Everything you need to know about hiring from Allens

There are no minimum order quantities for collection and return. However, we do reserve the right to not offer our delivery and collection service for small quantities as the value of the order may not cover our costs.

The following Hire Rates table breaks down how our hire period charges are calculated: A single hire rate will normally be charged for goods delivered before the day of your event and collected the day after.  If it is a weekend event, goods would normally be delivered on Friday and collected Monday and the single hire rate will still apply.

* (Sundays and Bank Holidays are not counted)

For longer periods please contact our sales team for more details.

No, there’s no need to worry about that – it’s one of the great benefits of hiring! Simply remove any heavy food debris and then repack everything into the boxes in which your order arrived. We’ll take care of the cleaning at our warehouse. The cleaning charge will be listed on your invoice for any applicable items (we don’t charge for cleaning furniture or linen).

We generally allow 2ft per person on a trestle table. So a standard 6ft x 2.6ft trestle table wil comfortable fit six people – three on either side.

For round tables we recommend the following:

4' Round Table - 4 people
4'5" Round Table - 6-8 people
5' Round Table - 8-10 people
5'6" Round Table - 10 people
6' Round Table - 10-12 people

There are certain changes that can be made once an order or a quote is processed.

1) If you want to change your quote you can do so from your "Order/Quote History" from the dropdown menu of your name when you are logged in. - select "edit" from the "Quote" you wish to change.  Change quantities, add or delete products, then click on submit.  Your changes will be submitted as an email to Allens who will process these changes - you can see your quote amendment requests in "Order/Quote Amendments" located in the same dropdown of your name.

2) Account customers are able to add products or increase quantities of their orders online. Go to "Quote/Order History" from the dropdown of your name when you are logged in.  Select "edit" from the "Awaiting Delivery" Order you wish to change.  Add products or increase quantities, and click on submit. Your changes will be submitted as an email to Allens who will process these changes.  You can see your order amendment requests in "Order/Quote Amendments" in the dropdown menu of your name.

Office Opening:

Non-peak periods 
Monday - Friday  0900 - 1730 hrs

Peak periods 
Monday - Friday  0900 - 1730 hrs
Saturday  0900 - 1300 hrs

Please note that peak and non-peak periods may vary depending on the volume of orders we are fulfilling.

Standard Delivery Times
Monday - Friday  0730-1730 hrs
Saturday  0730 - 1300 hrs

Different timeslots are available for cash and account customers during these standard delivery times at an extra cost.

Out-of-hours service

Account customers are able to select out-of-hours timeslots at an extra cost.  We also provide out-of-hours managerial support in emergencies to our account customers.

Cash customers cannot select out-of-hours timeslots but you may be able to negotiate an out-of-hours delivery and collection if you contact us  to find out if we can offer this service for your order.

We have five depots; London, Southampton, Bristol, Luton and Exeter. All depots feature a showroom, which are open for customers to visit by appointment only. Please contact us to arrange a visit to any depot.

Hiring furniture has never been easier. Once you have confirmed your venue and you understand how many guests will be attending, give the Allens Hire team a call. Whether it is chairs and tables, or fridges and a bar, the team will be able to guide you on what you may or may not need for your event. Contact Allens Hire Today.

At Allens hire, we can arrange for furniture to be delivered to you for 1 day up to an indefinite amount of time. If you require the furniture for a longer period, then this may be possible. Speak to a member of our expert sales team on 020 8574 9600 to discuss your options in more detail.

The cost of furniture hire will vary depending on a number of factors. Firstly, you'll need to consider what items you'll need. Then you'll need to consider how many of each you will need to hire. It's also important to plan how long you will need to hire the furniture pieces for as this will also impact the cost. For a personalised quote, contact Allens Hire today.

All prices shown on the website are excluding VAT. At checkout we will show the net cost of goods and services plus VAT at the current rate of 20%.

For orders up to the value of £750 we charge a £150 refundable security deposit. For orders over £750 the security deposit increases in proportion to the total value. Your deposit will be returned after any breakages have been assessed and deducted accordingly.

If you are a cash customer you are now able to pay online through our payment portal SagePay.  Simply follow the steps during the checkout process.  If you have submitted a quote, it will be in a pending state until we process it.  When we have done so it will change from a "pending quote" to "Quote".  At this stage you can go into it and select "reorder" which will put it back in your basket then you can checkout through SagePay.  Alternatively, you can phone our sales team to confirm. 

