How to Rent with Lightbulb
Hours and Location
Select Your Location
Hours and Location
Office Hours
Open 9 AM - 5 PM
Monday - Friday
(Closed most National Holidays)
NYC Loading Dock
1040 Metropolitan Ave.
Brooklyn NY 11211
Hours and Location
Office Hours
Open 9 AM - 5 PM
Monday - Friday
(Closed most National Holidays)
Philly Loading Dock
4562 Worth Street
Philadelphia, PA 19124
Hours and Location
Office Hours
Open 9 AM - 5 PM
Monday - Friday
(Closed most National Holidays)
Pitt Loading Dock
1917 Brownsville Road
Pittsburgh, PA 15210
The Rental Process
Every order follows the same process:
Request
a Quote
Use our convenient Get A Quote feature to submit a gear list and ask us for pricing. Tell us about when you want to rent, how large of a budget you are working with, and if you need delivery or to rent one of our Philly studios.
Confirm your Quote
Check your quote for any notes on the equipment we are offering, and make sure everything you requested looks just the way it should. Approve your quote online in seconds from any digital device!
Sign, Pay,
& Insure
We make it simple to securely sign the rental agreement, pay for your order through our Payment Portal, and then submit a Certificate of Insurance. (We can advise you on insurance!)
Pickup
your Gear
Come to the shop at your assigned pickup time to grab your gear! Go make your movie and have a great time!
What Do I Need to Rent from Lightbulb?
Equipment Insurance
We expect customers to purchase their own rented equipment insurance policy from a reputable US Insurance vendor. Customers must provide us a copy before checking any hardware out of the warehouse.
Your rental agreement will include a total of the cost to replace all of the items in the event of theft or damage. This will tell you how much coverage you will need to get for the project.
For Production Insurance brokers, visit our Insurance Coverage page for some great recommendations!
Payment by credit/debit card
We have an easy-to-use Lightbulb Payment Portal. We will send you a link to fill out a quick form with your card's information, and then payment will be processed immediately.
You will receive an email copy of the receipt for your records, and your job's final invoice will reflect those payments.
A Vehicle for Gear
Gear can be tough to move. Plan ahead, and think about the dimensions of your vehicle and what you're ordering.
If you are looking to rent a van or a truck, we can offer Cargo vans and 16' Box trucks on our Vehicle Rental page.
If you're looking to rent your own vehicle, we recommend trying Uhaul or Penske. For NYC productions, you can talk to Courier Car Rentals and Edge Auto Rentals for vans and trucks.
If you're not sure what vehicle to bring, feel free to ask your rental agent for an estimate. We'll take our best guess from our experience!
Rental Paperwork
You're gonna love this - There is none. There are no PDF's, no application forms, no clicking furiously, no printing anything out. Zero. We're completely paperless and PDF-Free!
Once you reach out to us to start an order, we will get you a rental quote as quickly as possible. Then we collect all the rest of the info we need from you effortlessly as the order comes together. But we promise we will never make you fill out PDFs, send in PDF credit card forms, or anything of the sort.
If you are representing a company that needs a formal legal review of a rental contract, we can offer a generic copy of the rental contract for review that includes the maximum length contract text. Our rental software dynamically-updates the rental agreement to fit your job (meaning sections are added or removed as appropriate). Since this is algorithmically-generated and we cannot edit it for a single customer on our end, there are no alterations accepted for the rental contract. Please let your legal team know this before they begin their review.
FAQ
General Questions
Sure! We offer free consultations to help you figure out what gear list you need for your job. We help point out safety considerations, transportation restrictions, advice on options, and ways to save money. Feel free to reach out to or 516 515 1514 and let us know what you're trying to do! We love to help.
The website lists prices as Daily or Weekly. We follow a standard rental billing discount process:
If you pickup an order after 4PM the day before your order, and return by 10AM the day after your job, your quote will reflect a 1-Day rental.
