If you are a licensed stylist or nail technician in Orange County weighing up a booth rental, the hardest part is that nobody publishes real numbers. Salons quote you on the walkthrough, the quote depends on what they think you will pay, and you leave without knowing whether it was fair.
So this guide does two things. It publishes our actual rates, and it gives you the questions to ask at any salon you tour — including ours. I own Kija Hair Salon and I rent stations here, so I have an obvious interest in you renting one. Read the checklist with that in mind; it is written to be useful whether you sign with us or somewhere else.
What booth rental actually is
Booth rental is not a job. You are not an employee, you are not paid a wage or a commission split, and the salon does not direct your work. You rent a physical space by the week and run your own business inside it. You set your prices, choose your product lines, keep your own books, and keep everything you earn after the rent.
That independence is the whole point, and it is also the risk. There is no guaranteed income. A slow month is entirely yours. Most stylists who move to booth rental do it once they have a book of clients who will follow them.
What a station costs in Irvine
Here is what we charge, as of this writing:
| Station type | Weekly rate | New-renter offer |
|---|---|---|
| Open-floor hair station | $250 per week | First two weeks free |
| Full-size manicure station | $225 per week | First two weeks free |
No commission, no percentage of your service revenue, no product markup taken off the top. The weekly rate is the whole arrangement.
Rates in Orange County vary a great deal by city, by whether the station is on an open floor or inside a private suite, and by what the salon includes. A private suite will always cost more than an open-floor station, because you are renting walls. Decide which one you actually need before you compare prices, or you will compare two different products.
The nine questions to ask before you sign
1. What exactly is included in the rent?
Get it itemised. Shampoo bowl access, towels and laundry, back-bar product, storage, utilities, Wi-Fi, reception coverage. A cheaper rate that excludes laundry and back bar is not cheaper.
2. How many people share the shampoo area?
This is the bottleneck that decides whether you can run back-to-back appointments. Ask how many bowls there are and how many renters share them. We have two professional bowls in a designated shampoo area.
3. What are the building hours, and can I work outside them?
If the salon closes at 5pm and your clients finish work at 5pm, that is a real constraint on your income. Ask directly whether you have access outside posted hours. Our salon is open to clients Tuesday to Saturday, 9am to 5pm, but every renter here gets their own key and 24/7 access, so you can book clients early mornings, evenings and Sundays.
4. Is there a lease, and how long is it?
Week to week, month to month, or a fixed term? What notice do you have to give, and what notice does the owner have to give you? Get the answer in writing before you move a single tool in.
5. What deposit is required, and what brings it back?
Ask what condition the station has to be left in, and whether the deposit is refundable if you give proper notice.
6. Can I use and retail my own product lines?
Some salons require you to use house product or forbid you from retailing anything that competes with theirs. If retail is part of your income, this question is worth money to you.
7. Who owns the client relationship?
Ask whether there is any non-compete or non-solicitation clause, and what happens to clients who booked through the salon if you leave. This is the single question most likely to cause a problem later, and the one people are most embarrassed to ask.
8. What is the walk-in situation, honestly?
Walk-in traffic is a genuine benefit of a plaza location, but do not let it be sold to you as a business plan. Ask roughly how many walk-ins the salon sees, how they are distributed among renters, and whether anyone has first refusal.
9. Where do clients park?
Unglamorous, and it affects rebooking more than people expect. Ask whether parking is validated, shared with other businesses, or tight at particular hours.
The five conditions California sets for booth renters
California treats a licensed barber or cosmetologist as a genuine independent contractor only if the arrangement meets a specific set of conditions. Broadly, you need to set your own rates, process your own payments and be paid directly by clients; set your own hours and choose which clients you take; keep your own book of business and schedule your own appointments; hold your own business license in addition to your professional licence; and, where you rent space in a salon, issue a Form 1099 to the salon owner you rent from.
If a salon is setting your prices, assigning you clients, or controlling your schedule while calling you a renter, the arrangement does not look like booth rental — and that exposure runs in both directions. This is a summary rather than legal advice, and the details matter for your specific situation, so confirm anything consequential with the California Board of Barbering and Cosmetology or your own advisor before you sign.
What we offer at Kija
We have been on Yale Avenue in Irvine since 2011. Right now we have two open-floor hair stations and one full-size manicure station available. The rent includes the shampoo area with two professional bowls, drawers at your station for your tools, and a client waiting area, in a modern, quiet, drama-free space. You control your service menu, your pricing, your schedule and your products, and you keep 100% of what you earn.
We are currently accepting licensed cosmetologists and nail technicians. It is an independent rental, not an employment position.
Come and look at the space
The only way to judge a salon is to stand in it on a working day. You are welcome to come and see the floor, meet the people already renting here, and ask every question above.
Text Reza at (949) 966-8774 with your name, licence type and which station you are interested in — texting is the fastest way to reach me. If you would rather write, send a message here and I will reply in writing.
Full rates, amenities and answers to more questions are on the station rental page. If you would like a sense of the people you would be sharing the floor with, they are on Meet Our Team.