Hire Policies and Guidelines

Please find below some points which may help to guide you in organising your function at Administrator House, noted as “the venue” below.

Deposit/ Invoicing: Once your date is secured, we may have to decline other bookings. For this reason, a 50% of the venue fee and venue service fee is required to secure your date.  Additional deposit invoices to cover your food/estimation of your beverage requirements, technical and sundry requirements will be raised once details of your event are confirmed.  Final pre-event invoices will be raised prior to the event and are payable with 7 days of the event.  A final invoice to cover any variance between beverages allocated and those actually consumed will be issued immediately after the function and requires immediate payment via internet banking or eftpos transaction at the conclusion of the function.  All deposit amounts and payment timing will be confirmed to each hirer per function.

Damages: Given the unique nature of our venue, which includes a significant art collection, we want to ensure the preservation of the space. Therefore, in the event of any damage to the venue, loss or damage to venue property or equipment, or any loss or damage to supplier equipment, including linens, charges will be applied accordingly.

Prohibited items:

• Stiletto heels (narrower than 1cm). Please ensure your invitation notes this exclusion.  If you are in any doubt about your guest’s footwear, the hirer must have available some heel protectors for your guests to slide onto their heels.

• Fireworks/Pyrotechnics/Sparklers/Naked flames/Candles/Lanterns.

• Unsuitable decorations such as paper confetti, glitter, streamers and fake petals, screws, nails, tacks or strong adhesive materials on the walls or floors.

Removal of Artwork: Removal of artwork can be facilitated at an additional cost. Alternatively, self-supported (freestanding) draping in front of the pieces can be permitted via our technical supplier.

Venue suppliers:  To ensure compliance with our Health and Safety requirements and ensure the exclusivity of our events, all venue & onsite event management, catering, supply of beverages and technical equipment must be provided by the designated venue suppliers. 

No beverages can be sold without a special license granted by the Liquor Licensing Authority. Failure to comply may result in fines of $20,000 and/or closure of the event. Our caterers will be responsible for serving any beverages and will implement host responsibility practices accordingly. No BYO/ self- serve beverages will be permitted by any guests. We do allow wedding cakes to be provided from external commercial providers to our designated caterer(s). As required by the Law, guests may be required to display proof of age. ID is required without exception. Personal verification will not be accepted. Any expenses, disbursement and legal costs incurred by either party in the enforcement of any rights contained in this agreement shall be paid by you, including any reasonable legal fees or debt collection agency fees and our normal charge out rates. 

Trading Hours:   Each function will have a specific time allocated for set-up, the event and pack-down.  If additional hours are required, there will be an additional charge to cover staff and the allocation of time for other events.  Last drinks will be served by 11.30pm, with guests having vacated the premises by no later than 12:00am based on host responsibility guidelines for beverage service using our preferred caterer. No refund of anticipated hours will be made due to earlier departure. 

Public Holidays: Additional costs will be incurred should you wish to set-up, hold your event or pack down from your event on a Public Holiday in line with NZ holiday legislation.  These charges will be confirmed as required with each hirer.

Postponement: We understand that sometimes, dates need to move due to ill- health or unforeseen circumstances. We are happy to work with you to reschedule another date in the future. We cannot guarantee your second choose date will be available but will work with you to reach a mutually agreeable rescheduled date and resolution. Once the initial or rescheduled date is confirmed, the venue will transfer your deposit and booking contract to the new date. All postponements must be in writing. If your function cannot proceed due to Government/ external factors such as a COVID19 lockdown, border closures or specific one-off event that the venue has no control over which adversely affects the attendance of a 50% or more of your guests, we are happy to work with you to reschedule another date in the future.

Venue Cancellation: Should unforeseen circumstances arise resulting in a full cancellation of your event date with no possibility of rescheduling, a sliding scale of cancellation fee will apply based on the final agreed date of the proposed event: 

• Cancellation prior to 8 weeks of scheduled event, 50% of venue fee may be refunded.

• Cancellation less than 8 weeks of scheduled event, 0% of venue fee may be refunded.

• Catering/ technical/ theming/ additional suppliers cancellation fees (if arranged by the venue) may apply in addition to the venue fees based on the date of cancellation from actual event date and degree to which produce/ special arrangements have been made for your function (eg: if catering produce has been ordered for your event).

Covid-19/ Pandemic Government regulations:  For the safety of our staff and your guests, as a venue we will comply with all recommended Ministry of Health regulations pertinent at the time of viewing the venue and holding your function.  We will confirm what requirements are relevant with you at the specific time including any requirements for maximum guest numbers, vaccination passes, scanning of QR codes at the venue, seating and distancing guidelines.  As changes in levels are totally outside our control, we will work closely with clients and suppliers to reschedule events and minimise cancellation fees accordingly. 

Venue Access/ rehearsals: The hours of access will be confirmed with each booking as per the agreed runsheet. Extra venue service charges may apply if you require additional access to the venue outside our standard access times. All functions must conclude by midnight on the day of the event and all guests must vacate the premises by 12:30am immediately after the function concludes. 

Noise: In our inner-city environment, we do need to be considerate to our residential neighbours. Music levels will be monitored during the function and will be gradually reduced as the evening progresses for consideration purposes.  The maximum noise level at any time is 65DMP at the property boundary.  The latest time for music to be played to is 1130pm.   We can recommend musicians/ groups that comply, or you can bring your own. Additional technical requirements are to be provided by our designated venue entertainment/technical providers. We recommend small acoustic style groups are best suited to this venue with no drums or heavy bass. 

Guest Numbers: All dietaries and confirmation of final guest numbers attending your function must be given 14 days prior to the reserved date. (Please note the final guest numbers confirmed will be the number charged for by our caterer(s), or the contracted number –whichever is higher.  Once final guest numbers are confirmed, the invoice will reflect this number irrespective of actual guest numbers dropping.  Guest numbers can be increased, not decreased within 7 days of the event date. 

Health and Safey: The venue have a first aid kit and defibrillator onsite and key event staff have First Aid training.

Insurance: All personal items brought to the venue by the guests or hirer, are their responsibility. The venue owners take no responsibility for and damage/ loss of guests personal items during the function. It is the responsibility of the hirer to ensure that all decorations/ personal property is uplifted from the venue immediately after the function (or by arrangement with the venue within 24hrs of the conclusion of the function). We recommend all hirers take out event/ personal liability insurance as required. Gifts must be taken away from premises immediately following the event. Corporate hirers must provide details of their public liability insurance cover (a min of five million dollars cover is required). 

Smoking/ Vaping: Administrator House is a vape and smoke free environment.  Smoking and vaping can be undertaken outside the venue on the opposite side of the road.  

Cleaning: General cleaning after your event will be included in your venue services fee, with the exception of excessive cleaning which will be invoiced accordingly.

Photography: Any photographs of your event may be used in Administrator House for promotional/ advertising/ social media purposes unless notified by the hirer in writing at the time of booking your event. We welcome any photographs from your event as we build up a gallery of photographs showing the venue in use. 

Privacy Policy: At Administrator House, we are committed to protecting your privacy. We may collect personal information that you voluntarily provide to us, including your name, email address, phone number, and any other information you choose to provide. We will not share your information with any third party, and you can opt-out of receiving promotional communications from us by following the instructions in those communications.