Weekends are 1-Day Rental as well (Pickup Friday 4pm-6pm, Return Monday 9-11AM)
Any rental that's shorter than 7 calendar days (excluding pickup/return) will be charged at a 3-Day rate.
Rentals longer than 7 days should get in touch directly and we can cut you a deal for long-term jobs!
All the time! We offer both a reduced number of rental days (see "How do Rental Rates Work?" above) and then we offer a percentage discount on top of that, depending on the size of your order and what kind of budget you're working with.
The smartest way to get a good discount up front is to tell us what budget you are working with and what gear you need. We are much better at crunching rental pricing to fit a specific budget than when clients tell us "Give us as low of a price as you can". The latter option will rarely get you as-good of a discount as naming a specific budget!
New clients should submit their Gear List and Billing Information at least 24 hours prior to their rental. We will need time to setup your account before prepping your gear. Please take the time to start your rental process by phone or email early, and then we will have the hardware ready for pickup right when you arrive!
We do not offer vehicles for rental right now, but we plan to start doing so soon. In the meantime, we recommend either hiring us to deliver your equipment and pick it up.
If you are looking to rent a van or a truck for a longer job, we recommend the Uhaul, located around the corner from our shop. For larger productions, you can talk to Courier Car Rentals and Edge Auto Rentals for vans and trucks.
For orders under $3000 in replacement value and without name-brand hardware, we offer the ability to take a Card Hold instead of requiring insurance on limited occasions. Please ask your rental agent if this will be available for you. The Rental Manager evaluates Card Holds on a case-by-case basis.
We require a full deposit of the rental cost (100% of the rental agreement) to be paid by Cash, Check, Credit, or Debit before your order is picked up. This is not negotiable for new customers.
We offer Net30 for exceptional clients who have completed either $20,000 in business for each of 3 months prior, or 10 successfully-completed rentals in the past 6 months with no outstanding costs. If your company has reached either of those milestones and would like to set up Net30, please reach out to the Rental Manager to open a Net30 account and we will be happy to discuss.
RENTAL REFUND WINDOW:
If you have more than 72hrs to go before your rental begins, you can reach out to us and we can refund up to 94% of your rental. Why 94? We still have to pay the credit card transaction fees (3% to charge, 3% to refund) regardless of the business and those fees are not refundable.
Once a rental order is placed and confirmed by signature, that order is no longer refundable if it is less than 72hrs before the rental period begins (including holidays/weekend days).
ERRORS:
If we have made an error that we diagnose as being due to a failure to act, an omission, or a mistake on our part, we are happy to refund the appropriate part of your rental order. So if you get something that does not work or does not match what's on your contract, we will work with you to make it right as best we can.
MALFUNCTIONING EQUIPMENT:
We will not refund equipment that is claimed to be malfunctioning without a call to Lightbulb Rentals emergency line at the time of failure and an opportunity to triage the hardware with your crew by phone. If you choose to rent equipment from another vendor without giving us an opportunity to triage or repair our equipment, we cannot guarantee that our hardware fees will be refunded. We will not cover the cost of a rental from a competitor without prior agreement.
If equipment damage or failure is first-announced at check-in or afterward, there are no refunds for hardware. (due to failure to follow the triage procedure in previous paragraph)
FAILURE TO SUPPLY EQUIPMENT:
If we are unable to supply certain hardware due to unforeseen shortages, we will gladly refund that hardware from your order after the order is returned.
HOW WE PROCESS REFUNDS:
Once an order is confirmed and paid, that first credit card payment for 100% of the rental cost is considered the deposit on the order. After the deposit is placed, all future adds/drops, swaps, and changes to the order will be collected and then charged once at the end of the order (Either a charge or a refund, depending on the final order balance). We do this to minimize the number of receipts your production accounting team has to process at the end of the order.
All payment refunds will be through the same method of payment for the order, and will be processed within 14 days of the end of the order, barring any delays (like waiting for repair costs from another vendor or pricing)
We cannot send a refund to anyone other than the person who paid for the order. If you need a refund to be sent to someone else, then the fastest method is for us to refund the charge to the card-on-file, and then you can disperse the funds from the card to your intended recipient.
