running Ebay business from rented house

owl_lover

Hi,
I'm thinking of starting up a small online business but our rental contract states something along the lines of 'premises cannot be used for business or trade'.

Does this include small scale businesses where no goods are sold on the premises?
Thanks

gjchester

Ask your rental agency or landlord, they may allow it, or if they have had problems before (due to credit issues on a property) they may decline.

Kynthia

That clause is usually put in to prevent disruption to neighbours in the form of lots of visiting customers, parking issues, noise, odours, etc. it's also to protect the property from excessive wear and tear, fire risk from hazardous items, large amounts of stock being stored there or electrical equipment, buildings insurance being invalidated, etc. However a landlord can allow it if they choose but they'd need to know the details to consider the above.

fishpond

gjchester wrote: »

Ask your rental agency or landlord, they may allow it, or if they have had problems before (due to credit issues on a property) they may decline.

Does the credit issue go on the property, or follow the person?
I know it used to go on the property, but I was sure this changed sometime ago.

Pixie5740

fishpond wrote: »

Does the credit issue go on the property, or follow the person?
I know it used to go on the property, but I was sure this changed sometime ago.

It did. Credit files belong to an individual not a property.

TrustyOven

Pixie5740 wrote: »

It did. Credit files belong to an individual not a property.

So if a person defaults on the business loans etc, do the bailiffs knock on doors / pester the new tenants after the business tenant leaves?

owl_lover

Thanks for your replies.
I'll ask agent when plans are a bit more concrete.
The credit issue won't be relevant as I'm not taking out a loan or anything.

Jagraf

If the landlord has a mortgage on the property, they would have to gt permission from the lender. Also,you would need to think about insurance etc.

owl_lover

It all seems a bit extreme when I'm planning on selling a maximum of 100 small items a week.
Would this even count as a 'business'?

PasturesNew

It does depend what you're doing and how you're running the business.

There's a difference between receiving 10 items/week from 10 delivery lorries - let's say garden furniture that you store in the garage .... and receiving 100 items/week, so small they fit into one box that's delivered by the postman that you then store in one shelving unit in the corner of your bedroom.

Jagraf

owl_lover wrote: »

It all seems a bit extreme when I'm planning on selling a maximum of 100 small items a week.
Would this even count as a 'business'?

If you are buying or making etc items to sell at a profit then yes it's a business x

There are two sides here,one is whether or not you would cause a noise etc, and the other is the legal stuff to do with running a business. It doesn't need to be complicated but you do need to make sure you do it right.