Equipment and Facility Rental Policy

LIFT RENTAL POLICIES
Current as of January 31, 2025

Current Production and Production Student Members, as well as designated staff of Organizational Members, with rental access can book equipment by emailing the Technical Department at tech@lift.ca

Equipment pick-ups: 2:00pm – 5:00pm Day before shooting date
Equipment returns: 10:00 – 12:00 10:00am – 12:00pm Day after shooting date

LIFT bills weekends as 1 day (Friday afternoon to Monday morning), and weekly (7 days) rentals at 4 days. A one day rental is picked up on day one, shooting takes place day two and is returned day three (e.g. A rental picked up Monday for a Tuesday shoot and returned Wednesday is a one day rental).

LIFT does not rent to non-members under any circumstances. If you didn’t want to join LIFT’s membership at this time, you can rent from other centres listed as part of the Independent Media Arts Alliance (IMAA) or Ontario Creates’ Ontario Production Guide for  equipment rental companies in the Greater Toronto Area.

All Production and Production Student members, as well as designated staff of Organizational Members, with rental access coming to pick-up gear must provide one (1) of the following current photo identification:
– Valid Canadian driver’s license, ideally from Ontario
– Valid Canadian provincial and territorial photo card, ideally from Ontario
– Current valid Passport from any country
– As per the Personal Health Information Protection Act, 2004, S.O. 2004, c. 3, Sched. A, LIFT is unable to accept Canadian Health Cards as photo identification.
– Also, LIFT is unable to accept birth certificates as identification.

All rental inquiries and equipment lists can be e-mailed to the Technical Administrator at tech@lift.ca

Consultations may be booked in advance to take place on Weekdays, between 11am-4pm (excluding Holidays). 

All proficiency tests, camera, lens and in-depth equipment tests must be booked Weekdays between 11:00am and 4:00pm at least one week in advance. Proficiency tests must be booked with a minimum of one week prior to any pending rental by members only. Rentals for any equipment requiring a proficiency test will only be released upon satisfactory completion.

*** Members are fully responsible for the loading and unloading of all booked equipment.  ***

GENERAL POLICY

1. As outlined in LIFT’s Code of Conduct, LIFT expects members and team members in their production (regardless of membership status) to treat staff and other members and community with respect when visiting the LIFT premises. LIFT does not tolerate homophobia, sexism, racism, transphobia, or any type of discrimination or xenophobia.

2. The use of LIFT equipment and facilities constitutes a form of production assistance to the filmmaker by LIFT, and as such LIFT must be fully acknowledged and credited in the title and/or credit sequence of any film, video, or new media production receiving such assistance. Logos are available in the “About” section of the LIFT website.

3. As per our funding bodies, LIFT equipment cannot be used on commercial productions. A commercial production is one intended to generate revenue or promote a for-profit product or service. We reserve the right to refuse bookings to productions not falling under our mandate as regulated by our funders.

4. Every member must demonstrate adequate technical competence to the satisfaction of the Technical Coordinators on each piece of LIFT equipment they wish to rent. Members who do not possess sufficient knowledge or experience to operate a piece of LIFT equipment that they wish to rent can request an in-person technical consultation and a proficiency test on that piece of equipment. The fee for the consultation is $50.00 per hour (for a maximum of 1 hour). We encourage any technical consultation to be inquired as advanced as possible to your project’s shooting date to ensure the availability of both the equipment and instructor required. Under the discretion of the Technical Department, orientations and consultations can be arranged Weekdays between 11:00am and 4:00pm.

5. Members wishing to rent any analogue film equipment must be familiar with the equipment or employ an experienced operator. Members must book a hands-on proficiency test in advance with the Technical Administrator for their Operators to perform. Tests must be completed at least a week in advance of the booking. Technical Coordinators will make the final judgment on whether the operator will be granted usage of the equipment. The proficiency test on analogue film cameras will only be waived for Operators who are current members in good standing of a Motion Picture Department union (IATSE Local 600, IATSE Local 667, IATSE ICG 669), provided proof of union membership and a copy of their cinematography resume is shown to the technical staff.

6. We encourage all equipment renters to test the equipment prior to the rental date. Camera renters are encouraged to perform lens and registration tests on the camera five (5) business days prior to the rental date. There is no rental cost for in-house tests. Contact the Technical Administrator to book equipment tests. Testing must be done Weekdays between 11:00am and 4:00pm and cannot exceed three (3) hours at no more than one (1) test per rental.

7. Members wishing to take LIFT equipment outside the province of Ontario, or wishing to transport LIFT equipment by air, must seek pre-approval and consult with the LIFT staff to find out how to make necessary insurance, customs, and shipping arrangements prior to booking equipment.

8. The LIFT member who rents and signs for the equipment accepts full liability for any loss or damage incurred while equipment is in their possession, regardless of fault.

9. All of LIFT’s analogue equipment are tested by the Technical Coordinators prior to all rentals to ensure proper operation before leaving the equipment cage. All analogue items are rented “as is” due to their age, limited parts acquisition, and serviceability.

10. Due to the privacy of fellow members, workshop participants and staff, no visual or audio recordings can be made on the premises of the LIFT facility (interior or exterior). LIFT does not allow shooting and/or photography in any of the facilities. Nor does LIFT rent out any part of its facility or exterior for productions, of any scale, to use as a filming location.

