Hire terms & conditions

1. Who we are

These terms govern the hire of grand pianos and related services from LH Grand Pianos Limited. We also refer to ourselves as LH Grand, 'we' or 'us' in these terms. They also govern enquiries and quotations made through this website.

By submitting an enquiry or accepting a quotation from us, you agree to these terms. If you are booking on behalf of a company, venue, school or production, you confirm you are authorised to do so and that the organisation is bound by these terms.

2. Enquiries, quotations and confirmation

Rates shown on this website are indicative and do not constitute an offer. Nothing on this site takes payment and submitting an enquiry does not reserve an instrument.

After your enquiry we confirm availability and send an itemised written quotation covering the hire rate, delivery, collection, positioning and any optional extras. A quotation is valid for 14 days unless stated otherwise.

A date is reserved once we receive a deposit of 30% of the hire fee. The deposit is deducted from your final invoice. Until then, dates shown as available may be taken by another client.

3. Hire charges and VAT

The first active hire day is charged at the single-day rate; days 2 to 28 and days 29 to 90 are charged at the stepped rates shown on our pricing page. Delivery the day before and collection the day after are not charged as hire days. Estimates produced by the calculator are indicative only; your written quotation is the binding figure.

Specialist delivery, collection and positioning are included in the hire fee. Non-standard access requirements are assessed and quoted in advance. Optional tuning at £100 per visit and any excess waiver are itemised separately.

All prices exclude VAT. VAT is added at 20%, and quotations show both the excluding-VAT and including-VAT figures. For hires over 90 days, please contact us for a personal quotation.

4. Payment

The 30% reservation deposit is deducted from the final invoice. Unless we agree otherwise in writing, the remaining balance is due before delivery. For account clients and longer hires we may agree instalment or monthly invoicing.

Late payment may attract statutory interest under the Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998 for business clients.

5. Delivery, access and positioning

The piano may only be moved by a mover approved by us, for safety and insurance reasons. We may refuse to release the piano to, or accept it from, anyone else.

Standard delivery, positioning and collection are arranged by us and included in the hire price. We appoint the mover, and transport risk remains with us and our mover. Delivery and collection days are not charged as hire days.

Non-standard access — including stairs, hoists and crane lifts — is assessed on your venue details and quoted separately before the hire is confirmed.

You are responsible for providing safe, clear access on the agreed date and time, including a level or boarded route wide enough for the instrument on its trolley, suitable parking close to the entrance, and any permits, lift bookings or loading-bay arrangements the venue requires.

Tell us in advance about steps, lifts, tight turns, cobbles, ramps or restricted delivery windows. We can almost always plan for them — but if conditions on the day differ materially from what was described, additional crew or equipment charges may apply, and in extreme cases we may be unable to deliver. Wasted journeys caused by access that was not disclosed are chargeable.

6. Care of the instrument

During the hire the piano remains our property. You must keep it in the position where an approved mover placed it unless we agree otherwise, and you must not attempt to move, tune, repair, dismantle or modify it.

Please keep the instrument in a stable environment: away from direct sunlight, radiators, air-conditioning outlets, open doors and damp; no drinks, flowers, candles, food or equipment placed on the case or lid; and no stickers, tape or fixings applied to any part of it.

You are responsible for the piano from delivery until collection, including against theft, fire, water and accidental damage, and for supervising it at public events. You must tell us promptly about any damage or fault.

• Keep drinks, candles and flowers off the instrument
• Do not move or re-position the piano yourself
• Keep it away from heat, direct sun and damp
• Report any damage or fault to us straight away

7. Insurance and damage

Our policy covers the piano while it is on site, with a £250 excess. You remain responsible for that excess if a covered claim is made.

You may pay a one-off £50 excess waiver so that the £250 on-site excess does not apply. The waiver does not cover damage in transport; transport responsibility is governed by clause 8.

You are liable for loss of or damage to the instrument beyond fair wear and tear, including damage caused by your guests, contractors or the venue, up to its replacement value plus any loss of hire income while it is out of service. Tuning drift caused by normal use, transport or room conditions is not damage.

8. Transport damage

The £50 excess waiver does not cover damage in transport. Because we arrange delivery and collection as standard, transport risk remains with us and our appointed mover. If you ask to use your own mover and we agree in writing, transport risk rests with you except where loss or damage is caused by our negligence.

9. Tuning and condition

Every instrument is prepared to be performance-ready on arrival. Pianos respond to transport, temperature and humidity, so extra tuning at the venue, including on show days, is available as an optional service and quoted separately.

For multi-day events and recordings we can schedule additional tunings at the same per-visit rate. Current rates for optional services are shown on the Pricing page.

10. Changes and cancellation

If your plans change, we will first offer to move your reservation to another date, subject to availability.

If you cancel more than 8 weeks before the hire, the deposit is returned. If you cancel between 8 and 4 weeks before the hire, 50% of the hire fee is payable. If you cancel within 4 weeks of the hire, the full hire fee is payable. Cancellations must be made in writing.

Each piano can be in only one place. Once your date is reserved, we turn other enquiries away, which is why the charges increase closer to the hire date.

If we cannot supply the instrument booked — for example because of damage in transit or a fault found during preparation — we will offer the nearest comparable instrument from our fleet, or a full refund of sums paid for that hire.

11. Liability

We do not exclude or limit our liability for death or personal injury caused by our negligence, for fraud, or for anything else that cannot lawfully be excluded.

Subject to that, our total liability arising out of a hire is limited to the charges paid for that hire, and we are not liable for indirect or consequential loss, or for loss of profit, revenue, audience income or opportunity.

We are not liable for delays or failures caused by events outside our reasonable control, including severe weather, road closures, vehicle breakdown, strikes and venue restrictions. In those circumstances we will work with you to reschedule or refund.

12. Website use

The photographs, descriptions and other content on this website belong to us and may be viewed for personal, non-commercial use. Please do not copy, republish or use them commercially without our written permission.

We take care to keep availability, specifications and rates accurate, but the site may occasionally contain errors or out-of-date information, and instrument specifications change as work is carried out. Your written quotation prevails over anything shown here.

13. Complaints and governing law

If something is not right, contact us and we will put it right where we can. Consumers keep their statutory rights under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, including the 14-day cancellation right for distance contracts where it applies; where you ask us to begin the service inside that period, you may be charged for what has already been supplied.

These terms are governed by the law of England and Wales, and the courts of England and Wales have exclusive jurisdiction.

14. Contact

Questions about these terms or an existing booking:

• paul@lhgrand.co.uk
• 07590212183