Freelancing from rented property
Thread poster: Evangelia Mouma
Evangelia Mouma
Evangelia Mouma  Identity Verified
Greece
Local time: 14:57
English to Greek
+ ...
Oct 23, 2014

Hello!

I just moved to London and I am about to rent a flat and start living and working here. One of the terms in the tenancy contract is that I should not run a business in the property. I also found out on the internet that freelancers / sole traders do not have to report a place of business for taxation purposes.

Can you please tell me if I can live and work as a freelancer in rented property?
(In my country freelancers need to report a business address, is
... See more
Hello!

I just moved to London and I am about to rent a flat and start living and working here. One of the terms in the tenancy contract is that I should not run a business in the property. I also found out on the internet that freelancers / sole traders do not have to report a place of business for taxation purposes.

Can you please tell me if I can live and work as a freelancer in rented property?
(In my country freelancers need to report a business address, is it different in the UK?)

Thank you!
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Nikki Graham
Nikki Graham  Identity Verified
United Kingdom
Local time: 14:57
Spanish to English
Should be fine Oct 23, 2014

My husband works in the tenancy area and he says that this clause predates the time when people sat at home working on their computers. The aim is to stop people running a business that creates noise, with a workshop, which involves leaving hazardous material on the property, or which would potentially annoy neighbours as it would involve people visiting the property (hairdressing salon or massage business, for example). Translating on a computer is not going to annoy anyone and should be fine, ... See more
My husband works in the tenancy area and he says that this clause predates the time when people sat at home working on their computers. The aim is to stop people running a business that creates noise, with a workshop, which involves leaving hazardous material on the property, or which would potentially annoy neighbours as it would involve people visiting the property (hairdressing salon or massage business, for example). Translating on a computer is not going to annoy anyone and should be fine, but just to be 100% sure you should check with the landlord.Collapse


 
Asta Arminen (X)
Asta Arminen (X)  Identity Verified

Local time: 14:57
Finnish to English
+ ...
Freelance translation OK Oct 23, 2014

I live in Ireland, where contracts usually contain a similar clause. When I was renting, I checked with the potential landlords, and none of them had a problem with me running a freelance translation business in a rented property.

But as Nikki said, your best bet is checking with the landlord.

HTH,
Asta


 
Evangelia Mouma
Evangelia Mouma  Identity Verified
Greece
Local time: 14:57
English to Greek
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
Thank you Oct 23, 2014

Thank you, ladies!

Ok, the question regarding the landlord does not seem to be a big issue. How about when I fill in my taxation form? Will I need to state where my business is located or since I am a freelancer this means I do not run a business? This question may sound absurd but please bear with me because in my country freelancers have to state the place of their business, even if this place is their home. If this holds in the UK too, then I will need the consent of the landlord
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Thank you, ladies!

Ok, the question regarding the landlord does not seem to be a big issue. How about when I fill in my taxation form? Will I need to state where my business is located or since I am a freelancer this means I do not run a business? This question may sound absurd but please bear with me because in my country freelancers have to state the place of their business, even if this place is their home. If this holds in the UK too, then I will need the consent of the landlord to write in the taxation form that my place of business is his home.
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magdadh
magdadh
United Kingdom
Local time: 14:57
Polish to English
+ ...
Yes, you need to report your address on the tax return... Jan 23, 2015

...but tbh I just cannot imagine a situation when you would need to have your landlord's consent. Even if you run a business from a different property, you might want to use your home address as mailing address for various reasons.

For example you could provide hairdressing or gardening service at customers' homes -- or let's say interpreting, to keep it within this forum's remit -- and you would still put your home address as your business address even though it's NOT where you ac
... See more
...but tbh I just cannot imagine a situation when you would need to have your landlord's consent. Even if you run a business from a different property, you might want to use your home address as mailing address for various reasons.

For example you could provide hairdressing or gardening service at customers' homes -- or let's say interpreting, to keep it within this forum's remit -- and you would still put your home address as your business address even though it's NOT where you actually work.

I lived in numerous rented properties since I became self employed sole trader (doing all kinds of things either physically at home or not), always gave my home address as the business address and never once had any problem with it at all.


The only difficulty I could potentially envisage is IF you wanted to claim some of your rent as expenses, which would I THINK (but I am not sure) somewhat imply that a section of the property becomes a business rather then residential, which has implications for council tax/rates that could affect the landlord, if someone made the connection.

This would actually require a degree of data sharing and co-operation between various branches of administration that don't, in my experience, tend to do it at all (ie local council vs HMRC).
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Evangelia Mouma
Evangelia Mouma  Identity Verified
Greece
Local time: 14:57
English to Greek
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
@ magdadh Jan 24, 2015

Thank you so much for your reply. This exactly what I was asking about.

 
stephenward
stephenward
United Kingdom
Local time: 14:57
Thanks! May 19, 2015

It's a great information. I am looking for becoming a freelancer. Right now I am doing job and in future looking to work of my own. My landlord said I am not allowed to have any letters on the name of business. It can contain my name but not the business name.

magdadh wrote:

...but tbh I just cannot imagine a situation when you would need to have your landlord's consent. Even if you run a business from a different property, you might want to use your home address as mailing address for various reasons.

For example you could provide hairdressing or gardening service at customers' homes -- or let's say interpreting, to keep it within this forum's remit -- and you would still put your home address as your business address even though it's NOT where you actually work.

I lived in numerous rented properties since I became self employed sole trader (doing all kinds of things either physically at home or not), always gave my home address as the business address and never once had any problem with it at all.


The only difficulty I could potentially envisage is IF you wanted to claim some of your rent as expenses, which would I THINK (but I am not sure) somewhat imply that a section of the property becomes a business rather then residential, which has implications for council tax/rates that could affect the landlord, if someone made the connection.

This would actually require a degree of data sharing and co-operation between various branches of administration that don't, in my experience, tend to do it at all (ie local council vs HMRC).


 
Tom in London
Tom in London
United Kingdom
Local time: 14:57
Member (2008)
Italian to English
It's what I do May 19, 2015

Millions of people work all over the place now: on trains, on ships, on aeroplanes, hotels, cafes, etc.

I work in a a rented apartment, where I use a particular percentage of the floor space as my office. Following the advice of my accountant, I deduct that percentage of the rent as a non-taxable business-related expense, along with a percentage of the utility bills.

If your rental contract specifies that they don't want you running a business from the property, it mea
... See more
Millions of people work all over the place now: on trains, on ships, on aeroplanes, hotels, cafes, etc.

I work in a a rented apartment, where I use a particular percentage of the floor space as my office. Following the advice of my accountant, I deduct that percentage of the rent as a non-taxable business-related expense, along with a percentage of the utility bills.

If your rental contract specifies that they don't want you running a business from the property, it means they don't want you causing a nuisance by running a business that requires a lot of coming and going by hundreds of people , all the time.

[Edited at 2015-05-19 10:53 GMT]
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Freelancing from rented property






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