Working from Home with Clients

RoseInIreland

Hi everyone,
I'm looking at moving to Ireland soon (from California) and wondered if I can run a home electrology (hair removal) business that would include client visits. I ask because, where I live in Northern California, some cities prohibit home-run businesses in which clients visit regularly. (This is because residents find it disruptive.) Are there different regulations per region in Ireland that prohibit home-run businesses with clients?
Thank you, in advance, for any information you can provide!
Rose

looksee

I think you are more likely to run into issues of insurance and planning permission, also you will need to look at visa requirements.

RoseInIreland

Thank you. I should have said that I am an Irish citizen with an Irish passport. (My  parents were born and raised in Ireland.)

PARlance

RoseInIreland wrote: »

Hi everyone,
I'm looking at moving to Ireland soon (from California) and wondered if I can run a home electrology (hair removal) business that would include client visits. I ask because, where I live in Northern California, some cities prohibit home-run businesses in which clients visit regularly. (This is because residents find it disruptive.) Are there different regulations per region in Ireland that prohibit home-run businesses with clients?
Thank you, in advance, for any information you can provide!
Rose

We don't really have region specific regulations. Northern Ireland might be different but we're closely aligned on most things.

With regards operating from your home. It can be done but I don't know the exact in's and outs of it. Someone else may be able to point your to the relevant information source. My only real experience is that my physio works from his shed/garage/outbuilding and he's ligit. You'll probably have to go through some red tape, get public insurance and pay rates on the business elements of the property but it can be done.

PARlance

Here's a good starting point: https://www.thinkbusiness.ie/articles/start-a-home-business/

mneylon

A couple of things ..

Insurance - as others mentioned this will impact your insurance

You'll also find that some housing estates have strict rules forbidding business use, as they don't want the extra traffic.

antoinolachtnai

You will 'get away' with it providing there is no obvious sign of the business outside.

However, it is not legal. It is a breach of planning laws, no matter where you are in Ireland.

To make it legal would require applying for planning (which you might not get) and would require paying a development levy (which would make it unviable).

I would really suggest finding a space that you can rent as you need it. You can't really market your services in anything but the most limited way if you are working from home like this.

Good luck with your business.

Walter2016

antoinolachtnai wrote: »

You will 'get away' with it providing there is no obvious sign of the business outside.

However, it is not legal. It is a breach of planning laws, no matter where you are in Ireland.

Not legal? Can you explain how?

There is absolutely no law whatever that says you cannot operate a business from home.

Breach of planning? Again its open to interpretation. Many doctors and dentists operate from "home" , many financial agents operate from home.

To the op, ignore anyone that shouts "illegal" without backing it up.

Regarding planning - you won't be able to have a business that is open to the public to "walk in" without planning. However if clients arrive by appointment, it can be exempted. Many people do hair and beauty services from home without issue. Similarly many physios do the same.

Graham

Walter2016 wrote: »

Regarding planning - you won't be able to have a business that is open to the public to "walk in" without planning. However if clients arrive by appointment, it can be exempted. Many people do hair and beauty services from home without issue. Similarly many physios do the same.

That's not the advice the Royal Institute of Architects Ireland gave its own members regarding working from home.

A material change of use can occur by reason of intensification of use or significant alteration in the pattern of use of premises. Therefore, while conducting architectural work from within the dwelling may not give use to a material change of use, employment of a number of staff, or conducting meetings involving members of the public, or large design teams meeting at the property may give rise to a material change of use by reason of intensification of use, disturbance, car parking and traffic generation.

http://www.riai.ie/uploads/files/Architects_working_from_Home_Landuse_Implications.pdf

antoinolachtnai

Walter2016 wrote: »

Not legal? Can you explain how?

There is absolutely no law whatever that says you cannot operate a business from home.

Breach of planning? Again its open to interpretation. Many doctors and dentists operate from "home" , many financial agents operate from home.

To the op, ignore anyone that shouts "illegal" without backing it up.

The language in the act is 'significant change of use'. Using your front room to carry out beauty work is certainly a change of use. Is it significant? You can argue about this forever. The line may be grey, but there is still a line. I would say that being an architect in your own home (where you may have very few callers or more likely no callers at all because the face-to-face work is done on-site) is quite different from running a depilation or beauty business.

