is childminding 'running a business from home' in a mortgage lenders opinion?

[pandaeyes]

We have been looking to move for a while and found the perfect house the other day so we have handed over our application forms (we are renting) and asked the landlord and letting agent if i could become a childminder at the property. They both said that it wouldnt be a problem. Then a while after we got a call from the letting agent saying she had come off the phone to the landlords mortgage provider and because there is a mortgage on the house, apparently they dont allow you to 'run a business from the house'. I am so stumped now as i am doing my training and desperate to become a childminder i cant wait and now I dont know what to do. has anyone else had a problem like this? and how can you avoid it or get round it? thanks

[Nature'sKids!]

We have been looking to move for a while and found the perfect house the other day so we have handed over our application forms (we are renting) and asked the landlord and letting agent if i could become a childminder at the property. They both said that it wouldnt be a problem. Then a while after we got a call from the letting agent saying she had come off the phone to the landlords mortgage provider and because there is a mortgage on the house, apparently they dont allow you to 'run a business from the house'. I am so stumped now as i am doing my training and desperate to become a childminder i cant wait and now I dont know what to do. has anyone else had a problem like this? and how can you avoid it or get round it? thanks

Would ofsted know about this? Normally you can cm in any house / flat. It's not like you're selling anything (goods) and random people are walking in and out is it? I would ask to get in touch with mortgage provider directly. Hope it works out for you.

[munch149]

i would find it very surprising if there werent a huge number of childminders on here who are childminding and have a mortgage.maybe it is the particular company. would never have even thought about checking this to be honest anyway. at the end of the day you are buying the house.

[Mollymop]

Well I am childminding and I have a mortgage! lol
Childminding is not regarded as a registered business, it is self employment. You need to speak again to your landlord/housing agent and put forward your side, let them know that you are self employed. What the morg company is worried about is if you had a registered limited business and you went bust so to speak, you could take the house with you ifswim?? Make sure they understand what a childminder is and make sure you tell them you are not a reg business. Good luck

[cade29]

im pre-reg and was advised at the briefing session to check with my mortgage company before i started my training.

I wrote to them to ask and got a letter back saying it wasnt a problem as long as everything was done properly and i have insurance.

jo xx

[Pebbles46]

I am having exactly the same problem at the minute and have spoken to so many different people and organisations and just get contridicting information, starting to get very dispondent.

From what I have learnt a lot of people do not disclose it or they are already set up so it is there proven form of income or have a private landlord. I have a solicitor working on it for me at the moment as my letting agent even went to the lengths of threatening my landlord that they would withdraw their services (after 20 years of service!!!) if he did not take back the previous permission he had given me.

My only hope at the moment is the loop hole that 'childminding is not a registered limited business' so does not technically affect any policies or contracts.

Good luck, it seems ridiculous that there is not something more concrete available as the more I look into this the more people I find with the same problem :(

[LadyBugs1956]

I am having exactly the same problem at the minute and have spoken to so many different people and organisations and just get contridicting information, starting to get very dispondent.

From what I have learnt a lot of people do not disclose it or they are already set up so it is there proven form of income or have a private landlord. I have a solicitor working on it for me at the moment as my letting agent even went to the lengths of threatening my landlord that they would withdraw their services (after 20 years of service!!!) if he did not take back the previous permission he had given me.

My only hope at the moment is the loop hole that 'childminding is not a registered limited business' so does not technically affect any policies or contracts.

Good luck, it seems ridiculous that there is not something more concrete available as the more I look into this the more people I find with the same problem :(

I am in a very similar situation where the mortgage lender of the property we want to rent "Will not allow the landlord to rent to anyone deemed to be running a business." I have had so much conflicting advice, I wondered whether you had any joy and what your outcome was, Pebbles46.

I am guessing my only hope is to try to figure out who classifies whether childminding is a business in the eyes of the lender. Grey area!

[hectors house]

The council don't class us as "running a business from home" otherwise we would have to pay business council tax. This clause doesn't apply to people who apply for a mortgage to buy their own homes - I expect it is because the landlord has a "Buy to let" mortgage - ours has all sorts of strange clauses in it eg: we can't let to family members!

[carol cameron]

The council don't class us as "running a business from home" otherwise we would have to pay business council tax. This clause doesn't apply to people who apply for a mortgage to buy their own homes - I expect it is because the landlord has a "Buy to let" mortgage - ours has all sorts of strange clauses in it eg: we can't let to family members!

I think you may be right. I have a buy to let mortgage and the solicitor told me that it was in the deeds that a business can't be run from the property. As my daughter and her partner are currently living there it's not been a problem yet so have no advice for the original poster.
Interesting that you can't let to family though.

[k1rstie]

the funny thing about childminding is that in real life you COULD actually have 6 kids of your own, all under 8 years of age living in your home!!!!!!! minders may have 6, but mostly they are not there 24 - 7, and probably do less damage to your property than your own children do!!


sorry, I do not have any advise either!! sorry