A water cooler contract is the agreement you sign when you rent a water cooler. It sets out how long you rent the cooler for, what you pay, what the supplier does for you and how the agreement ends. Some suppliers call it a water cooler lease or a rental agreement. They mean the same thing.
This guide explains how our own contracts work, taken from our rented equipment terms and conditions, and what to look for in anyone’s. Your signed agreement is what counts, so check it for anything specific to you.
Our water cooler contract at a glance
| Topic | What our agreement says |
|---|---|
| First term | 12 months |
| Renewal | Renews automatically for 12 months at a time |
| Cancelling | In writing, at least 30 days before the anniversary date |
| Included | Installation, sanitising, filters, repairs, parts, labour and call-outs |
| Payment | Rental charges plus VAT, with invoices due within 30 days |
| Bottled water | At least 13 bottles every 12 months, with a refundable deposit on each |
| Prices | Can go up during the agreement |
| Short-term hire | Available for events, film and TV sets and building sites |
How long is a water cooler contract?
Ours start with a 12-month first term, which is written on your agreement. When that ends, the agreement renews automatically for another 12 months, and keeps renewing each year until you cancel.
Terms vary between suppliers, so check the first term and the renewal period before you sign. If you only need a cooler for a few weeks, we also offer short-term contracts for events, film and TV sets and construction sites.
What does a water cooler contract include?
When you rent a water cooler from us, the contract covers:
- Installation by a WHA-qualified engineer
- Regular sanitising to WHA standards
- A new filter every 6 months on mains-fed coolers
- A fresh machine twice a year on bottled coolers
- Repairs, parts, labour and call-outs
- Free delivery of bottled water within 5 working days of your order
What do you pay under a water cooler contract?
You pay the rental charges on your agreement, plus VAT. Invoices are due within 30 days.
On a bottled cooler you also pay for the water. An opened bottle should be used within 28 days, so our terms ask bottled customers to take at least 13 bottles every 12 months. Each bottle carries a refundable deposit, which you get back when the bottle comes back in good condition.
Two more terms are worth knowing. Our prices can go up during the agreement. And we may replace pipework and fittings at intervals we set, at a cost of £99.95, which you pay.
What are you responsible for?
Under our terms, you agree to:
- Keep the cooler and bottles clean and use them properly
- Leave repairs to us, and not refill or reuse our bottles
- Keep the cooler at the address on your agreement, unless we agree in writing to move it
- Turn the water supply off when the cooler won’t be used for a while
- Arrange yearly electrical safety testing of the cooler and keep written records
- Pay for loss of, or damage to, the cooler or bottles
How do you cancel a water cooler contract?
Tell us in writing at least 30 days before the anniversary of your agreement. If your notice reaches us later than that, the agreement runs on to the next anniversary. It helps to put the anniversary date in your diary the day you sign.
When the agreement ends, we collect the cooler and bottles. The cooler should come back in the condition it arrived in, apart from normal wear and tear, and we refund the deposit on bottles returned in good condition.
If an agreement ends because the terms haven’t been kept, for example unpaid invoices, our terms allow a cancellation charge of £125 and a collection charge of £25 per cooler.
Moving to us from another supplier? Read how to switch water cooler supplier first.
Is a water cooler lease the same as a rental?
In practice, yes. With a water cooler lease or a rental, you pay to use a cooler the supplier owns, and it goes back to them at the end. Check the agreement rather than the name. The length, the renewal terms and what’s included matter more than what it’s called.
Can you change your cooler during the contract?
If your needs change, call us on 01392 877 172 and we’ll talk through a different cooler.
We may also swap your cooler for a comparable model during the agreement. If we do, the same terms apply to the new machine.
What to check before you sign a water cooler contract
Whoever you rent from, check these points first:
- How long the first term is
- When it renews, and for how long
- How much notice you must give, and how you give it
- What’s included, such as sanitising, filters, repairs, call-outs and deliveries
- Any minimum water order
- Deposits, and when you get them back
- Whether prices can rise during the agreement
- Any charges for parts, ending the agreement or collecting the cooler
- Who pays if the cooler is lost or damaged
- Whether you can try the cooler first
Still deciding whether to rent at all? Our guide on whether to rent or buy a water cooler compares the two. We rent coolers across the UK from local teams in Exeter, Plymouth, Swindon, London, Portsmouth, Walsall and Scotland, and you can try one free for 10 days.
FAQs
Does a water cooler contract renew automatically?
Ours does. After the first 12 months it renews for 12 months at a time, unless you cancel in writing at least 30 days before the anniversary date.
Can I cancel a water cooler contract early?
Our agreements end on an anniversary date, with written notice at least 30 days before. If your circumstances change part way through, call us to talk it through.
Can I move my rented water cooler?
Only with our written consent. Under our terms, the cooler stays at the address on your agreement. If you’re moving premises, talk to us first and we’ll arrange it.
Who pays if a rented water cooler breaks?
We do, for faults. Repairs, parts, labour and call-outs are part of your rental. If the cooler is lost or damaged, our terms make you responsible for the cost.
