Using a private residence for teaching

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Using a private residence for teaching

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lorraineliyanage	Jun 8 2012, 11:55 AM Post #1
Advanced Member Group: Members Posts: 862 Joined: 17-October 05 From: S. London Member No.: 5008	I am looking into using a flat that I own for teaching. It is currently rented out to tenants and the lease states that it can only be used as a private residence. Does anyone know if it would be possible to convert it to be used for teaching? I would fully sound-proofing it and use a digital piano, but of course if it is not possible to have the management company in agreement with this, I wouldn't want to spend the money and then find out that teaching from home would not be possible.

jm-hamilton	Jun 8 2012, 12:24 PM Post #2
Virtuoso Group: Members Posts: 2218 Joined: 4-January 05 From: By the sea Member No.: 2857	The obvious first step is for you to talk to the management agency before you do anything else. I would have thought that you are looking at a change of use, from a residence to a business, unless you are intending to live in the flat yourself and teach a few pupils from home.

lorraineliyanage	Jun 8 2012, 01:08 PM Post #3
Advanced Member Group: Members Posts: 862 Joined: 17-October 05 From: S. London Member No.: 5008	Yes will give that a try - worth an ask if I show I am prepared to soundproof it and limit the disruption to neighbours where possible. There is the possibility that I would rent the flat to a teacher who would work from there, I am not sure if that would make any difference to the management company.

owainsutton	Jun 8 2012, 03:43 PM Post #4
Prodigy Group: Members Posts: 1694 Joined: 28-January 09 From: Altrincham Member No.: 53883	QUOTE(jm-hamilton @ Jun 8 2012, 01:24 PM) The obvious first step is for you to talk to the management agency before you do anything else. I would have thought that you are looking at a change of use, from a residence to a business, unless you are intending to live in the flat yourself and teach a few pupils from home. Yes - if the residence, or particular rooms, become devoted solely to business use other than a home office, it can get very complicated. The management company might also have concerns over their own insurance liability regarding business visitors.

flautistphilosoper	Jun 8 2012, 05:37 PM Post #5
Advanced Member Group: Members Posts: 120 Joined: 6-September 07 Member No.: 15739	Are you sure you want to go down this route, as opposed to just using the flat as residence and studio? have you considered that you might end up paying business rates on the flat?

lorraineliyanage	Jun 8 2012, 05:50 PM Post #6
Advanced Member Group: Members Posts: 862 Joined: 17-October 05 From: S. London Member No.: 5008	It would be a residence used as a studio, not just a business premise. I couldn't afford to pay business rates and all that associated stuff!

flautistphilosoper	Jun 8 2012, 06:01 PM Post #7
Advanced Member Group: Members Posts: 120 Joined: 6-September 07 Member No.: 15739	If that is the case there should be no problem with the lease as you are not changing use. If you go down the "change of use" road you might well have a council busybody knocking on your door for rates!

owainsutton	Jun 8 2012, 06:02 PM Post #8
Prodigy Group: Members Posts: 1694 Joined: 28-January 09 From: Altrincham Member No.: 53883	QUOTE(lorraineliyanage @ Jun 8 2012, 06:50 PM) It would be a residence used as a studio, not just a business premise. I couldn't afford to pay business rates and all that associated stuff! To clarify, do you mean with you, or someone else, actually living there? You can't simply declare it to 'be' a residence, if it's not actually got any residents, as the use it's actually put to is what decides what tax liabilities are incurred.

lorraineliyanage	Jun 8 2012, 06:16 PM Post #9
Advanced Member Group: Members Posts: 862 Joined: 17-October 05 From: S. London Member No.: 5008	Hopefully it will rent to a piano teacher that already works with me which would be the ideal scenario.

LizzieT	Jun 9 2012, 08:04 AM Post #10
Advanced Member Group: Members Posts: 773 Joined: 7-March 06 Member No.: 6386	Would the students be passing through communal areas? Where would they park? These are the kind of concerns the management company will have, in addition to noise considerations. Even if they did agree beforehand, if just one neighbour gets upset and starts pestering the management company waving a copy of the lease at them, they might cave in. Sorry to be so negative but you are right to consider all this before going ahead.

BadStrad	Jun 9 2012, 09:06 AM Post #11
Prodigy Group: Members Posts: 1516 Joined: 28-January 10 Member No.: 88756	You'll also need to check with your insurers. Some won't insure you if you have business visitors (ie in your case students/pupils) visiting you at home.

owainsutton	Jun 9 2012, 10:01 AM Post #12
Prodigy Group: Members Posts: 1694 Joined: 28-January 09 From: Altrincham Member No.: 53883	QUOTE(BadStrad @ Jun 9 2012, 10:06 AM) You'll also need to check with your insurers. Some won't insure you if you have business visitors (ie in your case students/pupils) visiting you at home. I'd suggest that the majority won't - at least that's my experience. The management company might have concerns along these lines, too, as to whether their own insurance policies cover things like public liability, accidental (or deliberate) damage to communal areas, etc. For public liability, at least, you might find that ISM or MU policies cover the communal areas, but you'll need to check with them.

Deborah	Jun 11 2012, 08:37 PM Post #13
Virtuoso Group: Members Posts: 5624 Joined: 16-December 04 From: Monsalvat, Valhalla Member No.: 2747	QUOTE(jm-hamilton @ Jun 8 2012, 12:24 PM) The obvious first step is for you to talk to the management agency before you do anything else. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/agree.gif) Also check the terms of the lease yourself - what does it say about noise? About time of noise? About musical instruments? About running a business from the premise? Whilst most management companies tend to be on the ball, some aren't (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sad.gif) Are you on good enough terms with the other residents in the block to find out how they'd feel about it? A friend of mine bought a flat but realised too late that she couldn't teach from it, so jokingly claims that she teaches from her parents' cupboard under the stairs (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)

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