The council wants to encourage tenants with business ideas and has therefore drawn up guidelines for tenants who are thinking of running a business from their home.
The new guidelines will make it clearer to tenants what conditions they must satisfy in order to run a business from their council property. If a tenant meets the criteria of the new guidelines they should then notify their housing manager of their intention to run a business from home.
Examples of businesses being run from council properties in Dudley include home tutoring, a plastering business, an electrical design engineer and a web based IT business.
The guidelines
A tenant will be allowed to run a business from their home if they satisfy the following conditions:
(1) The business must not cause a nuisance or annoyance to others. Permission is not granted if the business activity will:
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create unreasonable levels (and/or duration) of noise or vibration
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result in excessive numbers of visitors to the property and/or visitors at unsociable hours, which may cause a nuisance
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will or may cause harm to anyone
(2) The business must not be unlawful or illegal.
(3) Any alterations necessary to the property for the purpose of undertaking the business will require separate written permission from the Housing Manager
(4) The business must not cause damage and/or have a negative impact on the value of our property.
(5) The property must continue to be used as your only or main home.
(6) Advice must be sought on whether planning approval is required and if necessary permission obtained. Advice can be obtained from the planning helpdesk on 01384 814136 or at: http://www.dudley.gov.uk/environment-planning/planning/
(7) The running of the business must not constitute a breach of any other tenancy conditions.
(8) We retain the right to withdraw permission at any time but will give reasonable notice of our intention to do so.
For more information contact your housing manager – for an appointment call 0300 555 2345.
