Using room within rented house for business

FeistyFidget

If a landlord were to be given a cash incentive to use a room within the property for business, they may comply. BUT it would probably run to the same amount as renting a room in another property.

Personally I would rather my patients see me on neutral ground rather than in your home, especially taking into account the mental health aspects?

Lagoon

poppysarah wrote: »

Why not have a ltd company which uses an accountant's address as the 'business address'

It's more to do with 'trading physically' at an address. Deliveries, customers, clients visiting all day etc.

If it is limited in numbers (as counselling would be) and hopefully there would be parking room at the property then it's unlikely anyone would ever know there was a business - and as such it could not be causing offence.

Any business that makes a noise, attracts regular footfall, large numbers of deliveries etc is likely to be a nuisance to neighbours and not be allowed.

Consider home insurance too though. You'll need liability insurance for people at your home.

It's often safer not to go behind your landlord's back like that.

As I said, there's nothing wrong with the OP using a different address for her Limited company but many landlords DON'T want you using your rented house as the registered business address at Companies House.

It's not all to do with 'trading physically' - many don't want the address of a property they own registered with Companies House whether people will be visiting regularly or not.

Lilith1980

FeistyFidget wrote: »

Personally I would rather my patients see me on neutral ground rather than in your home, especially taking into account the mental health aspects?

Yes I had considered this, although a lot of my work colleagues see their private clients at their home address and it seems to be ok.

However, given the issues that have been highlighted here, and safety/privacy issues, it would make more sense to rent a room.

Kynthia

I'd be concerned about whether trading at the property would affect the buildings insurance and public liability insurance. I'd be worried about disruption to the neighbours over noise and parking issues, whether there was any additional risk that the property would get damaged and whether it meant that your AST and tenancy rights were affected.

Werdnal

Without wishing to make any misjudgement of the sort of client you would be treating, are you really wise to be inviting them into your home? I would have thought that in your line of business, it would be much better keeping them at "arms length" and not even letting them know where you live, never mind issuing them an invitation to visit you there.

Lilith1980

I totally understand your comment Werdnal, and yes some counsellors do not want to see clients in their homes. Perhaps for others there is no other option open to them?

I myself see a therapist who I go to see at her home, and it is something that is fairly common.

Counsellors *should* complete a contract with all clients, which lays out the terms of how the counselling is delivered (days/times), payments etc. The boundaries of the working relationship are laid out in this contract as well. But of course, there are some clients who may push these boundaries and turn up unannounced but in the 4 years I have worked within this environment I have never had any of my colleagues talk about clients who have turned up unannounced or 'stalked' them. I'm not saying it doesn't happen, in fact I find it odd that I haven't heard any incidents like that.

Still, if I do go ahead with setting up a private practice I do now feel it would be better for me personally to keep it separate.

Werdnal

Not sure how it would work, but could you offer the service at the client's home, or another venue of their choice - family member, friend's home etc, where they would feel more relaxed in familiar surroundings. It would obviously mean you have to do the travelling, but you would negate the need for any invasion of your homelife or complications on your tenancy.

trailingspouse

Alarm bells of various sorts are going off in my head -
1) Whilst you are indeed OK to run a business from your home, it is not OK to have people visiting for business purposes. It has implications for your landlord's PL insurance (eg if they trip coming up the path). It has implication for your own PL insurance (eg if they trip over your hall rug). It has implications for your landlord's property insurance (eg if a door gets damaged). It has implications for your own contents insurance (what if something gets nicked?).
2) if these people are suffering from some form of mental trauma/disturbance, they might not be at all comfortable with the idea of visiting someone in their 'bedroom'.

My advice would be DON'T DO IT. Do a proper business plan, and see if the number of potential clients could support an office elsewhere.

Lilith1980

Thanks both.

Werdnal - we wouldn't offer counselling in someone else's home as there needs to be no one else present, and we don't know what sort of situation we would be going to if we went to their homes. So a neutral place would seem the way to go, rather than in my home.

Trailingspouse - I hear you about the insurance concerns and totally agree.

The only thing I would say, which I doubt has much bearing on the insurance issue anyway but I say it more to give more information, is that I am not likely going to be working with people with high levels of mental illness. I would conduct an initial assessment with them within an 'introductory session' and if I feel they are in need of other mental health services such as primary or secondary care, they would be advised of this.

Whilst I 'believe' in counselling, I think the more complex mental health issues often need to be addressed by psychologists/clinical psychologists and it is part of my role to acknowledge my own limitations and refer on where necessary. Still doesn't change that the people would have to come to my house first for the assessment, so best to steer well clear.