I have a better idea: find a rental company you are comfortable with, and then build a trust-based relationship with that company over time. Personally, I would never insult the person we deal with by taking such photos in his presence. He trusts me not to beat up his equipment, and I trust him to be fair on his side of the deal. This approach works ... try it. If you don't know who to try, there are several rental companies that get consistently great reviews on this discussion board.