The house I currently bowl at has a table with 5 chairs in the bowling area and then other seating on the concourse level.

I prefer to sit on the lower level.

We were bowling a new team to the league the other night. When I arrived about 45 minutes early the lower area was empty except for a 3 ball roller bag and a shoe bag. None of the other teams bowlers were in sight.

I sat down at the table. About 20 minutes later one of the other teams bowlers showed up (not the owner of the equipment) and sat at the table. The rest of my team then showed up and shortly after the other teams bowlers showed.

I was told in no uncertain terms they had laid claim to the table with the equipment being in the area. The equipment belongs to an employee of the center and they were off doing some of their duties.

We moved up to the upper level and then bowled.

What is the accepted practice of claiming this area?

If someone had been there sitting in the area or if I had saw one of their team there after I saw the equipment I would have immediately moved to the upper level but since no one was around and the equipment could have been there for hours and maybe not even there team equipment I felt I had some claim to the area.

I would tell them to go pound sand. The bowler's area is for the league bowlers. It does not "belong" to one team over the other.

There are no 'dibs' in bowling.

Our house has it that the team on the odd number lane sits at the concourse table and the team on the even number table sits at the table by the approach. They had to do this because some team like the concourse table and some like the approach table and there was chaos when two teams that like the same table bowled each other.

This sounds like the best way to do it.