Tools Rental Terms

These Rental Terms govern every rental of a kitchen tool between an Owner (the Seller listing the tool for rent) and a Renter (the Buyer renting the tool) on ChefSphere. They complement and do not replace the Tools Marketplace Terms, the Buyer Terms, the Seller Agreement, and the In-Person Safety addendum.

1. The rental contract

• The rental is a peer-to-peer contract between the Renter and the Owner. ChefSphere is an information-society intermediary that hosts the listing, coordinates messaging, records the agreed price and duration, and keeps the evidence (chat, photos, timestamps). ChefSphere does not process, escrow, hold, or guarantee the rental payment or deposit.
• Payment for the rental price and the refundable deposit is made in cash directly from the Renter to the Owner at pickup. No online payment, no Stripe, no platform fee on the rental itself.
• ChefSphere does not own, store, clean, inspect, calibrate, or certify the tool. The Owner is solely responsible for the tool's condition, suitability, safety, and any accessories.
• You can rent on ChefSphere only if you meet the eligibility in the Buyer Terms (at least 13 years old, active ChefSphere account). The Owner must have accepted the Lite Seller obligations (or Full Seller obligations) in the Seller Agreement.
• You cannot rent your own tool. The app enforces this.

2. Rental request and approval

Rentals use a request-and-approve flow in the app:

1. Request. The Renter submits a rental request with the start date, end date, duration unit (hour, day, week, month), pickup method, any optional message, and agrees to the price quote shown.
2. Owner decision. The Owner approves or rejects. Approval marks the tool as rented; any overlapping pending requests are auto-rejected with the note "Automatically rejected — tool approved for another user".
3. Rejection. A rejection may include the Owner's reason. No money changes hands.
4. Duplicate requests. A Renter can hold only one pending request per tool at any time.

Approval does not capture money. No card is charged; no Stripe authorisation is held. Payment happens at the meet-up (section 4).

Once approved, the rental moves through these statuses: PENDING → CONFIRMED → ACTIVE → COMPLETED, with CANCELLED available until the rental is completed.

3. Pricing, duration, deposit

• Prices are set by the Owner per duration unit. A listing can have one or several unit-prices active simultaneously (per-hour, per-day, per-week, per-month). The Renter selects one at request time.

• Total price = unit price × duration for the chosen unit. Duration is calculated from the start and end datetimes, normalised to the listing's local calendar. Daily rentals end at 23:59:59 UTC on the end date; hourly rentals end at the exact time chosen.

• VAT and income tax. Because payment is in cash between parties, ChefSphere does not collect VAT or issue an invoice for the rental. The Owner is responsible for any VAT and income-tax obligation in their country of residence.

• Deposit. Every rental has a refundable cash deposit calculated by the system as:

  • 10 % of the tool's replacement cost when the Owner has set a replacement cost on the listing;
  • or, where no replacement cost is set, 20 % of the rental price.

  The deposit is handed over in cash at pickup together with the rental price and held by the Owner for the rental duration. At return, the Owner returns the deposit in full, less any documented damage deduction agreed with the Renter (section 7). ChefSphere is not a party to the deposit and does not hold, escrow, or guarantee it. A dispute about the deposit is a dispute between the Renter and the Owner.

4. Pickup, handover, cash payment, in-person safety

• The default pickup method is in-person meet-up (pickup method MEET). Other pickup methods are available where the Owner has explicitly enabled them.
• Meet-ups must follow the In-Person Safety addendum: public location, timestamped photos of the tool at handover, counterfeit-cash checks, and, for high-value rentals, the optional ID-check prompt the app may display.
• At pickup:
  • Renter and Owner together verify the tool's condition, accessories, consumables, and any visible damage. Photos and written notes in the rental thread create the baseline for any later damage assessment.
  • The Renter pays the Owner the rental price + refundable deposit in cash. Both parties count the cash; the Owner should inspect notes for authenticity.
  • The Renter signs the in-app handover confirmation. The Owner does the same. This moves the rental to ACTIVE.
• The Renter is now responsible for the tool.

5. During the rental

• Use the tool only for the purpose stated in the listing and within the manufacturer's instructions. Do not lend or sublet the tool to a third party unless the Owner explicitly permits it in writing through the rental thread.
• Keep the tool in the condition in which it was handed over, allowing for normal wear and tear. Clean it and return it with any consumables replenished as described in the listing.
• If the tool malfunctions, is lost, damaged, or stolen, tell the Owner immediately through the in-app messages and, where relevant, report the theft to the police. ChefSphere support is available at [email protected].

