Renting equipment is a modern convenience that has actually become a necessity in tough economic times. It allows people with little access to heavy-duty machinery to nonetheless get tough tasks around their home, yard, business, or property done with an efficiency that would otherwise be impossible to procure.

Yet there are certainly risks when it comes to renting equipment, and these risks are a direct result of how equipment rental agreements are constructed. That’s why it’s so important not only to understand these agreements, but to know how they can be breached – so that you can avoid doing so if possible.

How can they breached? Well, you’ll never know until you read through the agreement – and read through the rest of this article as well:

Security Deposit

For many people, the prospect of “breaching” an equipment rental agreement really isn’t that daunting because they simply know that they’ll lose an amount – or all – of their security deposit. Of course, if you don’t plan on losing any money anytime soon – at least, not more than you need to – then you’ll definitely want to make sure that you read through the agreement to know what comes out of it. Then, as you use the equipment, simply try to avoid those mistakes.

Of course, the security deposit portion of the equipment rental agreement is there because people do make mistakes. And even though it’s not your intention to do so, you might find that one mistake could breach the entire agreement entirely. It’s best to avoid that.

Avoiding a Total Agreement Breach

If you’re going to find out what breaches your agreement, you’re going to need to look for the most hard-hitting sections of the equipment rental contract you’ve signed or are about to sign. These provisions are often identified as indemnification, “binding effect of the agreement,” and/or “notices.” The assumption of rights and assumption of obligations might also have pertinent information that you’ll want to familiarize yourself with.

How will you know what constitutes an agreement breach? The contract itself will tell you – and if it doesn’t, then you’ll likely have less to worry about. But make sure that you read through these heavy-hitting provisions (twice, if necessary) in order to know what you’re up against.

Also note that since we don’t know what equipment you plan on renting, we can’t tell you exactly what you need to know in order to avoid a breach of agreement. This is why you’ll want to read through every contract you sign.

Use the Equipment Properly

One of the best ways to ensure that you’re going to avoid a breach of the agreement is to use the equipment properly. There are usually two ways to ensure that this is happening.

First, you need to be using the equipment for its intended purpose. Even if you know how to use a chainsaw, for example, you might breach the agreement if you break the chainsaw while taking the chainsaw to your neighbor’s car. Sure, that’s an extreme example, but you get the essential point.

Second, make sure that you are using the equipment properly. If you need help with this, be sure to see if there’s someone who can help teach you at the place of business you’re renting the equipment from.