For thirty people in a garden you need four 180 cm tables, thirty chairs and a 3×3 gazebo. Rented, they cost €100 to €150 for the weekend. Bought, they cost €700 to €900 and then take up a garage for eleven months. A folding chair rents for €1.50 to €3, a table for €8 to €12, a gazebo for €30 to €60 a day. Peer to peer you spend about half, but you do the transport.
Working out quantities is the part everyone gets wrong. Transport is the second. The rest is easy.
Prices
| Item | Event rental company | Peer to peer | New |
|---|---|---|---|
| Folding chair, plastic or wood | €1.50–3/day | €0.50–1.50/day | €15–25 |
| Folding table 180×75 cm (6–8 seats) | €8–12/day | €4–8/day | €60–100 |
| Table with benches (beer garden set) | €15–25/day | €8–15/day | €100–180 |
| Pop-up gazebo 3×3 m | €30–60/day | €20–35/day | €100–250 |
| Gazebo 3×6 m | €60–120/day | €40–60/day | €250–500 |
| Fabric tablecloth | €4–8 each | rare | €15–30 |
| Delivery and collection | €30–80 each way | by agreement |
Event rental companies have a minimum order, often €80 to €100, and charge for delivery. Below that figure, or for a twenty-person party, peer-to-peer rental costs less even counting the fuel.
How many you need
A 180 cm table seats six comfortably, eight tightly. For a seated lunch count one table per six guests. For a standing buffet, one table per fifteen people for the food is enough, plus chairs for a third of the guests: the elderly and the children sit, the others move around.
- 20 people seated: 3–4 tables, 20 chairs, 1 gazebo 3×3 for the buffet.
- 30 people seated: 5 tables, 30 chairs, 1 gazebo 3×6 or 2 of 3×3.
- 50 people seated: 8 tables, 50 chairs, 3 gazebos 3×3.
- 50 people buffet: 4 tables, 18 chairs, 2 gazebos.
Always add two chairs and half a table. Someone brings a friend, and everyone forgets the drinks table.
A 3×3 gazebo covers one 180 cm table with chairs around it, not two. If lunch is under the June sun, you need a gazebo per table or one large marquee.
Transport
Thirty plastic folding chairs weigh 90 to 120 kg and fill the boot of an estate car with the seats down, nothing else. Suitcase-fold 180 cm tables stand upright behind the seats, four at a time. A 3×3 gazebo in its bag is 160 cm long and weighs 20 to 30 kg.
For thirty people, make two trips with a large car, or one with a van. If the rental company delivers for €40, on a €120 order it is often worth it.
A pop-up gazebo takes two people five minutes to put up. It must be weighted: 15 kg per leg with weights or sandbags, or stakes in the grass. An unweighted gazebo in a gust of wind flies into the neighbour’s garden and comes back with a bent frame, and you pay for that.
When and where people search
Table and chair rental searches rise from April and stay high until September, with peaks on the weekends of May (communions), June (end of school and weddings) and September. The Italian cities with the most searches are Padua, Udine, Milan and Rome. Gazebos are also searched with a city name attached, a sign that people want to collect nearby.
Book two weeks ahead for a Saturday in May or June. On a weekday or in July you can find everything the day before.
If you already own tables and chairs
Someone who bought twenty chairs for a communion uses them once a year. Listed at €1 each, for eight parties between May and September, they make €160. Three beer garden sets at €10 each make another €240. Not big figures, but these are objects that do not break, need no maintenance and are handed over in the yard.
In the listing write the exact number, the table dimensions, the chair material and weight, and a photo with everything set out. People renting chairs for a party want to know they all match. Our guide on how much you can earn renting out your stuff has figures by category. On Sharepact every rental is insured and every renter is ID-verified.
FAQ
Plastic or wooden chairs?
Plastic for a garden birthday: light, hose them down, half the price. Wood or the classic white folding chairs for a wedding or a photographed communion.
Are tablecloths included?
Almost never. Rental companies add them at €4 to €8 each. Peer to peer, buy paper or non-woven ones: €1 to €2 per table.
How soon does everything go back?
Rental companies collect on Monday morning, and the weekend counts as one day. Peer to peer, agree the time in the chat: Sunday evening after cleaning up is the most common choice, and the chairs go back folded and free of crumbs.
What if a chair breaks?
Rental companies have a damage price list, €15 to €25 per chair. Peer to peer, agree it beforehand. On Sharepact the deposit and insurance cover damage, as explained in our guide on renting out safely.
