What do you need to rent a salon chair in Perth? An equipment and supplies checklist

Abby's take

What this means for the industry — and for independents

Industry impact. Chair-rental offers can look similar while allocating equipment, product, cleaning and system costs very differently. Western Australia's hairdressing guideline also connects the physical setup with hygiene duties, including suitable cleanable equipment, handwashing, instrument cleaning, linen handling and waste procedures.

For freelancers. For a hairdresser moving into a rented chair, an unclear inclusions list can create duplicate purchases, a disrupted first day or a weekly cost that is materially higher than the advertised chair fee. The useful comparison is the complete working setup, not the furniture visible during an inspection.

What I'd do next

• Ask the host for a written inclusions and exclusions list covering furniture, basins, utilities, laundry, cleaning, storage, stock, software and payment facilities.
• Build your own kit list by service category so every tool and consumable has a named owner, storage location and replacement plan.
• Walk through the hygiene process for instruments, linen, spills, waste and shared surfaces before assuming the host handles any of it.
• Add every item you must provide to your start-up and weekly cost model before comparing the chair fee with your expected client revenue.

Watch-out. Inclusions vary by workspace and agreement. WA Health guidance and local requirements should be checked against the services you actually provide, and the signed agreement should record the allocation of equipment and operating responsibilities.

Start with three columns: fixed, shared and yours

The cleanest way to audit a chair-rental setup is to divide everything into three groups. Fixed items stay with the workspace: the chair, mirror, basin, lighting and utilities. Shared items may include laundry, reception areas, cleaning equipment or backbar. Personal business items include your tools, colour or retail stock, client records, booking system and payment account.

Do not assume that an item sitting in the salon is included in your fee or available whenever you need it. Record the owner, access rules, replacement responsibility and any extra charge. If the answer is unclear during the inspection, treat it as a question to resolve before signing rather than a free inclusion.

Use the chair-rental agreement questions before you sign

Check the physical station and washing setup

Confirm exactly which chair and mirror you will use, whether a trolley is supplied, how many basins serve the working area and where electrical tools can be used safely. Ask about lighting, power points, ventilation, hot water, client seating and access to toilets and handwashing facilities. These are operating basics, not decorative extras.

The WA Department of Health guideline for the hairdressing industry says premises should have suitable, easy-to-clean equipment, adequate lighting and ventilation, enough warm potable water and appropriate areas for handwashing, hair washing and cleaning instruments. The host may manage the premises, but you still need to understand how the setup supports the procedures you perform.

Review the WA hair salon hygiene checklist

Separate professional tools from salon infrastructure

List the tools required for every service you plan to sell: scissors, combs, brushes, clips, sectioning tools, clippers, dryers, hot tools, scales, timers and protective equipment where relevant. Note which items must be tested, maintained, disinfected or replaced and where they can be stored securely between working days.

A host may supply some electrical equipment or none. If equipment is shared, ask who checks it, what happens when it fails and whether a backup is available. If you bring your own, confirm storage, electrical safety expectations and whether you must remove it after each shift.

Make product and consumable ownership explicit

Colour, developer, treatments, shampoo, styling products, foils, gloves, neck strips and disposable items can turn a simple chair fee into a very different weekly cost. Ask whether any backbar is included, whether there is a product-use charge and whether you are free to choose your own professional range under the agreement.

For colour work, map each service formula to the stock and consumables it uses. Include wastage and the cash tied up in holding a workable range. A low chair fee is not automatically cheaper if you must duplicate a large inventory or repeatedly make urgent stock purchases.

Consider whether host salon products should be compulsory · Put the complete operating cost into the income calculator

Resolve linen, cleaning and waste before the first client

Confirm whether towels, capes and gowns are supplied, who launders them, where clean and used linen is stored and whether laundry is included in the fee. The WA guideline says clean linen should be stored in a clean, dry area and used linen handled and washed appropriately. A shared laundry cupboard is not a complete process unless responsibility is clear.

Do the same for disinfectant, detergent, surface cleaning, hair disposal, general waste and the response to a cut or blood spill. Write down who cleans the station between clients and at the end of the day. Shared space works best when a duty has an owner rather than an assumption.

Do not forget the systems clients cannot see

Ask whether you need your own booking software, phone number, website, Wi-Fi access, card terminal, invoicing system and client-record process. Confirm whether the host receives calls or walk-ins for you and whether any fee or commission applies. If the host offers a system, establish whether your business controls its own data and can export permitted records if the arrangement ends.

Storage also belongs in this systems list. Check what can remain onsite, who has access, whether chemicals can be stored safely and what happens on days you are not working. If your kit must travel each day, allow for setup time, secure transport and the risk of forgetting a critical item.

Turn the inspection into a true-cost comparison

After the visit, price every item marked yours: one-off tools and stock, recurring product and laundry costs, software, payment fees, insurance, maintenance and unpaid setup or pack-down time. Then compare workspaces on the total cost of delivering your real service menu, not on rent alone.

Attach the final inclusions list to the agreement or have the agreement state it clearly. A good checklist protects both parties because it reduces arguments about missing stock, cleaning, damage and access later. It also gives you a realistic launch budget before a client is booked.

Explore the Perth chair-rental information page

Common questions