Taxes & Paperwork
New clients should submit their Gear List and Billing Information at least 24 hours prior to their rental. We will need time to setup your account before prepping your gear. Please take the time to start your rental process by phone or email early, and then we will have the hardware ready for pickup right when you arrive!
Please see our 2021 W9 here and our ST-121 Resale Tax Exemption Template forms.
For 501C3 federally-registered exempt entities (charities, religious orgs) that have a NYS Exempt Organization Certificate, please submit a copy of your IRS Declaration letter (on IRS Letterhead) that states your exact organization name that matches what's on your Rental Agreement and Certificate of Insurance.
Along with the IRS Declaration letter, please fill out and submit a NYS ST119.1 exempt entities tax form (This form must be requested directly from NYS at 1 (518) 485-2889). That form will require your Exempt Organization Certificate number, and that number is not the same as your EIN/FEIN number.
Great! We are happy to offer exemptions with the submission of an NYS ST 120 or 121 tax exempt form.
Once you have registered with NYS Tax and Finance and received a pink Certificate of Authority form, then you will submit one of the following forms to the rental office for exemption:
If you are the production company producing a project for Film/TV/Web series, then you will submit this ST121 form to exempt the equipment rental and purchase.
NYS ST-120 forms are appropriate for business renting to each other, when neither is producing a Film/Tv/Web series. This would be rental-house-to-house, or Rental-house-to-broker-company.
IMPORTANT: Registering for a Certificate of Authority may have tax implications for your business beyond your rental period. Please speak to your business's accountant to make sure your registration is handled properly.
Production companies who are registered outside NY still must register for a Certificate of Authority from NY State Tax and Finance and submit an NYS ST-120 form or ST121 form to our office. (See "LLC" question above if you need guidance on which form to use)
IMPORTANT: Registering for a Certificate of Authority may have tax implications for your business beyond your rental period. Please speak to your business's accountant to make sure your registration is handled properly.
Insurance Questions
Lightbulb does not offer insurance directly (We are not a broker or carrier), and there are too many variables in insurance for us to be able to give you an estimate.
We recommend reaching out to our insurance partner, Athos Insurance, to apply for coverage!
Athos has a few options for online insurance policies that cover a wide range of entertainment-related needs.
If you have insurance-related questions, reach out to Athos Insurance's Customer Service Team:
"Exclusion for Theft from an Unattended Vehicle" means if someone breaks into your car and steals the equipment, the insurance company will not cover the incident. We require all Exclusions for Theft from an Unattended Vehicle be removed from your insurance policy.
"My Company is listed as the Insured. Is that ok?": As long as your Company's Name and Address matches what's on the Rental Agreement, that is fine. If not, the Account Holder's name must be added as the Insured.
"I'm the account holder, but would like to use my friend's insurance.": No. We can only accept the Account Holder's Insurance. Another person/Company's Insurance will not be accepted, because their policy will not legally cover your rental.
"I am currently in college and using my school's insurance. Only my school can be listed as the Insured.": We ask that the school's Insurance Company add your name as a C./O., DBA, or listed in the description with the project's name. We also will need the contact information for your Student Coordinator and have them provide a list of currently enrolled students in the program.
On a limited basis, we can offer a Card Hold for $300-1000 (Hold Value) instead of insurance. The Hold Value must be placed on the same card you pay for the order with. This Card Hold should only be placed on a Credit Card, and not a Debit card.
The Card Hold will give us some guarantee that we will be able to cover our losses if the equipment is lost or stolen. The Card Hold will expire after the equipment is returned on-time in good condition, with no lasting fee. If the order is not returned properly, then we will apply the Hold Value to the bill and let you know if there's any outstanding costs for you to cover.
Once you pay for the rental cost of your order and your rental agent knows you want to do a Card Hold, you will going to see a second credit card receipt show up in your email for the agreed hold amount. That's not a charge, it's an authorization hold on the card. Meaning it will reduce your available spending balance on the credit card for 7-14 days.
