Your tenancy agreement
Running a business from your Council home
If you think that you may be running a business or are thinking about starting one from your Council home, you must contact us.
Business use generally means that you:
- produce something or provide a service which is not only for you or your family's use
- get some kind of payment for your product, produce or service
Tell us
You must tell us if you plan to run a business from your Council home so we can make sure that the use is reasonable, that it does not cause a nuisance to your neighbours and to decide if you need planning permission.
Our approach
We will agree to the business use if it is reasonable, providing you show consideration to your neighbours, do not put up advertisements and keep us informed.
We will look at individual cases, but we will not look favourably on any use that damages property, offends the eye, or means that people come and go at all hours.
How to apply
All requests to set up a business from a Council home must be in writing and addressed to the Housing Operations Manager at Civic Offices, Civic Way, Swadlincote, Derbyshire, DE11 0AH. It should include:
- full details of planned business use
- any planned changes/alterations to the property
- any planned sheds/outbuildings
- any advertisements or signs which you plan to fix to the property or in the garden (we will not usually agree to this)
- any commercial vehicles you will use
- the hours, level of any noise and how much you think it will inconvenience neighbours
When we receive your letter, your Housing Officer will fully investigate. If you have not done so, you may be required to apply for planning permission.
Permission
You should not start to run a business from your Council home until you have permission in writing from the Housing Operations Manager and the Head of Planning, if necessary. This will not be unreasonably withheld.