Viola Hire

To rent a string instrument from us, you must bring the following items with you to our store:

+ A current driver’s licence, Australian identity card or passport. If using your passport, we will also require proof of address such as a utilities bill.
+ A valid Australian MasterCard or Visa credit card.

Yes! We can ship out rental violins and violas Australia wide, for a fee of $25. Shipping is available for cellos in the Sydney Metro area for $45. Simply fill out our order a rental instrument form, and we can get an instrument organised for you. Currently, we are not able to ship rental double basses.

You should allow at least 45 minutes at the store for us to size the player, go through the contract and process the rental for you. You can halve the amount of time you spend in-store by watching our 'How to Care For Your Stringed Instrument' video and 'Rental Terms & Conditions Explained' video before your visit.

Unfortunately no, as we prefer to sell you a brand new violin, viola, cello or double bass to ensure you are getting an instrument in perfect condition.

The rental program is not a rent-to-buy payment plan.

You can however, use your first 3 months rent as a credit towards the cost of purchasing a new instrument. Please note that this credit can only be claimed on or before that day that your rental instrument is returned, after which it is forfeited.

The instrument you can buy with your credit has to be a NEW instrument (not secondhand) and is also determined by which plan you choose. E.g if you are on the beginner plan you can use your credit towards the cost of ANY new instrument, however if you are on an intermediate plan you can only use your credit towards the purchase of an instrument from our intermediate range or above.

It is also important to note that it is only the first 3 months credit that can be used towards your purchase. E.g if you are on a beginner plan and wish to purchase an instrument after renting for 1 year, it is still only 3 months worth of rental fees that can be credited towards your purchase, and this credit must be claimed on or before the day that your rental instrument is returned.

We use credit cards both as security and future rental payments. The first rental payment and all subsequent payments must be paid via credit card, however the deposit can be paid by other methods in-store. Unfortunately if you don’t have a credit card and photo ID, we would suggest purchasing an instrument using an alternative payment method.

Yes, our rental instruments are insured for accidental damage only. This does not include broken strings or damage from heat and/or water. Please see our full list of terms and conditions or watch our 'Rental Terms & Conditions Explained' video for more information.

We do not offer partial refunds if you return your instrument any earlier than the end of the rental period, however if you are on a 3 monthly plan and you wish to switch to a month by month plan you can change at any time by emailing us or calling the store. This change would come into effect at the end of the agreed rental period, ie. you cannot switch from a 3-month contract to a 1-month contract in the middle of the rental period and have the difference refunded.

Explore the MyRental Portal for everything you need to know about your rental instrument. Whether it's checking instrument details or updating your credit card, just log in to manage your subscription. Click here to go to the MyRentalPortal Login Page.

There are a few essentials that we recommend purchasing, for the most enjoyable learning experience. See our essential accessories for beginners blogs for more info! Please note that your rental will come with rosin.

Rosin is a hard block of refined tree resin. String players apply it to the horsehair of their bow to create friction between the bow and the strings of the instrument, which causes the strings to vibrate and produce sound. Professional players apply it to their bow roughly every 4 hours of playing, however for beginners we recommend applying it to the bow once a week.

When applied to the bow, rosin turns into a fine white powder which will fall onto the strings and belly of your instrument. This powder should be cleaned off your instrument after every use using a microfibre cleaning cloth. If left on your instrument it can cause the strings to degrade faster and damage the varnish. Click here to learn more about rosin.

The foam on a shoulder rest can be difficult to clean, so for hygiene reasons we do not include shoulder rests with our rental instruments. A shoulder rest is a personal purchase based on body type, so a generic shoulder rest is not suitable for everyone. We encourage customers to purchase a shoulder rest that is most comfortable for the player and quite often one shoulder rest will be suitable for two or more sizes, so you are sure to get good value out of your purchase.

This is possible, however you must complete all of the paperwork and ID check remotely using our secure system. To start this process, please fill out the 'book a rental' form on our website and one of our team members will get back to you with instructions. You then need to notify us that someone else will be collecting the instrument.

Rental deposits are made in-store and can be paid via cash or credit card (Visa, MasterCard). The deposit is refundable (if the instrument is brought back in good condition) and must be refunded via the same payment method it was made.

Recurring rental payments are made via our automated online payment system. When you sign-up to rent your details will be entered into our system and stored securely.

As this is an automated payment system, unfortunately we are unable to stop any payments from going through until your instrument is returned to our store. You will receive notice few days before the next charge is processed.

Please note that recurring payments cannot be made with American Express, only Visa or MasterCard is accepted.

If your credit card is lost, stolen or expired, please contact us at your earliest convenience to update your payment details for the recurring payments. You can also update your payment details through our secure online payment system by simply logging into your MyRental Portal account.

For rental deposits, we must refund the deposit back on to a card under the contract holder’s name for security reasons. If the deposit was originally paid in cash then the customer must provide proof of identity before the cash is returned.

The full list of terms and conditions can be found here. If you have any questions about our Ts and Cs, please don't hesitate to get in touch via email at enquiries@violins.com.au or by phone on 02 9417 2611.