Running a Home Business From a Rental Property
One of the most important things to keep in mind is that some rental properties do not allow you to run a home business. It may be that your contract specifically prohibits the property from being used for anything other than living in.
It is also essential to know that some of your residential tenancy act rights might be affected depending on what’s in the contract.
And it’s worth noting that if you are in the middle of a dispute or housing disrepair claims from your landlord, it’s probably not the best idea to start a home business.
However, if it is legal for you to run a business from your rental property, here are a few simple tips to help.
Nothing permanent
While you might be tempted to screw giant pinboards and heavy shelving into a would-be home office, reconsider the action. You need to leave the walls with as minor damage as possible.
And while screwing in a pinboard might not seem like damage, you are putting holes in the wall.
Where possible, opt for light white pinboards; simply use a sticky Velcro tab to stick to the walls. Or avoid the walls altogether.
Clients
If you have clients to the property, you’ll need to make sure it is somewhere comfortable for them to be. Typically, you might see giant artwork, many plants, and a very comfortable seating area in an office.
If this isn’t something that you can provide in your rental home, but it might be worth considering hiring a coworking space just for the sake of face-to-face meetings with clients.
Most often, coworking spaces are beautifully decorated and highly budget-friendly, and if you have a membership, you can work there before and after the meeting.
It is also worth considering that if you have clients coming to the property, the winter of your property might also be increased.
Type of business
If you have yet to start a business or are just considering working from your rental property, then a few of the more lightweight freelancing options are probably better.
Translation work, freelance writing, blogging, and content creating typically aren’t too heavy on the home.
Read more: How To Master The Art Of Blogging
And again, if you have a shared rental, where you have one or more people in the building you are not related to, you are potentially breaking some confidentiality rules within your agreements. It is always essential to put the privacy of your clients first.
Insurance
Most freelancers will need to be insured. You’ll need to check with your landlord to make sure that your insurance will not impact stairs, and since you’re running a business from home, if you need to make any adjustments to that insurance.
For example, if the things you use for your business like your printer, laptop, and mobile phone were to be damaged, you’ll need to know who insurance will come under.
Will it come under the home and contents insurance, the business insurance, or does your landlord have a different type of insurance on the property?
It isn’t impossible to run a business from a rented property; you just need to know the contract and what it entails.