11. LIFT rental prices are as is, and are subject to change without notice for mobile equipment, facilities and store items. We highly advise adding a contingency amount when budgeting for projects in order to account for fluctuating prices. LIFT is unable to offer past prices or discounts on current prices. If you have any questions or concerns regarding this policy, please reach out to our Executive Director at director@lift.ca

12. Any member who does not return rental equipment clean and in an immediately usable state shall be charged a cleaning fee of $50.00 per hour, 1 hour minimum. The same policy applies to LIFT facility usage. No additional equipment or facilities can be booked until outstanding cleaning invoices have been paid in full.

EQUIPMENT BOOKING POLICIES

13. Production and Production Student members and designated staff of Organizational Members may book equipment up to six (6) weeks in advance. (Confirmation is required two (2) weeks prior to the booking.) All equipment and facilities bookings must be made through the Technical Department. No other LIFT staff can make bookings regardless of circumstances. If facilities and equipment requested by the member are already booked, LIFT will not request other members to forfeit or adjust their bookings.

14. All equipment must be returned between 10:15am and 12:00pm on the prearranged return date. Any member who returns equipment after 12:00pm will be charged an extra day of rental fees. If a late equipment return results in equipment not being available to the next renter, the member will be responsible for all costs of renting the same or equivalent equipment from a commercial rental house in addition to the late return charge.

15. All equipment must be picked up between 2:00pm and 5:00pm. Members are required to provide adequate crew and vehicle for equipment pickups and returns. Members who do not provide adequate means of loading and unloading equipment may be denied their booking with possible cancellation fees applied. LIFT staff cannot be made responsible for transporting any equipment from the LIFT premises to a transport vehicle. Members who have equipment booked must pick-up and sign for equipment during office hours.

16. Members who are unable to collect their equipment on site and at the time of rental may designate a pickup person. Members may designate a pick up person in advance when providing their pre-filled rental agreement to LIFT’s Technical Department. Members must make pre-arrangements to sign the contract and pay prior to the release of the equipment. Members must inform LIFT of who will be picking up on their behalf. The pick-up person must provide contact information and present valid photo ID (acceptable identification includes valid Canadian Driver’s License, Ontario Photo Card or current passport. Canadian Health Cards and expired passports will not be accepted. First time renters must be present at pick up time with valid photo identification for equipment to be released, no exceptions.

17. The Technical Administrator must be notified of equipment and facilities booking cancellations at least two (2) full business days in advance of the date booked or the member will be charged 50% of the entire booking within 48 hours, or 100% within 24 hours. Recipients of LIFT Production / Post-Production Grants or any LIFT approved commissions and/or residencies will be required to pay for any rentals and/or facilities bookings cancelled without sufficient notice. Bookings must be cancelled by the member and not by other crew members on the production.

18. All of LIFT’s equipment is available for pick-up and returns on weekdays and only during LIFT’s hours of operation. LIFT will not store any equipment on site for members. Members are responsible for storing rented equipment for the duration of their rental period.

19. When a member signs the equipment rental contract they agree that the equipment was in working order when it was picked up. Members have 24 hours to take a photo of any damaged or missing equipment not noted upon pickup and send it to tech@lift.ca for assistance and/or replacement. If the equipment is lost or returned damaged the member is liable for all repair or replacement costs. Any damaged or lost equipment will be charged an additional 10% administrative fee on top of the cost of repair and/or replacement. If an item is missing for five (5) days, it will be assumed lost, automatically replaced and charged to the member. If more than thirty (30) days expires between the return and payment for damage or replacement LIFT will engage external collection agencies to secure payment. If the damage or loss is determined to be negligent or outside of LIFT’s insurance policies the member renting the equipment will be liable for all costs associated with damage or loss of the rental item including scheduled and projected rentals.

20. While LIFT does not require third party production insurance for rentals it is encouraged. All LIFT production members who book equipment are liable for an insurance deductible of $1,000.00 CAD in the event of loss or damage of any equipment rented while in their possession. If loss or damage is not covered by the insurance, the member is liable for the full replacement cost of equipment. Any insurance deductible or replacement debt is payable within thirty (30) days. Any accounts outstanding beyond this period are subject to collections via external agencies.

FACILITY BOOKING POLICY

21. Production Members, Production Student Members and designated staff of Organizational Members who wish to access LIFT facilities outside of office hours must purchase a non-refundable access card at the price of $10.00. The access cards are activated only after a booking is made. Lost cards must be reported to LIFT staff immediately. For after-hours facility bookings, members will be charged in full for all booked rooms regardless of overlap in usage. All on-site equipment requested that is not already supplied in the booked room will be charged at 50%.

PAYMENT POLICIES

22. All outstanding debts must be paid prior to new bookings.

23. All members must pay for their equipment rental and/or facility use before or at the time of pick-up or usage. After hours facility users must pay in advance for facility usage. There are no exceptions. If an after-hours user goes over the booked time slot, they can pay for the extra hour(s) on the next LIFT business day. Long-term facilities bookings (block, weekly or monthly) must be paid at the end of every week by Friday.

REFUND POLICIES

24. LIFT does not issue refunds or credits for equipment returned earlier than the initial rental date.

25. All sales of any items from the LIFT Store are final. The LIFT Store cannot accept returns of any film material that has been purchased, nor do exchanges, in order to ensure our quality control. As stipulated by the manufacturer’s policy, any film material found defective cannot be replaced by the manufacturer after 30 days from purchase date.