Facility use agreement template
A facility use agreement is what a church, school, community center or nonprofit signs with an outside group that borrows or rents its hall, gym, classroom or field. It settles the fee and deposit, the insurance you need to see, the house rules, and who cleans up. Read this one below, then open it in SignMaster and send it with every booking.
Updated November 5, 2026 · 3 min read
The contract
Gray blanks are yours to fill in before you send. Each signer fills in the blanks in their color.
- You, before sending
- User
- Facility owner
Facility Use Agreement
This Facility Use Agreement (the "Agreement") is made on Agreement date between Facility owner name (the "Owner") and User group or name (the "User"), represented by User representative.
1. Space, dates and purpose
- Facility: Facility name and address
- Rooms or areas: Rooms or areas
- Dates and times, including setup and cleanup: Dates and times of use
- Purpose of the use: Purpose of use
- Expected attendance: Expected attendance The room holds no more than Room capacity people, and that limit is never exceeded.
2. Fees and deposit
The User will pay a use fee of Use fee by Fee due date, and a damage deposit of Damage deposit. The Owner will return the deposit within Days to return deposit days after the last use, minus the cost of any damage, extra cleaning, lost keys, or time beyond the booked hours, which is charged at Hourly rate for extra time an hour. The Owner will list any deductions in writing.
3. Insurance
At least Days to send insurance proof days before the first use, the User will give the Owner a certificate of general liability insurance with limits of at least Minimum liability coverage per occurrence, naming the Owner as an additional insured. If the certificate doesn't arrive in time, the Owner may cancel the booking and refund the fee.
4. Rules for using the facility
- No alcohol, unless the Owner agrees in writing and the law allows it. No smoking or vaping anywhere inside.
- No open flames, candles, fog machines or cooking equipment without the Owner's written approval.
- Decorations must come down cleanly: no nails, staples, glitter or tape on walls, floors or woodwork.
- Exits, aisles and fire equipment stay clear at all times, and the User knows where the exits and first aid kit are.
- Amplified sound ends by Quiet time, and guests park only in the areas the Owner names.
- The User may not let another group use the space or charge others for using it, except admission to the User's own event.
5. Children and young people
If the activity includes anyone under 18, the User will provide enough adult supervision for the whole time they are on site, will not leave minors alone in any part of the building, and confirms that its adult leaders have completed any screening its own policies or the law require.
6. Keys, access and security
The Owner will provide access by Keys or access method. The User will lock up, turn off lights and equipment, and set any alarm as instructed when leaving. Each lost key or fob costs Lost key fee.
7. Setup, cleanup and damage
The User will leave the space as it was found: furniture back in place, floors swept, trash bagged and taken to Where trash goes. The User will report any damage to the Owner within 24 hours and pay the reasonable cost of repairing damage caused by its group or guests. The Owner's equipment the User may use: Equipment included.
8. Responsibility for claims
The User is responsible for its own activity, guests and belongings, and will defend and repay the Owner for claims, losses and costs arising from the User's use of the facility, except those caused by the Owner's own negligence or willful misconduct. The Owner isn't responsible for property the User brings or leaves behind.
9. Cancellation
The User may cancel with at least Cancel notice days days' written notice for a full refund. If the facility becomes unavailable because of an emergency, repairs or the Owner's own needs, the Owner will refund all fees paid. The Owner may end a booking if the User breaks this Agreement, refunding fees for dates not yet used.
10. No endorsement
Allowing the User to use the facility doesn't mean the Owner endorses the User, its views or its event. The User will not suggest otherwise in its publicity and will describe the venue only by its name and address.
11. General terms
This Agreement is governed by the laws of the state of State. It is the whole agreement about this use, can be changed only in writing, and may be signed electronically.
Contacts
User's person in charge on site: On-site contact name Phone: On-site contact phone Email: User email
Owner's contact for problems during the booking: Owner contact phone
I am authorized to sign for the User, and I have read the facility rules in section 4 and will make sure our group follows them.
For the User
For the Owner
Opens it in SignMaster as a template you can edit and send.
A starting point, not legal advice. Have a lawyer review it for your state and situation.
On this page
Why a handshake isn't enough
Lending the fellowship hall to a scout troop or renting the school gym to a basketball league feels neighborly, until a child is hurt, a wall gets taped, or the group leaves the doors unlocked. Your insurer will ask whether the group had its own coverage, and your board will ask who agreed to what. A signed agreement answers both, and it lets you say yes to community groups with confidence.
Use one for every outside group, even free ones. A no-fee booking still needs the insurance, rules and supervision terms.
What the template covers
- Space, dates and purpose: the rooms or areas, every date and time including setup, the group's purpose and a capacity limit.
- Money: the use fee, a damage deposit with a return deadline, itemized deductions and an hourly rate for overtime.
- Insurance: a certificate of liability coverage at your minimum, naming you as an additional insured, before the first use.
- Rules: alcohol, smoking, flames, decorations, exits, noise, parking and no subletting.
- Children: adult supervision and screening for any activity with minors.
- Keys, cleanup and damage, with a 24-hour reporting rule.
- Claims, cancellation both ways, and a no-endorsement clause.
Mistakes to avoid
- Skipping the certificate of insurance. Without it, a slip-and-fall at someone else's event lands on your policy. Ask for it before you hand over keys.
- No supervision clause for youth groups. If minors are on site, the group must supply the adults and keep them out of empty parts of the building.
- Vague cleanup. Say where the trash goes and how chairs are left, or your custodian does it Monday morning.
- Implying endorsement. A congregation or school that rents to many groups shouldn't appear to back each one; section 10 handles that.
Talk to your insurer and your policies
Your own insurance company may set the minimum coverage you should require, and churches and schools often have board-approved use policies. Fill the insurance blank with the figure your insurer recommends, and keep the agreement in line with your written policy.
How to send it with SignMaster
- 1
Open the template
Choose Use this template. The outside group signs first and your facilities manager countersigns.
- 2
Fill in the booking
Complete the gray blanks for this booking: rooms, dates and times, capacity, fee, deposit, insurance minimum, quiet time, access method and your contact number.
- 3
Collect the insurance certificate
Add an Attachment field in the editor after section 3, so the group attaches its certificate while it signs. See collect files from signers.
- 4
Send it to the group's leader
Enter their name and email. They fill in the blue blanks, the group name, purpose, attendance and on-site contact, confirm their authority and sign.
- 5
Countersign, then hand over keys
Countersign once the certificate checks out. Both sides get the signed PDF, which is what you'll show your insurer if anything goes wrong.
Regular renters every season
If the same leagues, choirs and clubs book every season, keep them in a spreadsheet with their dates, rooms and fees, and send all the agreements at once with bulk send. Name each column after a gray blank, like Dates and times of use or Use fee. Automatic reminders chase anyone who hasn't signed before their first date.
Questions? Answers.
Should we charge a fee to community groups?
That's your choice. Many churches and schools ask for a fee or a donation to cover utilities and cleaning. Even free bookings should use the agreement for its insurance and rules.
What does "additional insured" mean?
It means the group's liability policy also protects you for claims arising from their event. Their insurer adds you as an endorsement and shows it on the certificate, often at little or no cost.
Can we use one agreement for a whole season?
Yes. List every date and time in section 1. The deposit and rules then cover the full season.
Can an individual rent the space instead of a group?
Yes. Put the person's name in both the user and representative blanks, and strike through any rule that doesn't fit a private party with the editor's Markup tools.