City provides rentals through Home Equipment Rental Program

San Marcos residents have the opportunity to rent various tools and equipment through the  Home Equipment Rental Program and Block Party Trailer rental, available through the City of San Marcos Neighborhood Enhancement Department. 

The Home Equipment Rental Program provides home improvement equipment for those looking to complete a project at home or avoid any city code compliance violations. 

“Instead of being, you know, punitive in any way we want to help people and try to help them make the improvements if they don't have the equipment,” said Tiffany Harris, Community Vitality Coordinator for the City of San Marcos. 

Equipment available for rental includes a curb painting kit, a fence staining kit, a power washing kit and a tree trimming kit. The equipment can be rented online at www.sanmarcostx.gov/help or by contacting Harris at 512-393-8443 or tharris@sanmarcostx.gov.

“It's a short little reservation form that they fill out. We have a no liability waiver, your standard liability waiver,” Harris said. 

Once booked, equipment can be rented and kept Monday through Friday or Friday through Sunday. 

“They can either have it for the weekend or for the week. But you know, I have had people that have maybe needed it a little bit longer, and I've been able to accommodate them, but generally that's the reservation,” Harris said. 

For rental pick-up, residents can come on the day they're due to pick up the equipment from Neighborhood Enhancement at City Hall building 5. A driver's license or a form of valid identification is also needed when picking up rentals. 

A block party trailer is also available to rent through the city for neighborhood gatherings and events. 

The trailer includes six 6-foot folding tables, four folding picnic tables, 32 folding chairs, four ice chests, three water coolers, and games like corn hole, giant Jenga and a sound system. 

According to the city website, “If you plan to close your street for the block party, you will be required to complete a block party road closure permit application a minimum of 15 days prior to the event. However, you do not need to complete a permit application if your event will be held on private property or will not be block the roadway (cars can pass by).” 

Those interested in the trailer rental can book it online at sanmarcostx.gov/blockparty. Rather than an extended rental period, the trailer will be delivered and picked up by city staff on the day of the scheduled event. 

“It’s not for the week or the weekend basically, it's for whatever day their event is,” Harris said. 

The rental programs are free of charge and are exclusively for residents of San Marcos. For questions or additional information on rental programs, visit www.sanmarcostx.gov/701/Neighborhood-Enhancement.