Rental Policies
Clear expectations make events easier.
Reservation and payment
A 25% deposit reserves the selected event date and equipment. The initial checkout does not collect the remaining balance. The remaining 75% is due three days before the rental starts (the requested pickup or delivery date) and is sent as an emailed invoice with a secure payment page at that time. If you book three or fewer days before your rental starts, the remaining-balance invoice is sent right after your deposit is confirmed and is due on receipt.
Separate card authorization hold
New rentals require a separate $200 standard or $400 large-package card authorization hold, once per order regardless of rental days. The exact tier is disclosed when booking; the owner may select only $200 or $400 for custom orders before separate customer acceptance. The hold is authorized near pickup or delivery after explicit rental-specific consent and secure card authentication, not collected as rental payment. It affects available card funds without transferring them to Claus Rentals; the bank controls release timing. No issue means cancellation of the authorization with no charge or release fee. Only documented actual damage or missing-item repair/replacement costs, excluding ordinary wear, may be captured after documented advance itemized notice delivery and owner confirmation; customer acknowledgment is optional and not a fault admission, up to the authorized hold; partial capture releases the remainder. Costs above the hold require a separate customer agreement/invoice, never an automatic additional charge. Card authorization expires at the issuer's actual deadline; long rentals may need fresh explicit authorization without stacked holds. Replacement values are documentation only. Full rental payment, applicable approved ID, a current authorized hold and signed equipment handoff are required before release. Existing accepted rental terms are not changed; existing customers must separately accept any new hold agreement.
Payment processing
Claus Rentals does not currently charge any card surcharge. You pay only the prices shown. If we ever add one, it would apply only to eligible credit cards where the law and card rules allow it, and never to debit or prepaid cards. It would be no more than 3% (or a lower limit if one applies) and no more than what card processing actually costs us. You would see the exact amount and your total before you pay, and you could choose a different payment method instead. It would appear as a separate "Credit card processing surcharge" line on your receipt and be refunded in proportion to any refund. It would never be added to a reservation already accepted under earlier terms.
Rental period
Each rental day is a 24-hour period. You choose the number of rental days and a requested pickup or delivery start time; the requested return is that start plus 24 hours for each rental day (for example, 3 days from Friday 10:00 AM returns Monday 10:00 AM). Equipment is priced per rental day at the same daily rate, including package and multi-item pricing; delivery, pickup and placement fees are charged once per order. Requested times are not final until Claus Rentals confirms them with you after booking. We call or text about 30 minutes before a scheduled pickup, delivery, return or collection. Picking up later than the confirmed time does not extend the return deadline unless Claus Rentals approves it. If Claus Rentals arrives late to collect equipment, the renter is never charged a late fee for that delay.
Renter identity and residence
Every rental requires the renter's full legal name and physical U.S. residential address (no PO boxes), entered before the deposit is paid, and a clear photo of the front of the renter's current U.S. driver's license, uploaded through the secure link provided after the deposit is paid. The legal name and residential address must match the license; a delivery event address may be different. Claus Rentals reviews the license by hand and releases equipment (pickup handoff or delivery) only after the ID is verified. Claus Rentals may contact the renter to request a clearer photo or corrected details. The photo is stored privately and deleted 30 days after the equipment is returned.
Cancellation
The 25% reservation deposit is non-refundable. It holds your equipment for a specific date, so cancelling releases the date but does not return the deposit. Rescheduling requests are reviewed based on notice given and equipment availability.
Equipment care
Equipment must be protected from rain, kept clean, and secured overnight. The renter is responsible for loss, missing items, and damage beyond ordinary use. Electrical appliances such as the slow cooker and coffee brewers must be unplugged and allowed to cool before cleaning, returned emptied, cleaned and dry, and their electrical base must never be submerged in water.
Delivery and access
Standard delivery is to an accessible driveway, garage, or ground-level staging area. Clear and safe access is required. Delivery requires at least $135 in equipment per rental day; pickup orders have no minimum. Delivery and later collection fees are charged once by the distance band the renter selects and declares accurate (up to 10 miles $35, 11-15 miles $50, 16-20 miles $50, 21-30 miles $75, 31-40 miles $100, over 40 miles by quote). Standard delivery and collection are free within 15 road miles of Howell when equipment is $200 or more per rental day; tablecloths, delivery and placement do not count toward that amount, and additional rental days do not combine to reach it. Claus Rentals confirms the distance with the renter; if the actual distance falls in a different band, the fee may be adjusted before delivery. Placement ($1 per table, $0.50 per chair) is extra and available only when added to the order.
Optional tablecloths
Tablecloths (120-inch round for 60-inch round tables; 90 x 132-inch rectangular for 6-foot tables) are optional and never added unless you select them. Fabric cloths are $12 per table and disposable plastic covers (120-inch round, approximately 30-inch drop reaching the floor on a 29-inch-high 60-inch table; 54 x 108-inch rectangular, not floor-length) are $4 per table, each charged once per order (not per rental day), are not included in table or package prices, and do not count toward the delivery equipment minimum. Tablecloths are yours to keep and are not returned. They are ordered for your event and confirmed after booking; if we cannot supply the color or quantity you chose, the tablecloth charge is removed or refunded.
Returns
All rental equipment must be returned in the condition received and at the confirmed time. Customer-kept tablecloths are excluded from the return. Additional charges may apply for late, missing, excessively dirty, or damaged items.