Once we place the hold, we cannot remove it ourselves. It becomes an issue with your bank if you need it removed early. If not, it will expire on its own without any action from you or us. We cannot reach out to your bank to discuss the hold, only the Card Holder can do that.
If you have used a debit card, then it will show as a reduced balance and the bank may hold it for 30+ days at their discretion. (This is why we advise people not to use Debit cards for holds!)
The Card Hold is not a limiting value on any replacement or repair costs, it's simply the first place we will charge if any costs are accrued. Any balance remaining after the hold is used will be invoiced to you for prompt payment.
The Rental Cost and the Replacement Value of the equipment are two separate values, and both must be paid concurrently (one-following-the-other) in the event of loss or damage. The Rental Cost covers the cost of preparing the rental, inspecting the gear, and operational overhead for our company. The Replacement Value is the cost to get our equipment working again after loss or damage. In the event that equipment is lost/damaged, then we have already completed the whole rental operation before needing to replace the hardware. So both must be paid as separate values.
For more answers about insurance, we have a whole page about Insurance Coverage. You can also find links to our insurance partner, Athos Insurance, to easily apply for a quote online.
Vehicle & Logistics Questions
We do not offer vehicles for rental right now, but we plan to start doing so soon. In the meantime, we recommend either hiring us to deliver your equipment and pick it up.
If you are looking to rent a van or a truck for a longer job, we recommend the local Uhaul around the corner. For larger productions, you can talk to Courier Car Rentals and Edge Auto Rentals for vans and trucks.
Ultimately your production is responsible for arriving with suitable transportation, but we're happy to look over your order and provide our best guess as to whether a sedan, cargo/sprinter van, or box truck would be most appropriate. Read over your rental agreement and check to see if there are any "oversized" items like round/square pipe, large carts or hampers, 4' x 4' flags, and any other items that immediately disqualify smaller vehicles. Will your crew members be working out of the vehicle, necessitating a lift gate or higher ceilings for easier loading? Will your production be relying on this vehicle to transport the gear of other departments like camera, art, or wardrobe? These may help inform the best transportation for you.
New York City
The address to the entrance of our loading dock is 1040 Metropolitan Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11211 and is marked with yellow posts, it's the only lot you can turn into between Morgan Ave and the BP gas station. You can also search for Lightbulb Grip Loading Dock on Google Maps.
Philadelphia
Information coming soon.
Pittsburgh
Information coming soon.
Customers are responsible for the operation and packing of their own vehicles. When possible our team will gladly help shuttle your order from the warehouse floor to the loading dock and assist by handing items to your pickup agent to load. For liability and insurance reasons we are NOT able to pass the threshold of your vehicle, but we like to help as much as we can!
For general safety, please secure your equipment with ratchet straps or sash cord when appropriate. Ask us if you need any advice on what should go where or if you require assistance with safely moving an item. We recommend at least two or more people from your team attend pickups and returns for larger orders. Hiring production assistants skilled at maneuvering vehicles and neatly packing an order can prevent the damage of equipment in transit and get your production out the door efficiently!
When it comes time to deliver or pick up a scheduled order, our driver will attempt to make contact with your production with an ETA and confirmation of address. If there are any special delivery instructions that haven't yet been communicated, this is a good opportunity to do so. Our driver will get as close to your location as safety and traffic allows. Someone from your production MUST meet them curbside to accept the order before unloading can begin. Our staff will assist with getting your equipment to the closest safe holding area like a public lobby, or just within the doorway of your location, but cannot go or move gear beyond that point. We are not able to walk through your location, go up floors, or move equipment more than a reasonable distance. Please plan ahead to have a crew member present for curbside contact, and extra hands on deck for shuttling equipment if needed. This can greatly speed up deliveries.
Miscommunication about delivery address, time, or our curbside policies may result in extra fees or an inability to deliver your order.
For more information on our delivery service pricing and policies, please visit our delivery page.
Have more questions? Give us a shout and we'll be happy to help!