A friend of mine recently moved in the country (he’s got a well paid permanent job) and is looking to rent a flat. His partner is a nail technician (manicurist) who would like to work from home.
I know that some tenancy agreements do not allow running any business from the rented property. However there are lots of different kinds of businesses that can be run from a residential property and cause little to no “noise”.
As I was told his partner’s largest equipment is a medium size table with a lamp and a dust collector, and she expects to see 2, maximum 3 clients a day. That should be causing any issues to anyone or the property, as it’s not much different to sitting at a table and doing paper work.
Is there a chance for them to find a landlord who would have no problem with that? What should they do to maximise their chances? Are they more likely to find a house rather than a residential block flat where the landlord and/or the property management rules would not be too strict?
Landlords should refuse this request. It will affect their insurance and may require planning consent from the Council and a change from domestic to business rates. Neighbours may also complain about the number of customers coming to and from the house.
So their chances landlords would agree are close to zero, and even if my friend were the landlord they would need to let know and ask for permissions from LA?
I had to ask my freeholder about this last year (I am a LL) for a tenant in a private block of flats. The issue is not so much to do with registering a business at the address as this is quite common but the comings and goings of strangers in the building. It can make other residents feel unsafe and consequently causes a breach in the ‘quiet enjoyment’ clause of my lease. Hence permission was refused. Obviously, the situation is potentially different where you have your own unique access into a building such as in a house where you are sole tenant.