Home/Policies/Equipment Care

Equipment Care & Damage Policy

Look after the gear,
and the gear looks after you

We keep our prices honest so a normal family can throw an unreal party. The trade is simple: treat our kit like it's the last one on earth, because for the family booking next weekend, it is. Here's exactly how we check it, what it costs if it's wrecked, and how we keep it fair on both sides.

2 checks

Setup and pre-pack-down

Photo + video

Attached to your booking

+25%

Admin fee on damage costs

The deal, straight up

Club Air is a family business out of Western Sydney. Every tent, speaker, laser and smoke machine we own was bought with our own money, and it goes out to a different backyard nearly every weekend. The reason we can keep the price where it is, instead of charging venue money, is that the gear keeps coming home in one piece.

So far our customers have been absolute legends and our luck has held. We'd like to keep it that way, so from now on every hire includes a proper condition check, on camera, signed by you. Nothing sneaky, nothing hidden. You see what we see.

This page sits alongside our Terms & Conditions, which you agree to when you book. Where this page explains something in plain English, the Terms & Conditions are the legal version, and they apply to every hire.

How the check works

Same idea as a rental property condition report. Takes about five minutes, saves everybody a headache.

1. We roll in and set up

Tent pegged, lights hung, speakers wired, smoke machine primed. Everything gets tested in front of you.

2. Photos and video, before the party

Our crew walks the whole setup on camera, tent walls, floor, lights, speakers, smoke machine, cables. Time-stamped and attached to your booking, exactly like a rental property condition report.

3. You do the walkthrough with us

You look at the same gear we just filmed. Anything already marked, scuffed or dodgy gets noted then and there, so it's never pinned on you later.

4. Tick and sign

You tick that you agree with the condition report and sign it on the spot. That signed report is the baseline for the whole hire.

5. Have the best night of your life

Genuinely. Dance on the dance floor, not on the speakers. That's the only rule that really matters.

6. Pre-pack-down check

Before a single peg comes out, we check the speakers, lights and smoke machine are all still working, then film the same walkthrough again.

7. All good? Done and dusted.

Matches the setup video, nothing owing, we wave goodbye and go home happy. That's how it's gone every time so far.

On a dry hire, the responsible adult who signed the agreement is the one doing both walkthroughs with us and signing the condition report. Whoever's name is on the booking is responsible for the gear all night, including what their guests get up to.

House rules

Please do

Keep drinks and food off the DJ gear and speakers
Shoes off any inflatable surface if we ask
No smoking or vapes inside the tent, ever
Keep the smoke machine where we put it
No climbing, hanging or sitting on the tent walls
Tell us straight away if something breaks

Absolutely don't

No sparklers, candles, fireworks or open flame near the tent
No confetti cannons, silly string, spray paint or glitter bombs inside
No moving the speakers, lights or blower yourself
No unplugging or 'fixing' the wiring
No pulling out or repositioning anchor stakes
No letting guests inside once we've called a shutdown

No surprises

Replacement and repair costs

If something is damaged beyond normal wear and tear, lost, or doesn't come back, this is what it costs to put it right. Repairs are charged at actual repair cost where a repair is possible, capped at the replacement price below. A 25% administration fee is added to the total.

Item	Replacement cost
Inflatable nightclub tent, full replacement	$14,000
Tent panel repair or professional patch	From $650, depending on damage
Blower / fan unit	$650
JBL PartyBox speaker (each)	$2,000
DJ controller / mixer	$800
Wireless microphone	$180
Laser / moving head light (each)	$320
LED par light (each)	$120
Disco ball and motor	$150
Smoke machine	$350
Smoke fluid, replacement bottle	$40
Lighting stand / truss	$220
Extension lead or power board	$60
Steel anchor stake (each)	$25
Ground tarp / floor mat	$400
Deep clean, vomit, paint, glitter bombs, permanent marker	$250
Kestrel wind meter	$400
Administration fee	25% of total

Worked example: a JBL PartyBox is dropped and stops working. Replacement $2,000, plus 25% admin fee of $500, total $2,500. You get the setup and pack-down footage with the invoice so you can see exactly what changed. Prices are in AUD and include GST where applicable, and may be updated from time to time, the prices shown on this page on the date of your hire are the ones that apply.

The point of all this

So the next family gets the same night you did

We're not trying to catch anyone out. We're trying to make sure the tent that lands in a Penrith backyard on Saturday is the same tent, in the same nick, that lands in Parramatta the weekend after. Look after it, sign the report, dance your head off, and we'll keep doing what we do at a price that doesn't hurt.

Read the Terms & Conditions Ask us anything

Fair questions

Why are you doing photos and videos now?

Because it protects both of us. If the gear comes back exactly as it went out, the video proves it and there's nothing to argue about. If something's been trashed, we're not guessing who did what. It's the same condition report a landlord does at move-in, just with better music.

What counts as normal wear and tear?

Scuffs, dust, grass, spilled drinks, a bit of party grime. That's a party doing what a party does and we clean it as part of the job. Damage is different: rips, burns, snapped fittings, water damage, gear that no longer works, or a mess that needs a specialist clean.

What's the 25% admin fee for?

Sourcing and buying the replacement, freight, testing and tagging it, and the bookings we have to knock back while the gear is out of action. It's charged at 25% of the total replacement or repair cost, on top of that cost.

How do I pay if something's damaged?

We show you the setup and pack-down footage, itemise it against the list on this page, add the 25% admin fee and email you an invoice. Payment terms are in our Terms & Conditions.

What if something breaks and it isn't our fault?

Gear fails sometimes, that's on us, not you. If a light or a speaker dies of natural causes we wear it. You're only up for damage caused by misuse, negligence or your guests going feral.

Do you keep the photos and videos?

Yes, attached to your booking. We keep them long enough to close out the hire and any claim, then they go. They're never posted anywhere without your say-so. See our Privacy Policy.

This policy forms part of your hire agreement with Club Air Hire and should be read with our Terms & Conditions, Wind Policy and Privacy Policy.