Extension

An approved rental can be extended before its end date using the rental extension flow in the app. The extension creates an additional price quote at the Owner's current unit price for the new period and goes through the same approve-reject step. The additional amount is paid in cash at the next meet-up, or at return if no additional meet-up is needed.

Early return

A Renter can return the tool earlier than the end date. Early return does not trigger an automatic refund of the unused time unless the listing explicitly offers one, because the Owner has held the tool off the market for the booked window. Any goodwill refund for early return is a matter between the parties and is settled in cash at return.

Late return

A late return beyond the agreed end date is a breach of the rental contract. The Owner can charge late-return fees at the listing's per-hour or per-day unit price until the tool is returned, plus a reasonable surcharge for disruption to subsequent bookings — these amounts are withheld from the cash deposit first, and any excess is owed by the Renter. Continuous non-return beyond the agreed window and beyond reasonable communication is treated as misappropriation and may be reported to law enforcement.

6. Return

At the end of the rental the tool is returned per the pickup method. Renter and Owner together confirm the return state in the app (photos, notes). The Owner returns the deposit in cash, minus any documented damage deduction (section 7), at the return meet-up. Both parties confirm completion in the app.

7. Damage assessment

• The Owner has a reasonable inspection window at the return meet-up to assess the tool against the baseline captured at pickup (section 4).
• Any deduction from the deposit must be documented in the rental thread at the moment of return: description of the issue, photo evidence, and a cost estimate tied to a real repair or replacement cost.
• Owner options at return:
  • Release the deposit in full;
  • Deduct an agreed amount for documented damage, missing items, cleaning, or late-return fees, returning the balance in cash;
  • Escalate through ChefSphere Trust & Safety ([email protected]) if the parties cannot agree. Escalation does not give ChefSphere power to move money (it never held the deposit); it results in an evidence-based recommendation and, for serial abuse, account-level enforcement.
• If the Renter refuses a legitimate deduction, the Owner may retain the documented amount and report the incident to the platform. Abusive retention by the Owner of more than the documented amount is a breach of this Agreement and grounds for account suspension.

8. Cancellations

• Before the Owner approves. The Renter can cancel the request freely. No fee.
• After approval but before pickup. Either party can cancel; the app records the cancellation reason. No money has been exchanged, so no refund is needed.
• After pickup (ACTIVE). Cancelling a rental that has already started requires both parties' cooperation. Any cash already handed over is reconciled between the parties according to what was used (pro-rata of the rental consumed + deposit return), with the platform records as evidence.
• COMPLETED / CANCELLED statuses. A rental that has reached COMPLETED or CANCELLED cannot change state again; subsequent disputes go through the trust-and-safety channel.

8.1 EU 14-day right of withdrawal — early-performance consent (Art. 16(a) CRD)

Where the Renter is an EU consumer and the Owner is a professional (trader), the rental is a service contract for the purposes of Directive 2011/83/EU. The Renter ordinarily has 14 days from the conclusion of the contract to withdraw without giving a reason. Where the Renter expressly requests that performance of the rental start before the end of that 14-day period — for example, by scheduling a pickup that falls within the 14 days — the Renter must, at the moment of confirming the request: (i) give prior express consent to the early start of performance, and (ii) acknowledge that they will lose the right of withdrawal once the service has been fully performed (Art. 16(a) of Directive 2011/83/EU). The app collects both statements as separate controls before the rental is confirmed; until they are given, the rental cannot start before the 14-day withdrawal period has elapsed. Where the Renter withdraws before full performance has occurred, they pay the Owner an amount proportional to the service provided up to the moment of notification of withdrawal, calculated on the basis of the rental unit price (Art. 14(3) CRD).

8.2 GPSR making-available (Art. 3(3) and Art. 22 GPSR)

For the purposes of Regulation (EU) 2023/988 ("GPSR"), making a tool available in the course of a commercial rental activity constitutes "making available on the market" within the meaning of Art. 3(3) GPSR. A professional Owner is therefore subject to the full Seller obligations in the Seller Agreement, including 10-year retention of accompanying documentation (Art. 9(2) GPSR), recall cooperation (Art. 33 GPSR), and accident reporting (Art. 20(2) GPSR). A private Owner renting an item on an occasional basis is not a trader for these purposes but remains bound by general civil-liability rules in their country of residence.