I do not think there are many or maybe any dentists operating from home who are doing so without planning permission, or who are not benefiting from pre-63 or the statute of limitations. Maybe there are a few but I'd be surprised.

For an idea of how applications are treated by the local authority, see section 17.9.12 of the Dublin City Development Plan - https://www.dublincity.ie/sites/default/files/content/Planning/DublinCityDevelopmentPlan/Documents/DevelopmentPlanWrittenStatementUpdate.pdf . The local authorities do provide permission for such development, but permission is required.

Exempted development is a term with a very specific meaning. There is a list of things in the planning legislation that are exempt development. Running a beauty or depilation business is not listed as being exempt development as far as I know. The Planning Acts provide a means to confirm whether development is exempted development, by seeking a declaration from the local authority.

The practical issue is that I cannot see how the OP can market the business without it amounting to development. If the OP has their own network of contacts seeking the service in the area, then there is probably not going to be much issue. If the address begins to appear on websites or fliers, then there is more likely to be a problem because it a lot more likely that a neighbour will complain. If they complain, the local authority has to take the complaint seriously.

Regarding planning - you won't be able to have a business that is open to the public to "walk in" without planning. However if clients arrive by appointment, it can be exempted. Many people do hair and beauty services from home without issue. Similarly many physios do the same.

Lots of people do it without any issue. It doesn't mean it is legal. It's just that the scale is too small for it to really be of any concern and the neighbours don't mind. If there is a problem at some stage (with parking, marketing, noise, or anything else) there are likely to be complaints from neighbours and the local authority will ask you to apply for planning. It depends on the area too. Some places neighbours will be sensitive about things like this, other areas, not so much.

The real problem for the OP is that if the scale of the business isn't sufficiently large, it might not be enough to provide an adequate income. But if the scale is perceived as in any way significant or noticeable, there could be a problem with planning. It's really a question of how the OP wants to go about it.

2forjoy

you cannot run a business from a council estate

pedroeibar1

Walter2016 wrote: »

Not legal? Can you explain how?

There is absolutely no law whatever that says you cannot operate a business from home.

Breach of planning? Again its open to interpretation. Many doctors and dentists operate from "home" , many financial agents operate from home.

To the op, ignore anyone that shouts "illegal" without backing it up.

Regarding planning - you won't be able to have a business that is open to the public to "walk in" without planning. However if clients arrive by appointment, it can be exempted. Many people do hair and beauty services from home without issue. Similarly many physios do the same.

What a really confusing post. Why bother with unreferenced nonsense? Also, although the OP has already had good advice she has not been back for more than a week.

Walter2016 wrote: »

There is absolutely no law whatever that says you cannot operate a business from home.

Quite right, provided you have the necessary planning and associated permissions, and that the business activity is legal.

Walter2016 wrote: »

However if clients arrive by appointment, it can be exempted.

Where? Source?

Walter2016 wrote: »

To the op, ignore anyone that shouts "illegal" without backing it up. .

Well, how about this bit of back-up that seems to have passed you by -- IPL treatments must have the NVQ/VRQ Level 4 qualification by 2016. This will be a mandatory requirement by 2016. In Northern Ireland both operator and premises must be licensed, similar changes are underway here. The first question to ask is “Will you be operating from your own home or from a rented house?” Operate a business from a rental house and you will be in breach of the lease and probably will find yourself out on your ear. Operate a business in the ‘health’ sector without an appropriate licence/qualification/approvals and you will be closed down and probably be the object of legal proceedings. Nor could you get insurance for a premises unless you had the correct permits.
You could also have added that Ireland is no longer a backwater, that electrolysis has become outdated here and the hairies now prefer laser (IPL) and or soundwaves. And why would anyone bother with someone operating in a rental in a ‘burb when there is a choice of qualified medics (as well as the usual charlatans) doing it in dozens of 'clinics' around the country?

RoseInIreland

This is a very late "thank you" to all who have responded. (For some reason, I didn't get an email with the later replies so I assumed there were no additional entries.) I'm still a bit confused on the issue, but I plan to travel to Ireland soon and will investigate. Thank you, again. Rose