Film Location Rental Checklist: Before, During, and After the Shoot
Most location checklists online are written for producers scouting your property. This one is written for you, the owner handing over the keys. Twenty-four checkable items across four phases, built from the California Film Commission's property owner guidance and platform protection terms.
Before a film shoot, a property owner needs four things in hand: a signed location agreement, a Certificate of Insurance with at least $1 million in general liability, an additional insured endorsement naming the owner, and a timestamped photo baseline of every room. During the shoot, floors stay covered, walls stay untouched without approval, and large trucks stay off the driveway. After wrap, the owner walks the property with the location manager against the baseline before the last truck leaves, and reports any damage in writing within the platform's window, 14 days on Peerspace.
Before you sign: the contract phase
Signed location agreement
Scope of permitted use, exact dates, which rooms and grounds are included, restoration obligation, and compensation. Our property protection guide covers the eight clauses that matter.
Certificate of Insurance received
At least $1 million general liability per occurrence. According to Akker Insurance's 2026 guide, $1 million per occurrence and $2 million aggregate are the standard minimums productions carry.
Additional insured endorsement naming you
The California Film Commission is specific on this: the COI alone is not enough. The endorsement is what extends the production's coverage to you and lets you claim against their policy directly.
Policy dates and activities verified
Confirm the policy covers the exact shoot dates including prep and strike days, and the planned activities. Stunts, special effects, and drones are often separate coverages.
Fee structure set, prep and strike priced
Typical daily fees run $1,000 to $5,000. The CFC recommends a sliding scale based on budget and crew size, with prep and strike days at one-third to one-half of the filming rate. Filming days average 12 hours, so define what counts as overtime.
Your own insurer notified
According to the Insurance Information Institute, standard homeowners policies do not cover business activities in the home, and some insurers require notice or an endorsement for even a one-time rental. Call before, not after.
Before the crew arrives: the baseline phase
Timestamped photo or video baseline of every room
The CFC tells owners to photograph the property before filming. Shoot every room the same way you will after wrap: wide shots plus close-ups of floors, walls, ceilings, and anything already damaged. This baseline is what every insurance layer will ask for.
Ceilings, curtains, and light-adjacent surfaces photographed
Hot film lights scorch walls, ceilings, curtains, and plants, per the CFC. Scorch marks hide above eye level, so capture them deliberately in the baseline.
Valuables and heirlooms moved by a bonded mover
The CFC recommends anything irreplaceable be moved out by a bonded mover at the production's expense, not carried to the garage by the crew.
Inventory list of what stays
Furniture, art, electronics, kitchenware. You cannot claim a missing item you cannot prove was there. Our missing items guide covers the workflow.
Prep scope agreed in writing
Per the CFC, prep can include gels on windows, furniture removal, painting, flats, props, and even removing doors. Everything done must be listed and reversed during strike. Know what is planned before it happens.
Parking and truck plan confirmed
A feature can bring 10 to 25 equipment trucks and 60 to 95 cars, per the CFC, and large trucks should never sit on a residential driveway: their weight cracks concrete and crushes sprinkler lines. Agree where the honeywagon and grip trucks go.
Shoot days: the watch phase
You or a representative reachable
Owners stay out of the way during filming, but decisions come up. If you cannot be there, Giggster notes a film site representative can watch the property for roughly $100 to $300 or more per day.
Floors covered wherever crew walk
The CFC's rule: all floors where crew will walk or stand get covered. If you see bare hardwood under a dolly path, say something that day, not at wrap.
Nothing on walls without approval
No nails, tape, or pushpins without your sign-off, per the CFC. Approvals go in writing, even a text message.
House rules holding: no eating, drinking, or smoking inside
A standard CFC-recommended rule. Craft services and catering (the 30 to 50 foot catering truck) stay outside or in a designated area.
Light placement checked against scorch risk
Lights placed so they cannot scorch walls, ceilings, curtains, or plants. A quick daily glance at fixtures near fabric is the cheapest damage prevention on this list.
Changes logged as they happen
If the crew repaints a wall or moves a built-in, photograph it when it happens. Mid-shoot photos date the change to the production, which matters if restoration falls short.
