Terms and Conditions of Rental

1. Definitions

“Bus Stop Theatre Co-operative Technician” is a person who has been contracted or approved by the Bus Stop Theatre Co-operative.

“Building” is the property with the civic address of 2203 Gottingen Street, Halifax in which the rental spaces are located.

“Illicit drug” means a controlled substance or precursor the import, export, production, sale or possession of which is prohibited or restricted under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, SC 1996, c 19.

“Renter” is a group or person using a space in the Bus Stop Theatre Co-operative’s Building.

2. Terms and Conditions of Rental

The Bus Stop Theatre Co-operative operates 3 spaces at 2203 Gottingen Street: the Lobby, the Theatre and the Community Room. The Theatre and Lobby areas combined have a 149 person capacity, including artists, staff and patrons. The Community Room has 50 person capacity, including artists, staff and patrons. Each of the 3 aforementioned spaces within the Building can be rented separately or together.

A. Renting the Theatre

1. The Theatre can seat 75 seated on risers. With approval from the General Manager up to 100 can be seated with added chairs on the floor/stage area.
2. Rental of the Theatre includes the use of the backstage dressing room and bathrooms.
3. Access to all theatrical equipment is included in the rental of the Theatre. Usage of the tech room, tech booth and/or equipment is conditional (see section 3-B).
4. The Theatre can be closed off from the Lobby in a black box configuration or opened up to the Lobby in an open hall configuration.
5. The Lobby can be used as a thoroughfare or public seating/waiting area but is not included in the rental for reserved use.

2. Renting the Lobby

1. The Lobby can be added to a Theatre rental for additional performance, rehearsal, meeting or administrative space.
2. The Lobby can also be rented on its own through a Rush Rental Agreement. Rush Rentals can only be booked up to 21 days in advance.
3. The Lobby can seat 25-30 people.
4. Lobby rentals do not include use of the bar or access to the staff only area behind the bar.

3. Renting the Community Room

1. The Community Room can be added to a Theatre rental for additional performance, rehearsal, meeting or administrative space.
2. The Community Room can be rented on its own between the hours of 8am and 4pm.
3. The Community Room can also be rented outside of the 8am-4pm timeframe through a Rush Rental Agreement. Rush Rentals can only be booked up to 21 days in advance.
4. The Community Room includes use of the kitchenette, coat closets and two washrooms.
5. If rented on its own, the Community Room is only accessible through the parking lot located behind the theatre on Maitland Street.

Use of the Theatre, Lobby and Community Room is limited to the specific dates/times booked by the Renter and must conform and adhere to the following terms and conditions.

3. Rental, Access and Use

A. The agreed upon rental fee will be based on the rates provided on our website.

B. Use of equipment from the Tech Room or Tech Booth is not permitted without the permission of a Bus Stop Theatre Co-operative Technician.

C. The Bus Stop Theatre Co-operative reserves the right to cancel any rental at any time. All Rentals must be approved by the General Manager. Rental use will be evaluated upon several factors, including:

suitability to the Theatre, Lobby or Community Room;
the mandate of the Bus Stop Theatre Co-operative;
respect for the needs of the community, including but not limited to the immediate neighbours of the Building;
failure to reasonably accommodate the accessibility needs of patrons as indicated in this document;
failure to abide by the fire safety code;
failure to comply to all the terms and conditions listed in this document; and
any other factors as the Co-operative deems appropriate

D. Possession, consumption or sale of any illicit drug (see Section 1) in the Building or within the immediate vicinity of the Building, by anyone connected in any way with the Renter or the events being held in the Building (as defined in Section 2), will result in the immediate termination of this contract, the immediate forfeiture of the rental fee, and the immediate and permanent expulsion of the Renter from the building. Such incidents will be reported to police where required by law.

E. The following is not permitted and may result in further liability or cost to the renter:

Loose Glitter
Securing (screwing) into Lobby, Theatre or Community Room ceiling, floor or walls
Cigarettes, vaporizers, etc
Open flames
Non-Fire retardant draping
Use of risers above 3 feet without secured railings
Excessive use of water or damp materials that can damage the floor or equipment
Drawing on the walls/floor with chalk or chalk pens
Obstructing fire exit pathways

F. Any setup, tear down, or cleanup time must be included in the rental period (for example, if you need to access at 3:30pm to set up for a 4:00 pm event, your rental will begin at 3:30 pm. The Bus Stop Theatre Co-operative reserves the right to charge the renter for any additional time and/or costs incurred in order to return the Lobby, Theatre or Community Room to its original state. If the Renter exceeds the period of the rental, the Renter will be charged for any additional time at the standard rate of $55/hour+HST.

