Hire agreement & waiver template.
Your company, the clauses you need, a form your customers can sign. Then have it checked by a local lawyer.
Hire, consumer and liability law have their own rules in the UK, and Scots law differs from English law in places. This template is a starting point we wrote in plain words; we make no claim that it is valid or enforceable where you operate.
Template, not legal advice — have it checked by a local lawyer. Opens the print dialog: choose “Save as PDF”, or print straight away. Print at 100 %.
Two UK rules worth knowing
Tell customers how you use their data
When you collect personal data from a customer you must tell them who you are, why you use it and how long you keep it (UK GDPR, Article 13). The data clause covers those points in plain words.
UK GDPR, Art. 13 · www.legislation.gov.uk/eur/2016/679/article/13 · 2026-10-18You can’t sign away injury caused by negligence
A trader cannot, by a term of a consumer contract or a consumer notice, exclude or restrict liability for death or personal injury resulting from negligence (Consumer Rights Act 2015, s. 65(1)). That is why the liability clause says “to the extent the law allows” and keeps those cases out.
Consumer Rights Act 2015, s. 65(1) · www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2015/15/section/65 · 2026-10-18Official texts, checked 2026-10-18. Hire rules for your waters come on top (Boat hire rules in the UK) — and that is what the solicitor is for.
Questions
Is this hire waiver legally binding?
We can't tell you that, and nobody can without knowing your business and where you operate. It's a template, not legal advice: have a solicitor check it and adapt it before you use it.
What should a watersports hire agreement include?
Typically who hires (identity and contact), what (craft and equipment), when (start and return time), where (the allowed area), the hirer's declarations (swimming, experience, health), the safety rules (lifejacket), damage, weather and recall, liability, and how you use their personal data. Tick what you need.
Can a waiver exclude all liability?
Not for death or personal injury caused by negligence: under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 (s. 65) a trader cannot exclude or restrict that liability towards consumers. The template only limits liability to the extent the law allows; a solicitor can tell you what else applies.
Can customers sign it on their phone?
This template is for paper. A digital hire agreement, signed in the VesselSOS app, is planned for Fleet (SOON).
More free tools
Fleet for your craft
Know where every hire is.
VesselSOS Fleet is the hire dashboard we're building with pilot operators for the 2027 season: check customers out by QR, see every hire live on one map, call them back when the wind turns. Their phone is the tracker.