Most "appliance rental agreement templates" online were written by people who have never bolted a washer into a third-floor apartment. They're missing the clauses you only learn to want after a renter self-moves your dryer to a new city, or after a pickup truck ride home with a machine full of roaches.
This is the agreement we use on our own fleet, genericized so you can adapt it. Every clause has a note explaining why it's there. It's free — the form below emails you a formatted, fill-in-the-blanks copy.
Email me the editable copy
Washer & Dryer Rental Agreement
This Equipment Rental Agreement (the “Agreement”) is entered into on DATE between YOUR BUSINESS NAME of CITY, STATE (“Owner”) and RENTER NAME (“Renter”), whose delivery address is INSTALL ADDRESS (the “Premises”).
1. Equipment
Owner agrees to rent to Renter the equipment listed below (the “Equipment”), each item with the replacement value shown: EQUIPMENT LIST — make, model, serial, replacement value .
The Equipment is delivered to and installed at the Premises by Owner. At delivery, Owner will record the condition of the Equipment (including photographs), and that record is the agreed baseline for its condition. The Equipment is and remains Owner’s personal property, is not a fixture, and does not become part of the Premises regardless of how it is connected.
Operator's note: Two things earn their place here. The replacement value, because Section 10 charges it and a number a renter never saw is a number you will argue about. And “not a fixture”, because that single phrase is what stops a landlord or a lender treating your washer as part of the building.
2. Term
This Agreement begins on START DATE and has a minimum term of 3 month(s) (the “Minimum Term”). After the Minimum Term it continues month-to-month until either party gives the other at least 30 days’ written notice. If Renter ends this Agreement, or Owner ends it for Renter’s default, before the Minimum Term is complete, Renter will pay an early termination fee of $150 in addition to amounts due through pickup. The parties agree this fee is a reasonable estimate of Owner’s delivery, installation, and recovery costs and is not a penalty.
Operator's note: Keep the minimum short. A long initial term can pull a household rental into federal consumer-lease territory with mandatory disclosures — see the Reg M note in the FAQ. And say the fee is an estimate of real costs, not a penalty: penalties are what courts strike out.
3. Rent, Deposit and Fees
Renter agrees to pay rent of $AMOUNT per month, due on the DAY of each month. The first payment is due at delivery. It consists of the refundable security deposit of $AMOUNT , the one-time delivery and installation fee of $AMOUNT , and rent for the days between delivery and the first DAY , charged pro rata at the monthly rate. Full monthly rent is charged on the DAY from then on.
After the Minimum Term, Owner may change the monthly rent on at least 30 days’ written notice. Renter may end this Agreement before the change takes effect without paying an early termination fee.
Owner may apply the deposit to unpaid rent, late fees, damage beyond normal wear, cleaning or sanitising costs, relocation fees, missed-appointment fees, and any other amount owed. The balance is returned within 30 days after the Equipment is recovered (or any shorter period your state requires), with an itemised statement of deductions.
Operator's note: The rent-change clause is the one operators forget, and then eat three years of inflation on a machine they still have to service. Pair it with the free exit — a price rise nobody can walk away from is the kind of term that gets read narrowly.
4. Payment Authorization
Renter authorises Owner to charge the payment method on file automatically for rent on each due date, and for late fees, returned-payment fees, early termination fees, relocation fees, missed-appointment fees, cleaning costs, repair costs for damage beyond normal wear, and the replacement value of Equipment that is lost, stolen, or not returned, as those amounts fall due. Before charging anything other than rent, Owner will send an itemised notice. Renter agrees to keep a valid payment method on file at all times. A returned-payment fee of $25 applies to any payment declined or reversed. Renter may cancel automatic payments by written notice and paying by another accepted method on or before each due date.
Renter initials: ____
Operator's note: Separately initialled on purpose. An authorization to charge a card for things that are not the monthly rent is exactly what a renter later says they never agreed to, and “it was in the contract they signed” is a weaker answer than their initials beside it.
5. Late Payment and Default
Renter has 5 day(s) after the due date before a payment is late. A late fee of $25 may be applied to each late payment, and unpaid amounts accrue interest at the maximum rate the law allows. If rent is unpaid for 14 days past the due date, or Renter breaches any other term and does not cure it within 7 days of written notice, Renter is in default. On default Owner may terminate by written notice, and Renter must make the Equipment available for pickup within 7 days. Renter agrees to give Owner access for pickup; refusing is a further breach. Owner will not enter the Premises without Renter’s consent or lawful authority. Renter agrees to pay reasonable costs of collection, including agency fees, court costs, and attorney’s fees.
Operator's note: Note the sentence promising you will not enter without consent. It costs you nothing — you were never going to — and it is the line that keeps the whole clause looking reasonable to a judge instead of like a self-help repossession threat.
6. Ownership and Assignment
The Equipment remains Owner’s property at all times. Renter acquires no ownership interest by making payments, and may not sell, sublease, lend, pledge, or encumber it or allow any lien to attach. Renter authorises Owner to file any notice or financing statement Owner considers appropriate to give public notice of ownership. Owner may assign this Agreement or its right to payment without consent; Renter may not.