G. The Bus Stop Theatre Co-operative reserves the right to request event information for statistical purposes, including but not limited to names of artists, number of audience members and ticket prices.

H. Access to the area behind the bar is for water only. The refrigerators in this area are for bar use only. A mini-fridge is provided in both the dressing room of the Theatre and in the kitchenette of the Community Room for the Renter to use.

I. Access to the staff only areas (behind the bar and in the basement) is strictly prohibited to the Renter.

J. Upon request, the Renter is required to supply the Bus Stop Theatre Co-operative with up to 4 complimentary tickets to events and performances.

4. Liability

USE AT YOUR OWN RISK

The Renter promises to undertake all their activities with due care for the premises and for the health and safety of all persons they invite on the premises, including staff and members of the general public who may attend events the Renter may stage. Accordingly, the Renter assumes all liability for loss, damage to property or personal injury that may occur as a result of it or its invitees being on the premises. The Renter agrees to indemnify and hold harmless from all such losses, the Bus Stop Theatre Cooperative and its agents and representatives.

GARBAGE

The Renter is responsible for cleaning up the rented space (the Theatre, Lobby and/or Community Room) and returning it to its original condition within the rental period, including all technical equipment. The Renter will be charged for any additional time required by the Bus Stop Theatre Co-operative staff to return the rented space to its original condition at the end of a rental. In this case, the Renter will be charged at the hourly rental rate of $55/hour. Failure to restore the rented space to its original condition can result in the cancellation of any and all future rentals.

All personal belongings must be removed from the space. Renters must clean up any garbage, leave full garbage bags in the household garbage dumpster behind the building, sweep the floor, tidy the washrooms, remove any gear or equipment that was brought, and restore and organize any Bus Stop Theatre equipment used. Any and all construction material (wood, metal, furniture or set pieces, etc.) cannot be left in the building. A dumpster is available for an additional fee of $50 to fill up to half its capacity, or $100 for full capacity.

5. Supervision

A. The Renter will be able to confirm occupancy numbers at all times to ensure the rented space does not have more people than fire capacity allows (149 in the Theatre and Lobby, 50 in the Community Room).

B. The Renter will ensure that one of its officials or authorized representatives is present in the rented space when it is occupied and must be left secured when not occupied. Under no circumstances may the rented space be left occupied while unsupervised by the Renter, one of its officials or an authorized representative.

6. Fire Safety and Security

A. The Renter can hire front door security staff through the Bus Stop Theatre Co-operative for $16/hour to provide front door security for events.

B. The Bus Stop Theatre Cooperative may require security at an event for any reason.

C. Any Renters expecting more than 100 patrons is required to hire front door security.

D. All emergency exit pathways and doorways must have a minimum of 3ft clearance at all times.

E. All events held in the Theatre where an emergency exit sign is obstructed from view must be preceded by a live or recorded message informing patrons of the location of both emergency exits.

F. In the event of an emergency, Renters must be prepared to assist the Bus Stop Theatre Co-operative Staff with escorting their team, patrons and staff to safety.

7. Alcohol

A. The Bus Stop Theatre Co-operative Bar, located in the Lobby, will be open for all public events unless the Renter does not want it to be. The Bar can run as a full bar, or dry bar (no alcoholic beverages). A small rolling bar can be included in Community Room rentals upon request for a $20 fee.

B. No outside alcohol is allowed in any area of the Building.

C. Alcohol purchased at the Bus Stop Theatre Co-operative Bar can be transported and consumed in the Lobby, Theatre and backstage area. Alcohol purchased in the Community Room must be consumed in the Community Room.

D. All alcohol sales and bar operation by the Bus Stop Theatre Co-operative are limited to dates when the Theatre, Lobby and/or Community Room is being used for the presentation of the Performing Arts. The bar cannot be in operation during events that do not include live performance. In case of doubt, contact the Bus Stop Theatre Cooperative.

