HoCo Arts has three renter types, and they are as follows:

• Community Renters: A community renter is any individual, business, or organization that occasionally rents space from HoCo Arts for arts-related events.
• Arts Advancement Organization: An Arts Advancement Organization is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization that is engaged in the production, preservation, or presentation of arts activities and has opted into HoCo Arts AAO program and paid the annual fee of $250.
• Priority Renters: A priority renter is an individual, business, or organization that rents the same space and time consistently (30 weeks or more) throughout the fiscal year. This status is granted after one year of consistent rentals as a Community Renter who remains in good standing with on-time payments, maintaining adequate insurance, and responsible renter requirements.

For all rental spaces, rental requests must be submitted no less than 30 days in advance of the first date requested, preferably 60 days. HoCo Arts accepts rental requests according to the following schedule:

Rental Requests Deadlines & Fee Structure

• 60 days in advance is recommended for new or first-time renters.
• 30 days in advance is required for all renters.
• <30 days in advance will be charged a $50.00 administration fee.
• <14 days in advance will be charged a $75.00 administration fee.

Changes to scheduled requests are subject to availability. Rental Requests made within 14 days may not be possible.

Community Renters

• Requests open June 2 for rental dates September 1 – June 30

Arts Advancement Organizations

• Requests open April 15 – deadline June 1 for rental dates September 1 – June 30

Priority Renters

• Requests open March 1 – deadline April 1 for Summer rental dates July 1 – August 31 in the BBT and Dance Studio only.
• Requests open April 1 – deadline May 1 for weekly rental dates September 1 – June 30
• Priority renters can secure their desired dates ahead of non-priority renters. However, all priority rentals are processed on a first-come, first-served basis. Late Priority Requests submitted after the deadline will be treated as non-priority and processed after Priority Renter rental requests and Arts Advancement Organization rental requests. For late submissions, a grace period of 14 days may be considered, after which requests will be fully treated as non-priority.

Rental requests must be made 30 days in advance; 60 days is preferred. Please see the document Fines and Fees Schedule for current fees for requests made less than 30 days in advance.

Rentals are not guaranteed until the required materials and rental payment have been submitted by the renter and the contract has been signed. Full payment is due with the signed contract.

The contracted room(s) will be available to you only for your contracted times. Set-up and/or clean-up must be factored into the rental time and must take place within regular business hours unless arrangements have been made in advance to secure extended hours through HoCo Arts.

Block Booking is the practice of renting a space for consecutive days, from the time the building opens until the time it closes. The purpose of block booking is to allow the renter to store items overnight, instead of having to load in and out each day of their rental.

Four room set-ups are available for Conference Room and Classroom rentals: Board Meeting, Presentation, Potluck, and Workshop.  A floor plan of each setup can be found within the Rental Request Form.

If the setup preference is indicated on the initial rental request, HoCo Arts staff will arrange furniture into the requested setups. If none of the four available room set-ups meet your needs, you may arrange furniture to your specifications upon arrival. Please plan for the additional set-up time that may be required when booking.

If, after a request is made, the renter must make a change to the requested dates, there is a 14-day window from the request date in which those requests can be made. After the 14-day window, the changes will be subject to an administrative fee. Once a contract has been finalized, any changes or cancellations will be subject to fees. Please see the Fines and Fees Schedule for details.

After the Rental Request Form has been submitted with your ideal dates and times, HoCo Arts staff will reach out to invite you for a visit if you have not yet toured the building. Existing renters do not need to schedule a walkthrough. At the walkthrough, staff will review the rental guidelines and assess the labor and technical needs for your rental. After the walkthrough, if both parties agree on rental logistics, staff will confirm the space’s availability and reserve it for the renter.

Before a contract and invoice can be issued to a new renter, three Letters of Recommendation (must include contact info for reference including name, email or phone; and speak to the renter’s previous experience in rental spaces, see more below), and a valid Certificate of Insurance must be submitted.  A contract and invoice will be issued once the Letters of Recommendation and a Certificate of Insurance have been received.