Operator's note: The assignment line matters more than it looks. If you ever sell the business, or borrow against the contracts, this is the clause that makes them transferable.
7. Premises, Landlord and Relocation
Renter represents they have the right to have the Equipment installed at the Premises and, if they do not own it, the landlord’s permission. Renter will notify Owner in writing at least 14 days before moving out. If Renter moves, is evicted, or otherwise gives up possession while the Equipment is there, Renter authorises Owner to contact the landlord or property manager to arrange recovery. The Equipment may not be moved from the Premises, or to another spot within it, by anyone but Owner. Owner will relocate it on request for $75 plus any rent adjustment. Moving it without consent is a breach, ends Owner’s service obligation for resulting damage, and makes Renter responsible for all resulting loss.
Operator's note: The landlord-contact authorization is the single most useful clause in this document. When a renter vanishes mid-eviction, the property manager is the only person who can get you into the unit, and they will ask what gives you the right to be there.
8. Renter’s Responsibilities
Renter will use the Equipment only for its intended household purpose, following manufacturer instructions and not for commercial use; keep it clean, connected as installed, and accessible for service; not relocate, modify, disassemble, or attempt to repair it, or let anyone but Owner service it; report any malfunction, leak, unusual noise, or damage promptly and stop using it until Owner advises otherwise; give reasonable access for service, inspection, and pickup, with an adult present; maintain working water, drain, gas, ventilation, and electrical connections, which remain Renter’s responsibility; follow routine care such as clearing lint filters, leaving washer doors open to dry, and keeping vents and drains clear; and keep the Equipment free of pests and in sanitary condition.
Operator's note: “Not for commercial use” is doing quiet work: a machine running a home laundry business wears out in a fraction of the time, and this is what lets you re-rate or reclaim it.
9. Repairs and maintenance
Owner will use reasonable efforts to service or repair the Equipment within 3 business days of Renter’s report, at no cost to Renter, for failures arising from normal use and ordinary wear. Owner may replace the Equipment with a comparable unit instead of repairing it. Rent is not reduced while the Equipment awaits service, unless Owner fails to repair or replace it within 14 days of the report through no fault of Renter, in which case rent is prorated for the additional days out of service. Repairs needed because of misuse, neglect, overloading, unauthorised repair, pests, power or water supply problems, or relocation by Renter are billable at Owner’s standard rates plus parts.
Owner does not repair cosmetic damage. Owner’s repair obligation covers how the Equipment works, not how it looks. Dents, scratches, scuffs, chipped or faded paint, surface rust, and discoloration that do not affect safe operation will not be repaired, refinished, or replaced, and are not grounds for replacement or a rent reduction. This does not limit Renter’s responsibility for damage beyond normal wear under the sections above.
Operator's note: Two halves that have to sit together. Promise a response window you can actually hit, and prorate if you miss it — that is what makes the no-abatement rule fair. Then carve out cosmetics, or on used machines “we repair it free” reads as covering a scratched lid.
10. Loss, Damage and Unreturned Equipment
Renter is responsible for loss of or damage to the Equipment while it is at the Premises or otherwise in Renter’s possession, other than damage from normal wear or a defect in the Equipment. Renter must notify Owner immediately if it is damaged, stolen, or affected by fire, flood, or other casualty.
If the Equipment is lost, stolen, destroyed, or not made available for pickup within 7 days after this Agreement ends, Renter will pay the replacement value stated in Section 1 for each affected item, and rent continues to accrue until the Equipment is recovered or that value is paid. Renter acknowledges that keeping the Equipment after this Agreement ends, or preventing its recovery, is a wrongful retention of Owner’s property, and that Owner may report it to law enforcement and pursue all available remedies.
Renter initials: ____
Operator's note: Initialled because it is the clause with teeth. Rent continuing to accrue is what stops “just keep it and stop paying” being the cheapest option, and naming the law-enforcement route in advance is what makes the police report a formality rather than a civil-matter shrug.
11. Sanitary condition and pests
If Owner finds the Equipment infested with pests (including bed bugs, cockroaches, or rodents), contaminated with mould, or otherwise unsanitary beyond normal use, Owner may decline to service it until the condition is corrected, and may charge the reasonable cost of cleaning and sanitising or, if it cannot reasonably be restored, its replacement value.
Operator's note: You will need this once, and that one time you will be very glad it is initialled elsewhere in the document. An infested machine cannot go to the next renter and cannot ride home in your enclosed trailer.
12. Disclaimer of warranties and limitation of liability
The Equipment is provided “as is.” Owner makes no warranty of any kind, express or implied, including merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose, except the service obligation above. Owner is not responsible for the condition of the plumbing, drains, gas lines, venting, or electrical systems at the Premises.
