What is required from a location owner?

Location Owner Guides and Support

Once your property is listed with Locations London, it might be two weeks or it might be two years before you get a call to say a production company has expressed an interest in using it.

Understandably, the initial excitement that your property might be used for a shoot can quickly turn to nerves, especially if you haven’t done this before. Our job is to manage your expectations and carefully navigate you through the process so that the whole experience is an enjoyable one. So let’s have a quick look at what the process might involve for you as a location owner.

Getting your location listed

There’s an initial flurry of activity involved in getting your location listed with us. We’ll require photographs of the spaces that can be used, as well as descriptions of the property. There’s more information on this in our blog ‘How to rent your property for events, filming and photography’. At this point in the process, we will answer any of your questions and concerns, and discuss any requirements and criteria that you that you may have. Once all the details are in place and you are happy with our representation agreement, we will ask you to review the photos and listing on our website before it goes live. We will always keep the location’s address and your personal details private.

Keep us updated

Should any circumstances or aspects of the property change, then we ask you to let us know. So, if you complete any building or decorating work that alters the property as it is presented in the original images and description, or if they build on the beautiful views from your back garden, then we need to know. If we don’t hear from you, we will present your property to interested production companies in good faith that nothing has changed. It’s in everyone’s interests to keep busy location managers happy, so we don’t want to send them to recce a property, only for them to discover it’s no longer suitable for their project.

Simply say yes or no

As your agent, our job is to make your life as easy as possible, so if a production company is interested in using your property, we will take care of all the details and negotiations. The first thing we’ll ascertain is the location’s availability on the date or dates required, and the budget and fees involved. Assuming you are happy with everything proposed, then we will need to arrange an initial recce so that the location manager can come and assess your property’s suitability.

Be available for recce visits

You will need to be on hand for any viewings. If it is a big or complex hire, then we will also attend. It’s perfectly usual for them to take their own photos as a personal reminder or to show a director, but it is against our terms of business for them to use the photos for any other purpose. It’s also quite likely that they will require another recce or two before they make a final decision.

Contracts

If your location is chosen we will draw up a licence agreement between you and the licensee (hirer). The agreement will cover dates, times, areas to be used, facilities, payment terms, deposits and insurance. We are highly experienced in these matters and will always ensure your best interests are served.

You don’t need to worry about anything else. Either Locations London or the licensee will take care of all other details. As a matter of courtesy you may choose to inform neighbours but rest assured, if any disruption is anticipated, the licensee will notify anyone who may be affected.

During the project

It’s your property, so you are perfectly entitled to remain on site for the duration of the project, or you can send a representative to keep an eye on things. The only thing asked, is that you keep out of the way of proceedings as much as possible. The star of the show is your property. Alternatively, you may choose to make yourself scarce, but unless you are happily providing the licensee with a key, then you will need to be there at the scheduled time to provide access and to ensure the property is secure when they leave.

Depending on the number of crew attending the shoot, you may decide to leave refreshments, but that’s entirely your choice. It won’t be expected of you. You can also stipulate what food is consumed on the property – for any religious, cultural or allergy reasons. Any specific requirements like this will be included in the contract.

Damages

It is usual for hire agreements to stipulate that the property must be returned to the owner in the same condition that it was hired out in. The licensee (hirer) will take out insurance and we will also take a damage deposit from them, which we will hold on your behalf. The deposit amount varies depending on the size of the hire and type of property. For example, we may collect a £20,000 deposit for a five-month warehouse hire, but only £1,000 for a one day shoot. The deposit can be used, where necessary, to repair any minor damage that may occur. In the unfortunate circumstance that more significant damage is done, then the insurance will cover this, and we will assist you with arranging repairs and settling the matter as quickly as possible.

As your representative agency, it is our job to make sure you are comfortable and confident at every stage of the process. We work closely with our location owners and you will be given a dedicated agent for each project, who is on hand to answer any questions and advise you. If you are interested in listing your property as a potential hire, then we’d love to hear from you, so please get in touch.