driveway where a flat lawn was promised can stop a setup cold. If the company runs a fleet, list the specific unit by model name and dimensions.
Rental Window, Pricing, and Payment
Most rentals run four to eight hours. The contract should state the start and end times and the overtime rate, which typically falls between $50 and $200 per hour when the unit stays past pickup.
Itemize every charge: base rental fee, delivery and pickup, and sales tax. Base rentals for a standard unit generally run $200 to $400, with larger combo units and obstacle courses higher. Delivery fees usually cover a set radius before per-mile charges kick in. Tax treatment varies by state. In many states, renting tangible personal property is taxable, but when the company also provides an operator who controls the equipment, some states treat the transaction as a nontaxable service. Show tax as a separate line.
A non-refundable deposit, usually 25 to 50 percent of the total, holds the date. The balance is typically due 48 hours before delivery or at setup. Spell out accepted payment methods, when each payment is due, and the consequence of a late payment, whether a flat fee or a daily percentage.
Supervision, Occupancy, and Prohibited Items
This is where day-of responsibility shifts to the renter. The contract should require at least one adult supervisor stationed at the inflatable whenever it’s in use. The CPSC recommends one attendant for standard bounce houses and small slides under 15 feet tall, and two attendants for large slides over 15 feet.1U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. Amusement Ride Safety Bulletin Either name the supervisor in the contract or require the renter to designate one before setup.
Occupancy limits come from the manufacturer. State both the maximum number of riders and the weight capacity for the specific model. Many contracts also prohibit adults and small children from bouncing together, or require separate sessions by age, because mixing sizes is where most injuries happen.
List prohibited items clearly: shoes, eyeglasses, jewelry, sharp objects, gum, food, and drinks inside the unit. Silly string deserves its own line, because its chemicals permanently discolor and damage vinyl, and most renters don’t know that. Naming silly string and attaching a specific damage fee gives the company a clean path to recovery rather than an argument.
Setup, Anchoring, and Power
Say who handles setup and teardown. Usually the company’s crew installs the unit, and the renter is responsible for a clear, accessible site free of debris, pet waste, and sprinkler heads. A flat area with at least six feet of clearance on all sides keeps riders away from fences, walls, and trees.
Anchoring is non-negotiable outdoors. The CPSC directs operators to anchor inflatables at every manufacturer-specified tie-down point, with stakes driven at least 75 percent of their length into the ground; stake lengths typically range from 30 to 42 inches depending on the surface.1U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. Amusement Ride Safety Bulletin On hard surfaces, sandbags or ground weights replace stakes. The contract should bar the renter from moving or tampering with any anchor once installed.
Power is the detail most often missed. Standard blowers run on 115 to 120 volts and draw 7 to 14 amps depending on the unit. A dedicated 20-amp circuit is safest, though a small 1-HP blower can sometimes run on a 15-amp circuit that isn’t shared with other appliances. Extension cords should be 12-gauge, no longer than 50 feet, and routed where no one will trip. State whether the renter or the company supplies power, and whether a generator rental is available if no outdoor outlet is reachable. For larger units or multi-unit setups needing 2,000 watts or more, a generator is often the only workable option.
Liability Waivers and Indemnification
Two clauses carry most of the legal weight: a hold-harmless and indemnification provision, and an assumption-of-risk waiver.
A hold-harmless clause requires the renter to cover the company’s legal costs if someone at the event is injured and sues the company. That includes attorney fees, settlements, and judgments tied to how the equipment was used during the rental period. It protects the company against claims rooted in the renter’s own negligence, like failing to supervise or ignoring the posted weight limit. Enforceable versions carve out an exception for the company’s gross negligence or willful misconduct, because courts in nearly every state refuse to enforce blanket waivers that let a company escape liability for reckless conduct.
An assumption-of-risk provision has every participant, or a parent signing for a minor, acknowledge that bouncing carries a real chance of injury. Sprained ankles, collisions, and falls are inherent to the activity, and the signer accepts those risks. For the waiver to hold up, it must be written in plain language an ordinary person can understand at signing. Vague, buried, or overly broad language is the fastest way to get a release thrown out. Name the types of injuries that can occur and state plainly that the signer is giving up the right to sue for them.
Events involving children need a separate parental consent and waiver section. Some states set statutory requirements for how minor waivers must be formatted, including font size and mandatory notice language. Whether a parent can waive a child’s future claims varies significantly by state, so this is one of the clauses most worth running past a local attorney.
