Start with what staff actually do
Before removing anyone, write down what the person on the desk does in a normal day. At most padel clubs it is the same short list: let people in, switch the lights on and off, sell balls and hire rackets, deal with a problem, and lock up. Each of those needs an answer that works with nobody there.
The checklist below is grouped the same way.
1. Getting in
- Every booking can open the door. Booking codes, a phone button, or both. Players should be able to get in with the email of anyone on the booking, not only the person who paid, because the booker is often not the first to arrive.
- A way to share entry with the group. One person books, four people arrive. The code has to travel to the other three easily.
- A fallback for the bookings that cannot be matched. Some bookings have no usable email, for example a player who signed up with a private relay address. In our study of 650 bookings that was 1.4%. Decide who they call.
- A separate code for staff and coaches, changed regularly and never shared with players.
- A log of every entry. Who opened the door, when, and with which code.
Staff still come and go at an unstaffed club, for cleaning, coaching and checks; the point is that they no longer have to be there for players to get in. Expect a few mistyped codes a day, and make sure a lock-out clears itself.
2. Lights
- Lights follow the bookings. On just before the slot, off just after it, court by court.
- A manual switch that still works. A hand, off and automatic selector at the board lets staff light a court for coaching or an event.
- A daily report of hours lit with no booking. It catches the court someone switched on by hand and forgot.
- A plan for a power cut. When the power returns, the lights should come back to the schedule, not to whatever state they were in.
3. Fire safety
This is the part that is not optional.
- A fire risk assessment that covers unstaffed hours. Under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 the responsible person must assess the risk with nobody on site, not just when staff are present.
- Exit doors must open from the inside without a code, key or button. An electric lock on an escape route has to release on a simple push, and on the fire alarm. Whatever type of lock it is, it must never stop someone leaving, including when the power is off.
- The fire alarm releases the door lock. The alarm panel's output should cut power to the lock directly, not through the booking system.
- Emergency lighting on the escape route, tested monthly.
- Clear signs for exits, the assembly point and what to do if the alarm sounds.
Get the installer and the fire risk assessor to agree the door arrangement in writing before going live.
4. Injuries and emergencies
- A first aid kit at the court, checked weekly. The Health and Safety (First-Aid) Regulations 1981 still apply to employees and good practice extends it to players.
- A defibrillator, or a sign to the nearest one, with its access code if it has one.
- The club's address and postcode on the wall, so a player calling 999 can say where they are.
- Mobile signal checked inside the hall. If it is poor, provide a phone or a help point.
- An emergency number on every booking page and on the door.
5. CCTV and data
- Cameras on the entrance and courts, with signs that say who operates them and why.
- Registration with the Information Commissioner's Office if you process personal data, which a CCTV system and a booking-linked door both do.
- A retention period written down and followed: delete footage on schedule.
- A privacy notice that covers entry logs and video, linked from the booking page.
6. Alerts
Someone has to know when something goes wrong, even if they are not on site.
- Court in use with no booking. A camera or sensor that notices people on an unbooked court.
- Door held or forced.
- The control system offline. If the unit that runs the lights and door stops reporting, someone hears about it within minutes.
- A daily summary, sent to a phone, of bookings, entries, lit hours and anything odd.
7. Cleaning and checks
- An opening and closing checklist, done by whoever visits that day, with the time recorded.
- Nets, glass, sand or turf, bins, toilets on a set rota.
- Faults reported with a photo so they can be fixed before the next booking.
8. Selling without a till
- Balls, grips and racket hire paid on the phone, with stock dispensed from a locker or left on trust.
- Deposits for hire equipment held on the card and released on return.
9. Insurance
- Tell the insurer the premises will be unattended during opening hours. Some policies have conditions for unattended premises, such as alarm or CCTV requirements.
- Public liability that covers players on site with no staff present.
- Keep the logs. Entry records and footage are what an insurer asks for after an incident.
10. A way to reach a person
Unstaffed does not mean unreachable. Put a phone number or a messaging link on the door, on the booking page and on the court. Decide who answers it, and when.
Frequently asked questions
Can a padel club legally run with no staff on site?
Yes, provided the fire risk assessment covers unstaffed hours, exit doors open from the inside without a code and release on the fire alarm, and first aid and emergency arrangements are in place. Tell your insurer the premises are unattended.
How do players get in to an unstaffed padel club?
Usually with a booking code at a keypad or a button on their phone, valid from shortly before their slot until shortly after it. Anyone on the booking should be able to get the code, and share it with the rest of the group.
What happens if the power goes off at an unstaffed club?
Exit doors must still open from the inside. When power returns, the lights and door should go back to the booking schedule automatically, and someone should get an alert that the system went offline.
Do staff still visit an unstaffed padel club?
Yes, for cleaning, checks, coaching and stock, using their own code. They no longer have to be there to let players in.
For how the door, lights and alerts work together, see running an unstaffed padel club, or book a demo to go through your own venue.
Sources: Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005; Health and Safety (First-Aid) Regulations 1981; Information Commissioner's Office guidance on video surveillance and registration; and our 650-booking study of who can get through the gate. This is a practical checklist, not legal advice: check your own arrangements with your fire risk assessor and insurer.