After wrap: the walkthrough phase
Walkthrough with the location manager
The CFC says to walk the property with the location manager after the shoot wraps. Do it before the crew disperses; the location manager is the person accountable for returning the property to its original condition.
Room-by-room comparison against the baseline
Same angles as your before photos: floors, walls, ceilings, curtains, driveway, sprinklers. Comparing photo to photo catches what a memory-based walkthrough misses. This is the comparison RapidEye automates for property operators, flagging differences between before and after documentation automatically.
Prep changes reversed
Paint restored, flats removed, doors rehung, furniture back in position per your inventory list. Restoration is the production's obligation; verify it item by item.
Inventory reconciled
Count what stayed against your list. Missing items discovered weeks later are nearly impossible to claim; missing items flagged at the walkthrough usually turn up in a prop truck.
Damage reported in writing, inside the window
Anything found goes to the location manager and the production office in writing, with photos. Platform windows are hard deadlines: Peerspace's Property Damage Guarantee requires reports within 14 days of the booking.
Final payment and deposit reconciled
Confirm overtime, prep and strike day fees, and any agreed damage deductions before releasing the security deposit or signing off on the final invoice.
Who to talk to at each step: the location scout finds the property, the location manager runs it day to day and owes you the restored property, and the unit production manager or producer signs the checks. The first assistant director runs the set itself. When something goes wrong, start with the location manager.
Frequently asked questions
What should I check before letting a film crew into my property?
Four things are non-negotiable before prep day: a signed location agreement covering scope, restoration, and fees; a Certificate of Insurance showing at least $1 million in general liability; an additional insured endorsement naming you or your company specifically; and a complete timestamped photo or video baseline of every room. The California Film Commission also recommends notifying your own insurer, agreeing on floor protection and wall rules in writing, and arranging a bonded mover for anything irreplaceable.
Should I be present during the shoot?
You or a representative should be reachable, but owners are generally expected to stay out of the way during filming. If you cannot be present, platforms like Giggster note you can hire a film site representative for roughly $100 to $300 or more per day to watch the property on your behalf. The key contact on set is the location manager, who is responsible for the property before, during, and after the shoot.
What happens to my property on a prep day?
Prep days come before filming and are when the crew transforms the space. According to the California Film Commission, prep can involve covering or removing signage, applying gels to windows, removing or rearranging furniture, painting walls, erecting flats (wood panels built to resemble walls), adding props, and even removing doors. Everything done in prep must be reversed during strike. The CFC recommends charging one-third to one-half of your daily filming rate for prep and strike days.
What should the final walkthrough cover?
Walk the property with the location manager before the last truck leaves, comparing each room against your pre-shoot baseline photos. Check floors for scratches, walls for fastener holes and paint differences, ceilings and curtains for scorch marks from lights, driveways and sprinklers for truck damage, and verify furniture is back in position and nothing is missing. Report any damage in writing immediately; if you booked through Peerspace, its Property Damage Guarantee requires reporting within 14 days.
How much should I charge?
Typical daily location fees run $1,000 to $5,000 depending on the property and production type; Giggster reports its average host earns $2,027 per booking. The California Film Commission recommends a sliding scale based on the production's budget and crew size, with prep and strike days billed at one-third to one-half of the filming day rate. Remember filming days are long: the CFC puts the average at 12 hours.
More in this series
How to Protect Your Property When Renting to Film Productions Film Location Damage: What Production Companies Break and Who Pays How to Track Missing Items After Renting Out Your PropertySources
- California Film Commission, "Your Property in a Starring Role" (revised April 2024)https://cdn.film.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Your-Property-In-A-Starring-Role-1.pdf
- Insurance Information Institute, "Coverage for renting out your home"https://www.iii.org/article/coverage-for-renting-out-your-home
- Peerspace, "Property Damage Guarantee"https://www.peerspace.com/resources/property-damage-guarantee/
- Giggster, "Rent Your House for Filming: Earn More Than With Airbnb"https://blog.giggster.com/rent-house-for-film-location/
- Akker Insurance, "Film Production Insurance: The Complete 2026 Guide"https://www.akkerins.com/new-blog/film-production-insurance-complete-guide-2026