HOW TO HIRE · EVENTS & ENTERTAINMENT

How to hire a soft play set in the UK
The checks, the questions and the paperwork.

Soft play hire needs no licence in the UK. Here is what to check, what to ask and what the booking must say.

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THE 60-SECOND VERSION

Hiring a soft play set in five steps

  1. Measure the roomFloor area, a clear and clean floor, and space around the soft play set.
  2. Ask how it is cleanedBetween every hire, with what, and how the ball pit is cleaned.
  3. Plan an adult to superviseSmall children on soft play are watched at all times.
  4. Check any inflatableA bouncy castle in the package needs its PIPA tag or ADIPS number and inspection date.
  5. Fit delivery to the hall bookingSet-up and collection inside the hours you have paid for.

BEFORE YOU BOOK

Check before you book

No register applies

There is no statutory register for soft play hire firms anywhere in the UK, and no exam to pass before taking bookings. Unlike inflatables, foam soft play is not covered by the PIPA or ADIPS schemes in HSE's guidance, so the checks are cleaning, condition and supervision.

Speak to someone who booked the soft play set recently, and get the terms on paper first.

Any inflatable in the package

If the soft play package includes a bouncy castle or inflatable, HSE expects it to carry a numbered PIPA tag or ADIPS declaration, to have an in-service inspection at least every 12 months and to be supervised throughout.

Ask the soft play firm for the tag or declaration number of any inflatable, and its latest inspection date. hse.gov.uk →

Public liability insurance for the soft play set

Nothing in statute fixes the cover; venues set their own public liability figure and ask to see proof of it. Community halls and nurseries often require it before soft play goes in.

Find out what the venue requires, then get a copy of the soft play set's certificate showing the amount and dates.

Trader status and cancellation terms

A firm that hires out soft play set for money is a trader, which brings in the Consumer Rights Act 2015 and its promise of reasonable care and skill. A booking for a specific date is usually outside the 14-day cancellation right, as regulation 28 of the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013 excludes date-bound leisure and catering services, so the deposit terms in the soft play set's contract matter.

Read the soft play set's cancellation, deposit and postponement terms before you pay anything. legislation.gov.uk →

VAT

Soft play hire, with delivery and set-up, is standard-rated at 20%. Among soft play hire firms, any with taxable turnover above £90,000 must be registered, add the VAT and show it apart from the net figure.

Ask the soft play business for its VAT number and see the 20% added under the hire and delivery. gov.uk →

“How is the soft play cleaned between hires?”

A good answer: A clear routine from the soft play firm: wiped down with a suitable cleaner, ball pit balls cleaned or rotated.

“What ages is the soft play set for?”

A good answer: An age range, and advice on keeping babies and older children apart.

“How much floor space does the soft play need?”

A good answer: Dimensions and a clear margin around it.

“Are mats and covers in good condition?”

A good answer: A soft play firm that replaces split covers and will send recent photos.

“Is any inflatable PIPA tagged and inspected?”

A good answer: A tag or declaration number and an inspection inside the last 12 months.

“Is the soft play firm insured?”

A good answer: Public liability cover with a copy for the hall.

“When will you set up and collect?”

A good answer: Times inside the hall booking.

Getting the quote right

  • The soft play pieces, ball pit and any inflatable included
  • Delivery, set-up and collection times
  • Delivery radius and any travel charge
  • Insurance and any attendant
  • Deposit and cancellation terms
  • The soft play firm's VAT number, with VAT under hire and travel
  • Who actually attends to set up and collect, and whether they are employed or subcontracted

Walk away if

  • No cleaning routine described for the soft play
  • Split or stained covers in photos
  • An inflatable with no tag or inspection
  • Set-up time that runs past the hall booking
LOW
£100
TYPICAL
£200
HIGH
£595

What a soft play set costs: £100–£595 per day

Soft play hire is priced per day by the number of pieces, with ball pits, inflatables and delivery beyond the usual radius adding to it. Soft Play Hire price guide →

Guide prices compiled by the Locufy team from published Irish and UK provider price lists and 2026/27 cost guides. Updated 2026.