E. On dates when alcohol sales and bar operation by the Bus Stop Theatre Cooperative occur, the bar will only serve 60 minutes before the performance, during the performance, and 60 minutes after the performance in accordance with the limits of it’s Class A Theatre License.

F. Events with alcohol or bar operation by the Bus Stop Theatre Co-operative may be considered all ages, yet must be approved by the Bus Stop Theatre Co-operative Representative and are subject to the following conditions:

The underage attendees do not exceed more than 50 percent of total event attendees;
The Renter or an authorized representative visibly marks underage attendees and tracks numbers;
There is sufficient personnel to monitor drinking in the space.

8. Accessibility

A. Renters must endeavour to make every reasonable effort to make the Lobby, Theatre and Community Room accessible to all patrons and artists by:

Ensuring that the seating configuration allows for the viewing and participation of patrons requiring a wheelchair;
Providing free admission to interpreters accompanying a patron requiring their services; and
Removing physical obstacles that hinder the movement of wheelchairs where needed for use of the Lobby, Theatre, Community Room.

9. Promotions

The Bus Stop Theatre Co-operative agrees to promote the Renter’s event on our website, newsletter, and social media, so long as the renter submits event information to a General Manager via email no less than 21 days in advance. Additional advertising space can be purchased on digital monitors.

10. Music License

Any event that involves the performance of live music or the use of recorded music requires the acquisition of appropriate SOCAN and/or Re:Sound licenses administered through the joint venture Entandem. Licensing shall be acquired through the Bus Stop Theatre Cooperative. The appropriate fee will be added to the renter’s invoice following the event. For license categories, fees and details, please refer to the SOCAN website at socan.ca and the Re:Sound website at resound.ca.

11. Bookings and Cancellations

A. A booking will not be agreed upon or confirmed until an advance deposit of a non-refundable 25% of the total rental fee is paid. If the deposit is not paid within 10 days of receiving the invoice, the dates will be released.

B. In the case of cancellations:

For single/one day bookings, the Renter, or one of its officials or authorized representatives, must provide written notice (email is acceptable) of cancellation at least three weeks (21 days) prior to the date of the rental in order to avoid being charged the full rental fee .
For 2-7 day bookings, the Renter, or one of its officials or authorized representatives, must provide written notice (email is acceptable) of cancellation at least 2 months notice (60 days) prior to the date of the rental in order to avoid being charged the full rental fee.
For bookings of seven or more days, the Renter, or one of its officials or authorized representatives, must provide written notice (email is acceptable) of cancellation at least three months (90 days) prior to the date of the rental in order to avoid being charged the full rental fee.

C. The Bus Stop Theatre Co-operative may terminate this agreement for any reason (see Section 3). In the event of termination by the Bus Stop Theatre Co-operative prior to the event, the Bus Stop Theatre Co-operative shall not charge the renter for the remaining rental fees. The deposit is always non-refundable.

D. The Bus Stop Theatre Cooperative reserves the right to monitor any booking and may shut down any activities in process deemed to be in breach of this agreement in accordance with Section 3 of this contract. In the event that a booking is shut down in process:

The Renter would pay any and all rental fees and/or deposits associated with the booking in question;
The Renter would be required to stop its activities and vacate the premises immediately; and
The Renter would be responsible for ensuring that all guests or participants vacate the premises immediately, and for doing any cleanup required to return the rented space to its original condition in a timely fashion.

12. Payment and Late Fees

A. Non-refundable deposits are due within 10 days of receiving an invoice. Full payment of invoices is due 30 days following the last day of rental.

B. A late charge of 1% per day past the due date will be added to any overdue invoices.

C. Payment can be made by credit card through our QuickBooks invoicing portal, cheque, cash or e-transfer to payments@thebusstoptheatre.org.

D. Unpaid invoices may result in the cancellation of any future events by the Renter.

13. Acknowledgement and Acceptance of Terms:

I agree to the preceding rental terms and conditions. I understand that by checking the box in the website rental form, I agree to the terms and conditions. I am using any or all spaces in the Building operated by the Bus Stop Theatre Co-operative at my own risk and assume responsibility for any and all instances of loss, damage to property, or personal injury that may occur as a result of my activities in or near the building.