Policies
Rental Policies
Eligibility for Outdoor Rentals includes: UW-Madison students, faculty, staff, Union members and Conference/Seminar participants with valid badges. Wisconsin Union guests are eligible to rent canoes.
All rentals require a valid ID.
One day guest passes are available, but may not be used for overnight rentals.
Annual and lifetime memberships in the Wisconsin Union are available to purchase in the Outdoor Rentals boathouse or online.
Rental Periods
All rental equipment must be returned to Outdoor Rentals during the posted open hours.
All rented canoes must be returned to the Outdoor Rentals Boathouse by 15 minutes before sunset on the day of the rental. There are no overnight rentals for canoes, and all canoes must stay on Lake Mendota.
One-day rentals begin at the time of pick up and run until 1pm the next day.
Weekend rentals begin on Friday at noon and run until Monday at 1pm.
Week rentals begin at 1pm the day of pick-up and run until 1pm on the seventh day after pick-up.
Return condition of equipment is agreed upon in the Rental Agreement. Additional charges will be assessed for dirty, damaged, wet or lost equipment.
Late Returns are an inconvenience for everyone, especially those waiting to use the equipment. Renters will be charged double the daily rental rate for each day late.
Camping Gear Reservations
Reservations for games and camping gear must be made in person and accompanied by full payment of the rental charge. No other deposit is required. All equipment can be reserved with the exception of boats, which may only be reserved for group rentals.
Cancellations for games and camping gear reservations must be made in person at least 24 hours before a scheduled pick-up to receive a refund. No refunds will be issued for cancellations after this time. There are no refunds for early returns. Inclement weather is not considered for refund.