Letters of recommendation should be from venues or businesses that have been previously rented by the organization or person requesting the rental.  Letters should speak about the renter’s ability to follow the policies and procedures required by the location, note how the renter left the space after the event/rental, and the overall experience working with the renter.

This process takes time. We recommend new renters request dates at least 60 days in advance. Renters who have not rented from HoCo Arts in 3 or more years will be considered “new renters” and will be required to attend the walkthrough and provide the Letters of Recommendation.

Once the rental details are approved, the Rental Contract will be sent. The Rental Contract is comprised of three parts: Rental Contract, Rental Policies and Procedures, and a detailed invoice. Both the contract and the Policies and Procedures document must be signed and remitted along with payment in full to execute the contract. Contracts may be remitted via email, mail, or signed in person. Nonprofit renters must provide proof of 501(c)(3) status at the time of the contract signing to qualify for the non-profit rental rate.

Payment in full is due upon the signing of the rental contract. Payment includes rental of the spaces outlined in the contract along with any additional equipment or staffing fees. A separate payment for the security deposit is required. If full payment is not received, dates will be released. The security deposit will be refunded within three weeks after the event (or for renters with multiple events, the last event of the fiscal year) if the facility is found clean and in its original order and condition. Failure to comply with any of the terms of this contract may result in full or partial forfeiture of the security deposit. Please note: a $33.00 fee will be charged by HoCo Arts for EACH returned or canceled check.

A Certificate of Insurance for $1,000,000 general liability per occurrence is required for any event the Howard County Arts Council is not sponsoring. The certificate should name “Howard County Arts Council, Howard County, MD, and their elected and appointed officials, officers, employees, agents, and authorized volunteers,” as Additional Insured.

After the contract is signed, 14 days subsequent of rental request there is no fee for contract changes. 14+ days subsequent of rental the rental request being submitted will incur a fee of $10 per adjusted date plus a $50 administration fee.

HoCo Arts cancellation policy is as follows:

• After Signature: 10% deduction plus a $50 administration fee.
• Within 30 days of rental: 25% deduction plus a $50 administration fee.
• Within 14 days of rental: 50% deduction plus a $50 administration fee.
• Within 7 days of rental: Forfeit Payment.

The Rental Request Form should be submitted at least 30 days, preferably 60 days before the requested date. If you are submitting a rental request with less than 30 days lead time, please email visitorservices@hocoarts.org as well to request that the process be expedited.

HoCo Arts spaces are only available for arts-related events. Only rental requests for arts-related events will be considered.

To request space, potential renters must submit a Rental Request Form found at www.hocoarts.org/rentals. While this form allows us to check availability and tentatively hold dates and times, it does NOT guarantee rental of space, nor does it save the date.

Community Renters and any requests received after June 2 for fall through spring rentals are processed on a first-come, first-served basis.

The Rental Request Form will ask for the following:

• Organization Name
• Type of Business: Non-profit, Individual Artist, or Other
• Contact Information
  • Contact Name
  • Mailing Address
  • Work Phone
  • Home Phone
  • Cell Phone
  • Fax
  • Email
• Rental Details
  • Purpose of Rental (must be arts-related)
  • Whether the event is open to the public
  • Number of people expected
  • Number of Performers/Cast Members
• Requested Dates & Times
  • Rental Type: Single day, Multiple Days, Ongoing
  • Date(s)
  • Rental Start Time(s)
  • Rental End Time(s)
  • Room(s) Requested
  • Event Start Time(s)
  • Event End Time(s)
• Equipment & Set-Up Requirements
  • Black Box Theatre-Light and/or Sound Board (refundable $250 deposit required)
  • Black Box Theatre-Marley Floor ($100 fee)
  • Black Box Theatre-Projector
  • Conference Room-Projection Screen
  • Conference Room-Podium
  • Conference Room-Whiteboard
  • Conference Room-Flip Chart-Easel
  • Bringing Special Equipment
  • Set-Up Options
  • Board Meeting Set-up
  • Presentation Set-up
  • Workshop Set-up
  • Potluck Set-up
  • Other ($10.00 Fee)
  • Number of Tables needed
  • Number of Chairs needed