Cleaning and Inspection: Lender Responsibilities

Every borrower expects to receive an outfit that is clean, fresh and ready to wear. As a lender, making sure your outfit is in excellent condition before every rental is one of the most important things you can do to protect your reputation and avoid disputes.

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Cleaning After Every Return

Your outfit must be cleaned between rentals. How you clean it is up to you and will depend on the garment – a simple cotton salwar kameez has very different care requirements to a heavily embellished bridal lehenga.

For more elaborate pieces with intricate embroidery, beadwork or delicate fabrics, specialist cleaning will likely be necessary. Factor this cost into your rental price when setting up your listing – it is part of the cost of running a rental and should not be listed as a separate cleaning fee in your description.

For simpler pieces, a careful hand wash or gentle machine wash on the correct setting may be sufficient. Always check the care label and use your judgement based on the garment.

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Pre-Rental Inspection

Before every handover, inspect your outfit carefully:

• Check for stains, marks or odours
• Check for missing beads, broken fastenings or loose embroidery
• Make sure the outfit is pressed, steamed and neatly presented
• Confirm all pieces are present – dupatta, belt, blouse, jacket, bag – whatever is listed

If you notice any issues that weren’t present when you last listed the item, update your listing description and photographs to reflect the current condition before the rental goes ahead.

A borrower who receives an outfit with unlisted stains or odours has the right to refuse the rental. This will result in a refund and may lead to a negative review. It is always better to flag an issue in advance than to have a borrower discover it at handover.

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What Counts as Normal Wear and Tear

Not everything that comes back from a rental is damage. Some degree of wear is expected and is not grounds for a deposit claim:

• Light marks or general dirt at the hem after an event
• A small number of missing beads consistent with the age of the garment
• Minor creasing from wear

These are considered normal usage and should be factored into your expectations as a lender.

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What Counts as Damage

Damage goes beyond normal wear and includes:

• Significant stains that require specialist treatment
• Rips, tears or split seams
• Broken zippers or fastenings
• Missing embellishments beyond minor bead loss
• Burns or snags

In these cases, the cost of repair or cleaning may be deducted from the borrower’s security deposit.

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Resolving Damage Disputes

If damage occurs, we recommend trying to reach a fair and amicable agreement with the borrower on the repair cost before escalating. Most issues can be resolved respectfully between both parties.

If you cannot agree, you can open a dispute for ViyahVogue to review and arbitrate.

A few things to bear in mind:

• Both lenders and borrowers have the opportunity to leave a review after every rental. How you handle a dispute will be visible to future borrowers
• Be fair and respectful throughout – a good outcome for both parties is always the goal
• Keep records of the outfit’s condition at handover, including photos, in case they are needed as evidence