KNOW WHAT TO LOOK FOR? NOW FIND ONE

Soft play hire firms near you, with the badges that matter shown

ID checked, trader status and one score from every review — on the card, before you message anyone. Nearest first. No account needed to look.

Or post the job free and let them come to you.

  1. DeliveryThe soft play firm arrives inside the hall booking and checks the floor is clean and clear.
  2. Lay outMats down first, shapes and ball pit placed with clear space around.
  3. BriefingAge range and supervision explained to the adults.
  4. PlayAn adult watches throughout; shoes off, food and drink kept away.
  5. CollectionPieces packed and removed before the hall booking ends.

Soft play set
Foam shapes, mats, a ball pit and small slides for young children.
Ball pit
A padded pen filled with plastic balls.
PIPA tag
A numbered tag showing an inflatable has been tested; it applies to inflatables, not foam pieces.
Attendant
Staff from the hire firm who supervise; usually extra.
Delivery radius
The distance a firm delivers free before charging travel.
Public liability insurance
Cover for injury or damage caused by the hire.

AFTER

When the job is done

Keep the bookingWhat the soft play firm agreed to bring and when.
Check the hallFloor marks or damage raised with the firm and the hall.
Note any injuryAnything that happened on the soft play, in writing to the firm the same day.
Leave the reviewRate the soft play firm once the event is over — reviews on Locufy are limited to booked jobs. If something went wrong, the make-it-right step comes first: the soft play firm is asked to put it right before the review goes live.

STEP 1Put it to the soft play set in writingSay what went wrong — dirty or damaged pieces, a late delivery, items missing — and what you want, by message or email. Section 49 of the Consumer Rights Act 2015 means a soft play set must work with reasonable care and skill; where the day cannot be rerun, you can ask for a fair reduction, up to the whole price.
STEP 2Use the make-it-right step on LocufyRate the soft play set below four stars and you are asked whether to send the problem to them first; we follow it through, then your review is published.
STEP 3When the trader stops replyingNo official body supervises soft play hire firms. If the trader will not engage, Citizens Advice (0808 223 1133) covers England and Wales, Advice Direct Scotland (0808 800 9060) covers Scotland, and Consumerline (0300 123 6262) covers Northern Ireland; each can pass a complaint about soft play hire firms to Trading Standards.
STEP 4Money the soft play set will not returnThe last step against the soft play set is a small claim: up to £10,000 on the small claims track in England and Wales, up to £5,000 under simple procedure in the sheriff court in Scotland, and up to £5,000 in the small claims court in Northern Ireland.

Hiring a soft play set: questions people ask

No. Your checks are practical: the venue's rules, a written agreement for the soft play set and proof of cover.

The law is silent; the venue usually is not. Most want public liability cover from every supplier, so ask both sides.

£100 to £595 per day, typically around £200. What drives the price is in the soft play hire price guide; put your town in the search above to compare local soft play hire firms.

Pieces for babies and toddlers should be kept apart from older children. Ask the firm for an age range.

You, unless you pay for an attendant. Keep an adult watching at all times.

PIPA covers inflatables. Foam soft play does not carry one, but any bouncy castle in the package should.

MORE GUIDES

More hiring guides in events & entertainment

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Soft play hire firms near you

Soft play hire firms in LondonSoft play hire firms in ManchesterSoft play hire firms in BirminghamSoft play hire firms in GlasgowSoft play hire firms in BelfastAll soft play hire firms on Locufy →

Sources — checked October 2026

  1. HSE — bouncy castles and other play inflatables
  2. Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013, regulation 28 — contracts the cancellation right does not cover
  3. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 49 — reasonable care and skill
  4. gov.uk — make a court claim for money: court fees
  5. mygov.scot — make a court claim for money
  6. nidirect — small claims process
  7. Citizens Advice — more help with a consumer issue (England)
  8. VAT rates — VAT rates for goods and services: standard rate 20% on most goods and services
  9. GOV.UK — Register for VAT: when to register