Picking up your own party rentals sounds simple. Many people have the impression that all they need to do is to show up and grab some tables. Unfortunately, this is not the case.

Anyone who’s done this knows it’s never that easy. For one, you need to bring the right things to make your work easy.

Here are some of the things you need to bring with you when picking up party rentals:

A tape measure

You measured your doorway “with your eyes” and now a six-foot table is stuck sideways in your hallway. We can’t count the number of times a client has called us telling us the table they picked can’t fit their door.

To avoid this, bring a tape measure and measure your car trunk, your front door, and any tight hallway corners before you load anything.

Furniture blankets or old quilts

Rental tables and chairs get thrown around a lot. Due to this the edges are scuffed, the legs are wobbly, and you might think this is not your problem until it scratches your car’s interior or your hardwood floors at home.

What you need to do is to toss a few moving blankets or old quilts in your trunk before you go to pick your party rentals. Lay them down first, then load your rentals on top.

This way you get to protect your car.

Chair legs especially love to dig into leather seats during a bumpy drive. A cheap blanket from a thrift store costs less than a single detail job on your car. So, you have no reason not to get one.

Cash

Some rental companies want a cash deposit and won’t take a card for it. Others require a credit card hold instead of a debit card because they need that authorization line, not just the funds.

Call your rental company ahead and ask the exact form of payment they want for the deposit.

Some places also charge a separate cleaning fee upfront if you’re renting linens or dishware. Ask about every fee you will need to pay so there are no surprises.

A printed copy of your order

Phones die. Apps glitch. Warehouse wifi is famously terrible, and you don’t want to be the person standing at the counter refreshing a loading screen while a line forms behind you.

Print your confirmation and bring it with you. When the guy behind the counter says he only has eight chairs instead of ten, you want proof in your hand, not a spinning loading icon.

This matters even more when you booked online months in advance.

Remember to circle or highlight anything unusual on your order, like a specific tablecloth color or a specialty chair style. That way nothing gets swapped for “something close enough” at the last second.

Extra hands

You don’t need a crowd. You need one or two people who will be there at your pickup window, not “on their way” forty minutes late.

Rental warehouses often have narrow pickup slots, and showing up alone to load a six foot folding table by yourself is not wise.

Some tables and tent pieces need two people, not because you’re weak, but because they’re awkward and long.

Recruit help early and confirm the day before, not the morning of.

If you’re picking up something heavy like a dance floor kit or a large tent, ask the rental company directly whether it’s a two person carry.

This helps you to prepare for it.

Bungee cords and rope

Some rental companies will help secure your load. Some will hand you a roll of shrink wrap and wish you luck.

To be on the safe side bring your own bungee cords and rope. A folding table sliding around in an open trunk on the highway is most like to dent your tailgate or get damaged before the party even starts.

Ratchet straps work even better for anything on a roof rack or in a truck bed. Rope alone stretches and loosens over a bumpy drive, and you don’t want to discover that on the highway.

If you’re hauling a tent frame, secure it lengthwise, don’t tie it down in one spot. A long pole that shifts during a turn can crack against your window or worse. And you don’t want this.

A flashlight

Warehouses are dim. Storage units are dimmer. And you are trying to spot every scratch, stain, and broken leg before you sign anything.

Bring a light source so that you can inspect what you’re taking. Signing off on damage you never noticed means you will be paying for it at return.

Check the undersides of tables and the backs of chairs too, not just the surfaces facing you.

If you spot something questionable, ask the staff to make note of it. A verbal “yeah that’s fine” from an employee means nothing if it’s not written down so ensure that you write down any issues you come across.

Gloves

Linens smell like the last event. Chair frames have dust and grime baked into the joints. Tent stakes have dried mud from three weddings ago.

You don’t want to touch this with your bare hands. You should get gloves.

A cheap pair of work gloves keeps your hands clean and gives you a better grip on heavy folding tables. Your car’s steering wheel will also thank you later, especially if you’re driving straight from pickup to another errand.

Gloves also protect you from injuries. Folding chair hinges pinch, metal edges on tables can be surprisingly sharp, and you don’t want to be injured, do you?

Parting shot

These are the things you should take with you when collecting the supplies from the event rentals Rockland.

To be on the safe side, take pictures of every item before it leaves the lot, especially anything with existing wear. Timestamp them on your phone right there in the parking lot.

Doing this protects your deposit. If something gets flagged as damaged at return, you have proof it was already that way.

Photograph the load in your car too, not just the individual pieces. It shows exactly what condition everything was in when it left the building, which matters if anything shifts during transport.

Do the same thing again right before you return everything. This way you have a before and after photo comparison.