hiring goods

(for Scotland)

Enter your postcode in the field at the bottom of this page to see if your local authority trading standards department has the full leaflet version available on its website. 

You have basically the same rights when hiring goods as you do when buying goods and there are both the civil and criminal law aspects associated with hiring goods. When you hire goods you can expect that any goods you hire will be as described, of satisfactory quality and fit for the purpose. You also have the right to expect that goods you hire are safe.

This gives you details of all the aspects of law covering the hire of goods whether it be car hire, tool hire or even such an item as a wedding dress. It suggests ways in safeguarding yourself by using a credit card to protect your rights even further.

You, as the hirer of goods, also have certain responsibilities. You have a duty to take reasonable care of the goods you hire, comply with the terms of the agreement, not to do something to, or with the goods, that you shouldn’t. And of course you must give the goods back at the end of the hire period.