9. Owner responsibilities

Every Owner warrants to the Renter and to ChefSphere that:

• the tool is the item described in the listing and is in the condition stated, with any defect disclosed;
• the tool is safe for its intended use when used according to the instructions;
• the tool has all required accessories and consumables listed;
• the Owner has the legal right to rent the tool;
• the Owner's pricing, deposit, and availability are accurate;
• the Owner will respond to the rental request within the expected response time and will communicate in good faith through the completion of the rental;
• the Owner will return the deposit in cash minus only the documented, agreed deductions.

10. Renter responsibilities

Every Renter warrants to the Owner and to ChefSphere that:

• they will provide accurate identity and verification information and, where prompted for a high-value rental, show a government ID;
• they will pay the rental price and the deposit in cash at pickup with authentic legal tender and in the currency agreed in the listing;
• they will use the tool only for its intended purpose, following the manufacturer's and Owner's instructions;
• they will care for the tool with the diligence of a reasonable person borrowing another's property;
• they will return the tool on time, cleaned, with all accessories, and in the same condition as received, allowing for normal wear and tear.

11. Prohibited uses

In addition to the Acceptable Use Policy, rentals cannot be used to:

• operate a commercial activity when the listing is limited to personal use;
• transport the tool outside the country listed in the pickup location, unless the Owner has agreed in writing in the rental thread; taking a tool abroad without such consent is a breach of the rental contract;
• modify, repair, or service the tool beyond what the Owner authorised;
• settle payment in anything other than cash (or a method the Owner explicitly accepts in writing) — in particular never by wire transfer, cryptocurrency, gift cards, or foreign cash, which are classic fraud indicators;
• sub-rent, sub-let, lend, or transfer possession of the tool to any third party — the rental is strictly between the Renter and the Owner, and the Renter remains responsible for the tool while it is in their possession;
• use the tool in a way that requires a professional licence, certification, or permit the Renter does not hold (for example gas-fitting certification for certain pressurised equipment), or in violation of any local electrical / fire / food-safety regulation;
• use the tool while impaired by alcohol or drugs, or allow a minor to operate a tool that requires adult supervision.

12. Liability

• The Renter is liable for damage the Renter causes beyond normal wear and tear, up to the tool's replacement cost, and for any loss or theft while the tool is in their possession.
• The Owner is liable for defects existing at handover (including failure to disclose them), for injury or damage caused by a defect in the tool, and for compliance with applicable consumer-law rules.
• ChefSphere's liability as intermediary is limited as set out in the Platform Terms and the Platform Disclaimer. Nothing in these Rental Terms limits liability that cannot be limited under mandatory consumer law.

13. Insurance

There is no platform-provided rental insurance. The cash deposit is the primary remedy for damage. Renters and Owners are strongly encouraged to check their own household, tenant, business, or professional-use insurance policies for coverage of:

• Accidental damage caused by the Renter to the rented tool;
• Third-party liability if the tool causes injury or property damage during the rental (both Owner liability as a tool provider and Renter liability as an operator may be covered under personal or trade policies);
• Theft of cash carried to and from a meet-up.

For high-value rentals (where the replacement cost exceeds the deposit by a meaningful margin), the Owner may ask the Renter to show proof of insurance before approving the rental. The Owner may also require the Renter to co-sign a short damage-responsibility statement in the rental thread listing the baseline condition, the agreed use, and the amount the Renter accepts to pay for loss or total damage; this statement is evidence, not an insurance policy.

14. Taxes

Because rental payment is in cash between parties, ChefSphere does not issue a VAT invoice and does not report the income on behalf of the Owner. The Owner is responsible for declaring rental income to their local tax authority. DAC7 annual reporting of ChefSphere sellers in the EU applies to sellers whose earnings flow through the platform (i.e., worldwide Stripe-processed orders), not to cash-settled rentals; see the Tax Information.

15. Changes

We will update these Rental Terms when the rental flow, deposit rules, duration units, or applicable law change materially. Material changes take effect no sooner than 30 days after we have notified you in-app or by email, and apply only to rental requests created after the effective date.

16. Contact

• Rental support / trust & safety: [email protected]
• Trust & safety: [email protected]
• Legal notices: [email protected]