Is it “illegal to run a business from your home”?

[Guest]

Originally Posted by Megandllsmum

Didn't know that thanks

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It isn’t true.

Van benefit charge only applies if there *is* private use of the van. Travel between home and the work place is not counted as private use if it is in a van (it would be considered private use if it were a company car).

[JLH]

Originally Posted by sunjue100

If employees take the vans home they will be classed as a benefit in kind as they would be available for personal use and liable to tax as far as I’m aware . Happy to be corrected

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dont think thats correct - I could if I wanted, take the mini bus home that I used to pick my after school club children up in(so I could go straight to venue) but wasn't able to use it for personal purposes and no tax implications were mentioned to me.

[Pjamas]

I don’t think you can report him for business dealings at his property but the blocking of the road is dangerous. You would need to keep reporting him to a community officer or the council and basically become the biggest nuisance they have on their desk to get it dealt with. Even then something like this would be ignored as a minor issue. It would be good if the ambulances could report it as dangerous maybe they hold a bit more clout but sadly I think entitled idiots like him get away with this behaviour because they know there is nothing anyone can do about them. I think you guys are on your own.

[Minicooper]

Does he own the house or does he rent?

If he rents then it is normally in the tenancy agreement that your can't operate a business from home. This is a grey area as this is done to protect the landlords property so in most cases someone just working from home with the odd occasional visitor isn't a problem but maybe a childminder with extra people in the house would affect the landlords insurance. Also he could argue he doesn't run the business from home as they don't actually work there but if he does rent you could report it to the landlord who may tell him to park the vehicles elsewhere.

[wifey]

By best suggestion is you all contact the council and chip in for permit parking only.. yes it’s going to cost money but it might ease the situation as each property gets a valid parking place and any other vehicles can be fined/ removed by the parking wardens. Contact a citizens advice person about it first to see where you stand legally, then contact your neighbours and the council.
It’s fast becoming a problem in our street too all since one family moved in and they have about 5 or six cars between the two of them😤 making access extremely difficult for the rest of us.

[duchy]

This is one of the disadvantages of more people working from home.
Even a childminder if she has several parents dropping and picking up can inadvertently end up with angry neighbours. Justtakes either a territorial neighbour or an inconsiderately parked parent for it all to kick off.

[bighal]

I found this list of potential problem people who park works vans on streets need to know

1
Does your company allow you to park at home? It’s worth checking in advance to avoid pain later and ensure there are no company van tax issues
2
If it is kept there for prolonged periods or overnight on a regular basis, you may need to tell your insurers and check it’s covered. Make sure you’re aware of any parking restrictions on your street. Not parking on yellow lines is obvious, but if you’re in a controlled parking area, make sure you know the times when the lines are active. Also, be aware of any permit car parking area or reserved bays. Usually OK for cars, but resident permits for controlled parking zones may well exclude vans. If they do let you park a van, usually you will have to be the registered owner – fine for sole traders but difficult if you are driving a company owned van
3
You’re unlikely to have a business van with a maximum laden weight of over 7.5 tonnes, as this is truck territory, but in case you do, the law says these vehicles must not be parked on a verge, pavement, or any land situated between carriageways, without police permission. The only exception to this parking rule is when parking is essential for loading and unloading, but even then the vehicle shouldn’t be left unattended.
4
Another little known fact is that if your van weighs more than 2500kg and is parked on the street between sunrise and sunset, it must be left with its lights on. The same is true of any passenger vehicle with more than nine seats. All lights must be left lit and unobscured. If your van has an unladen mass of less than 2500kg, you needn’t leave it parked with its lights on, provided the road it is on has a limit of 30mph or less.
5
Your van must be parked in an authorised parking space or a marked lay-by. Your van must and also be further than 10m from a junction. All vehicles should be parked with their nearside close to and parallel with the nearside kerb.
6
You shouldn’t have to abide by any of the above if you park your business van on a driveway or in a garage. However, it’s worth checking your house deeds to see if there are any enforced covenants or planning restrictions that prevent the parking of trade vehicles at a residential property – these are rare but worth checking for.
7
Will you need planning permission? Maybe, local councils are getting tired of receiving complaints about commercial vehicles parked in the gardens and driveways of private houses. To counter this, many are now saying ‘this is going against the enjoyment of the property’. As such they consider it a material change of use and as thus you will need to apply for permission.
Factors taken into account by local councils include:
The size, design and number of commercial vehicles at a property
Your van’s position and proximity to adjoining properties
Its effect on the appearance of the local area
The times your van arrives at your property and departs
We’d advise checking with your local council first to avoid problems later – particularly with residents and neighbours.

Wonder if your local council can advise you about any of them.

[daytonababe]

You can run a business from home as long as the mortgage company is notified and it doesn’t say otherwise on the deeds

Unless the vans are parked illegally, there is nothing the Police can or will do .

We have this all the time .. because we park 2 cars on the road but they aren’t blocking drives , near corners/ junctions etc so there is nothing anyone can do . In fact the last time the Police came out ( due to another matter) he parked his van exactly where we do and couldn’t understand the issue 😂..

[duchy]

The deeds on my old house said I couldn’t sell alcohol !
Presumably the land was Methodist owned (Victorian house) or similar.

[Ritz]

Not read all responses but - Check your deeds, I know last couple of new build properties we lived in had clauses in stating that you couldn't park commercial vehicle on the land.