If you make regular orders you may wish to apply for a credit account.  Just let us know and we'll send you the necessary paperwork to set this up.

The replacement cost of each item will be detailed on your order form. In the event of any breakages the replacement charge(s) will be deducted from your security deposit accordingly.

London charging zone £49 for a delivery or collection

South Coast, South West and Luton charging zone £25 for a delivery or collection

Outside of the above delivery and collections will be charged on a mileage basis from the nearest depot

Absolutely! This is often the most cost effective method if yours is a relatively small order. Please bring along two forms of ID on the day. One should be a current utility bill or bank statement showing your address, and the other an appropriate photo ID, such as your driving licence or passport.

We do - Accounts customers are now able to select a timeslot for their deliveries in and out-of-hours at checkout.  This will be reflected in an increased transport charge. We also provide out-of-hours managerial support in emergencies to our account customers.

Cash customers can not select out-of-hours deliveries online but can contact us to see if we are able to do a special delivery for their order.

Specific time slots are available for Account and Cash Customers for which surcharges apply.  These charges are available for customers to view when they checkout their hire and select delivery dates and times.  Hourly time slots can be selected by Account customers only on the website and attract various surcharges depending on your chosen window.  Cash customers may be able to negotiate an hourly time slot upon ringing our offices on 0208 574 9600 for London, and 02380 652316 for Southampton.

Our delivery service is “door-to-door”. Once your order has been confirmed, we will contact you regarding any special access or delivery instructions that we need to know.

• Venue – Understand all the amenities (outhouses, sanitation facilities, pest control status, first aid), activities of your chosen venue and that it has the right capacity for the number of guests you are looking to invite and the type of event you want to stage.

• Weather – Choose when you want to host your outdoor event. Whilst the UK weather is unpredictable all year round, there are certain times when rain or storms are far more likely. Have a contingency plan in case of inclement weather – are you going to need a marquee or pop up tents? And or Generators? Make sure you know what you need in order to keep your venue warm/cool, secure, and any equipment protected.  Consider the flooring you’ll need and whether you’ll want a dancefloor

• Sound, lighting and technical equipment for the outdoors – Running things outside means that you need to think about where your power, sound and light is coming from – make sure you have an expert where electrics and wiring are involved.

• Catering – The questions you need to ask yourself are: how are you going to cater to your guests? Will it be a BBQ, Buffet, Canapes or a formal sit down occasion (eg, afternoon tea or 3 course meal)? What cooking facilities are available or will you have to hire Kitchen Equipment.

• Furniture Hire - Allens have a range of tables and chairs, lounge equipment or LED Bars and bar equipment ideal for inside a marquee, or Garden Furniture for events with or without cover.

• Cutlery/China/Glassware/Linen Hire – Choose from our extensive range of glassware, china,cutlery and linen in a range of styles and colours to suit the theme of your event.

• Incidentals– if your outdoor event that includes a marquee, then you may want to have a coat check area. So, don’t forget to hire a coat rail and hangers.

For inspiration on planning an outdoor event read our summer event planning blog.

• The Drinks Reception -This usually takes place immediately after the ceremony and typically lasts around an hour and a half while photographs are taken.  The classic choice of drink is usually champagne /champagne cocktail or a beer/soft drink.  Other classics would be a summer or a winter pimms/mulled wine for those frosty winter weddings.  Look through our extensive selection to find the right glassware for your chosen drink and wedding theme.  You might also want to check our selection of serving plates for canapes that are quite often served at this time.

• The Wedding Breakfast– This is the classic 3 course celebratory meal enjoyed by the Bride and Groom and all their daytime guests normally served between 2pm and 5pm. For this you’ll need tables (most importantly – don’t forget the top table!), chairs, linen, china, cutlery and glassware, and possibly kitchen equipment –for some up-to-the minute inspiration though check out our ultimate wedding breakfast checklist.

• The Wedding Reception – this most commonly refers to the “party” element of the wedding day which kicks off at around 8pm when the Bride and Groom step onto the dancefloor for their first dance. The evening usually includes a bar (see our LED Bar selection), evening entertainment quite often a DJ or Band and a buffet.  If you are using a large single space for your wedding think about zoning areas. For example, trestle tables covered in beautiful linen in the buffet area, a lounge area with comfortable lounge furniture, and finally the dancefloor.