Insurance and Certificates of Coverage
Address insurance on both sides. Most professional rental companies carry commercial general liability coverage, and the industry standard is $1 million per occurrence and $2 million in aggregate. State whether the company’s policy covers incidents during the rental period and what it does not cover.
Many venues (parks, schools, churches, HOA common areas) require a certificate of insurance before any inflatable goes up. Some require the venue to be named as an additional insured, giving the venue the right to file a claim under the company’s policy if an on-site incident becomes a lawsuit. The contract should say whether the renter or the company handles venue permits and insurance documentation. Adding additional insured status can take a few business days, so set a deadline for the renter to request it.
Clarify what happens with the renter’s homeowner’s or renter’s insurance. Some homeowner’s policies exclude inflatable amusement devices entirely, which leaves a gap most renters never knew existed. A short disclosure telling the renter to check their own policy prevents a nasty surprise after an injury.
Damage, Cleaning, and Security Deposits
Normal wear from a day of bouncing is expected. Tears, burns, permanent stains, broken zippers, and structural damage are not. Define that line so the renter knows the standard.
Cleaning fees for excessive dirt, food residue, or bodily fluids typically run $50 to $200. List those as specific charges rather than leaving them to the company’s discretion after the fact. For major damage or total loss from theft or vandalism, impose full replacement value liability, with the replacement cost stated in the agreement so the renter sees the exposure before signing.
Some companies collect a separate refundable security deposit at booking and return it after the unit comes back in acceptable condition. Others build damage protection into the base price or offer an optional damage waiver for an added fee. Whichever model the contract uses, describe the inspection process: when it happens, who conducts it, and how quickly the renter will be notified of damage charges. A 48-hour post-return inspection window is common.
Weather and Cancellation Terms
Weather is the most common reason a booking falls apart, and the contract needs specifics rather than vague promises. Wind is the biggest safety concern. The CPSC advises that any inflatable should be unloaded and deflated when wind exceeds 25 miles per hour.1U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. Amusement Ride Safety Bulletin Many companies set a lower operational threshold of 15 miles per hour in their contracts, requiring evacuation and shutoff until conditions improve. State the specific wind speed that triggers shutdown.
Rain, extreme cold, and lightning each deserve a clause. Some companies deliver and set up in light rain but won’t inflate; others cancel outright on a wet forecast. Say who makes the weather call and when that decision is final.
Weather cancellation terms should cover three scenarios: cancellation before delivery, cancellation after setup but before significant use, and early shutdown once the event is underway. A common structure gives a full reschedule or credit if the company cancels before delivery, a reschedule for events cut short within the first two hours of operation, and no refund once the unit has been operational for two or more hours. Customer-initiated weather cancellations often require 24-hour notice to qualify for a deposit refund. Spell out each scenario.
For non-weather cancellations, the deposit is almost always non-refundable. Some companies offer credit toward a future booking if the customer cancels with enough lead time, but that’s a business decision, not a legal requirement. State the cancellation deadline and what the customer forfeits.
Permits and Industry Standards
Depending on the location, local rules may require permits, inspections, or registration for inflatable amusement devices. Some municipalities treat bounce houses like temporary amusement rides and require the operator to register the device, show proof of liability insurance, and pass a safety inspection. Other jurisdictions have no specific regulations. The contract should put the burden of researching local permit requirements on one party and name that party clearly. Private backyard events usually involve minimal local rules. Public parks, school grounds, and commercial venues tend to have more, sometimes backed by fines.
Industry safety standards also matter contractually. ASTM F2374 governs the design, manufacture, operation, and maintenance of inflatable amusement devices, covering anchoring system specifications and impact-absorbing materials at entry and exit points.2ASTM International. Inflatable Amusements Standard Updated A clause confirming that the equipment complies with ASTM F2374 gives the renter documented assurance that the unit meets recognized benchmarks and gives the company a defensible position if compliance is ever questioned after an incident.
Signatures and the Pre-Use Walkthrough
Both parties sign before the blower turns on. Electronic signature platforms create a timestamped record that’s harder to dispute than a paper form, but either method works as long as the renter receives a complete copy of the signed agreement. For in-person signings, get the signature before the unit is fully inflated. Once kids see a bounce house going up, nobody is reading fine print.
A short walkthrough with the renter closes the loop: confirm the anchors are secure, point out the blower and power cord, review the emergency shutoff, and show where the occupancy limit and safety rules are posted on the unit. Confirm the renter’s phone will be reachable during the event for weather calls or early pickup. Five minutes here eliminates most post-event disputes over the condition of the equipment at delivery.