To the fullest extent permitted by law, Owner is not liable for damage to the Premises, to Renter’s belongings (including items placed in the Equipment), or to any other property, or for any indirect, incidental, or consequential loss, arising from the Equipment or this Agreement, whether caused by leaks, flooding, fire, power surge, malfunction, or otherwise. Owner’s total liability will not exceed the rent paid in the 3 months before the event giving rise to the claim. Owner strongly recommends Renter maintain renter’s or homeowner’s insurance.
Nothing in this Agreement limits liability for death or personal injury caused by Owner’s gross negligence or wilful misconduct, or any other liability that cannot be limited by law.
Renter initials: ____
Operator's note: Notice the third paragraph. A blanket “not liable for anything ever” is unenforceable in most states and makes a judge read the rest of your contract narrowly. Carving out gross negligence is what keeps the cap credible — and a $12/month renter’s policy protects your renter better than your apology will.
13. Indemnification
Renter will indemnify and hold Owner harmless from any third-party claim, loss, or expense (including reasonable attorney’s fees) arising from Renter’s use, possession, or misuse of the Equipment, Renter’s breach of this Agreement, or any condition at the Premises, except to the extent caused by Owner’s gross negligence or wilful misconduct.
Operator's note: This is about the neighbour downstairs, not the renter. If a hose lets go and floods two units, the claim arrives from someone who never signed anything with you.
14. Termination and return
This Agreement renews automatically each month after the Minimum Term until cancelled. To cancel, Renter must give written notice by email to YOUR EMAIL or by text to YOUR PHONE at least 30 days before the intended end date, and Owner will confirm in writing. Owner will schedule pickup at a mutually convenient time within the notice period. If Renter is not available for a confirmed pickup or service appointment and gives less than 24 hours’ notice, a missed-appointment fee of $50 applies.
On termination for any reason, Renter will make the Equipment available for pickup in the same condition as delivered, normal wear excepted, disconnected only by Owner. Rent is charged through the date it is recovered. Owner may retain the deposit toward unpaid amounts and repair or cleaning costs and will refund any balance.
Operator's note: Confirming cancellations in writing is the cheap half of this clause. The expensive half is the missed-appointment fee: a wasted van run with two people in it costs more than the fee, so price it to change behaviour rather than to recover the loss.
15. Renter representations
Renter represents they are at least 18, that all information provided is accurate and complete, and that they will promptly update Owner of any change in contact information or payment method. Renter agrees Owner may verify their identity and keep a copy of their government-issued photo ID on file for the term and any period afterward needed to recover the Equipment or amounts owed.
Operator's note: Take the ID photo at signing, not when you need it. Getting a copy of someone’s driver’s licence is easy while they are excited about a working washer and impossible once they have stopped answering.
16. Notices and communications
Written notice may be given by email or text to the addresses and numbers each party has provided, and is effective when sent. Renter consents to receive calls, texts, and emails about this Agreement — service scheduling, payment reminders, account notices — at the number and address provided, including messages sent using automated technology. Message and data rates may apply. Renter may opt out of texts at any time by replying STOP, but Owner may still contact them by other means about this Agreement.
Operator's note: The consent language matters if you ever send an automated payment reminder. The carve-out at the end matters more: opting out of marketing texts must not mean you can no longer reach someone about the machine in their kitchen.
17. Electronic signature consent
The parties agree this Agreement may be signed electronically and that an electronic signature has the same legal effect as a handwritten one. Renter consents to transact electronically and to receive related records electronically. To access and retain them Renter needs a device with internet access, a current browser or email application, and software able to view PDFs; by signing electronically, Renter confirms having them. Renter may request a paper copy at no charge, and may withdraw consent by contacting Owner at YOUR PHONE , which does not affect records already delivered.
Operator's note: The hardware sentence is not padding — ESIGN requires the signer to confirm they can actually receive and keep electronic records. Skip it and you have weakened the thing the rest of the paragraph is claiming.
18. Governing law and disputes
This Agreement is governed by the laws of the State of STATE , without regard to its conflict-of-laws rules. Any dispute will be brought in the state courts located in COUNTY County, STATE , and both parties consent to that venue, except that either may bring a qualifying claim in small claims court. In any action to enforce this Agreement, the prevailing party may recover reasonable attorney’s fees and costs.
Operator's note: Name the county, not just the state. And leave small claims open — it is where these disputes actually get resolved, it is cheap, and closing it off makes the clause look like an attempt to price a renter out of complaining.
19. General
This Agreement, together with the delivery condition record, is the entire agreement between the parties about the Equipment and replaces any prior discussions. Any change must be in writing and agreed by both parties. If any provision is unenforceable, the remainder stays in effect and that provision is enforced as far as the law allows. Owner’s failure to enforce a term is not a waiver of it. Neither party is liable for delay caused by events beyond its reasonable control, except that this does not excuse Renter’s payment obligations. This Agreement may be signed in counterparts, and headings are for convenience only.
Operator's note: The severability line is why one clause a court dislikes does not take the rest of the contract with it. It is the cheapest insurance in the document.
Signatures
Owner signature: ______________________ Date: __________
Renter signature: _____________________ Date: __________
Renter ID verified (photo on file): [ ] Yes
Want the fill-in-the-blanks file?