Types of event - Conferences and Seminars, trade shows, retreats/incentive programmes, Sporting Events, Appreciation events, Company Milestone Events, team building events, Product Launch events, board/strategy meetings/shareholder events, 

If you are holding a corporate event, big or small, you might need to hire the following:

• Furniture – you may need several different types of furniture for a corporate event. For example, you may need chairs suitable for a theatre seating arrangement. The Samsonite foldaway chair is one of our best sellers for corporate events along with the Samsonite chair clip to hold rows of chairs together.  Of course formal dining tables and chairs could also be required, as well as lounge furniture for your guests to relax in during break out periods.  A popular item for trade shows are our LED bars which light up with different colour effects – great for attracting interest to a stall.

• Tableware – What type of tableware you need depends on the type of food offering you are planning to have. For example, if you are having canapés you will want to hire canapé trays and possibly some tapas style crockery. If you are offering tea and coffee at your event then ensure you have plenty of teacups and coffee cans for your guests. See our China, Cutlery Glassware and Linen sections for our selection of tableware to suit the theme of your event
  
  
• Incidentals – Ropes and Stantions, Coat Rails and hangers, Easels for table plans.

 Contact us to talk to our experienced staff about any items that may help you with your corporate events

• Open a file – gather all your ideas into one place whether a physical place or online
  
  
• Consider your budget – Research the typical costs eg, venue hire, catering and catering equipment hire, entertainment and of course drinks. The number of people you are expecting will be a key driver.  Once you’ve got rough estimates you can divide up your budget and look at what will be possible

• Make a list of tasks - assign dates and responsibilities in order to keep on top of everything and ensure you’re organised for the day

• Venue – look for a venue that will fit the number of invitees without leaving conspicuous space. Outdoor or indoor?  - Plan for every eventuality if you choose an outdoor location.  Make sure you have all the necessary permits or licenses.

• Catering and equipment – knowing your budget will make this process simpler and your options clear. Will it be an all-day event that requires a sit-down meal, or an evening party that would benefit from some light refreshments, or something in-between?

• Entertainment – Are you going to hire a DJ or musicians of some sort? Or another type of entertainment eg, a speaker or comedian. Often you may opt for 2 types of entertainment.  Ensuring that there are enough drinks will be half the battle.

• Enjoy creating your event – creating a theme and making all of the above elements work together is key to staging a successful effect.

Once you know the answer to all of these questions you can then focus on the details regarding what you will need to hire to make your event a success. If you need some help and guidance on catering equipment hire don’t hesitate to contact us on 0208 574 9600 in London and 02380 652316 if you are organising an event on the South Coast.

You can enjoy many benefits as an Account Customer including: More specific delivery and collection timeslots, ability to amend orders up to three days in advance and special out of hours support.

Please contact us for an application form or contact our sales team on 0208 574 9600 to discuss if an account is right for you.

Yes. When you become an account customer with us, you can manage as many Accounts as required (For instance, if you manage multiple venues). Once you register online with your main account, please contact us to discuss linking your other accounts to one manageable online login.

The wishlist is a smart tool to keep tabs on items that you like. When you are logged in, view the item you are interested in and click the ‘Add to Wishlist’ button. You will notice a small heart icon appear underneath the quantity box, which tells you the item is currently in your wishlist. Your wishlist is located in your Account Dashboard. From the wishlist page you can add whichever items you want to hire to your basket as well as remove items you are no longer interested in from your wishlist.

Templates are very useful if you hire the same items for certain events. For instance, if you host a monthly dinner party using the same equipment, this tool is essential. Simply add your required items to your basket. Once you are happy with your selections, instead of checking out. Click on the ‘Add Items To Template’ button. You can either add these items to an existing template or create a new one. You will find your Templates in your Account Dashboard.

Most details can be updated online. When you are logged in click on your name at the top menu bar, and select ‘Account Details & preferences’. From here, you can update your name, number and company information. If you would like to change your email address, you will need to contact us to make this change. If you are an account customer, you will also need to contact us to update your billing address.

From your Account Dashboard you can see your three most recent orders, quotes and invoices. There is also a menu to access your: Account Details & Preferences, Order / Quote History, Order / Quote Amendments, Invoices, Templates and Wishlist.

From this page you can view all of your past and current quotes and orders in full. You can filter between pending quotes and orders, confirmed quotes, orders awaiting delivery, orders on hire and orders that are completed. From your order history, you can also submit amendments to contracts, providing they are within the lead time window.

Your invoice history contains detailed copies of all invoices issued to you. There are a number of different documents for you to view including: hire invoices, credit notes and loss/damage invoices. For your convenience, you can download your invoices in both pdf and excel formats.