I'm wondering if anyone out there runs a cottage food business from a rental home. I'm getting ready to ask my landlord if I can do a business from his house, but I wondered if anyone else did it. Did you ask your landlord? (I would assume a business would affect his homeowner's policy, right? So I do need his permission, I would guess.)

Thanks!

Maybe I don't understand. Your rent covers the use of the kitchen. What's the difference between baking for your family and baking to sell? If you were a writer and used a room for an office, would it be necessary to tell the landlord you were using the house for a purpose other than sleeping?

His homeowner's policy doesn't cover the contents of the house when it becomes a rental unless they choose to keep it. As a renter you are responsible for your belongings. You would need to have liability insurance of course. It gets a little sticky because if someone falls and decides to sue not only you but the homeowner. That is the reason you would need to contact your landlord. I am sure there is something that could be written on the policy that would have to include your landlord.

As a renter you have renter's insurance, but that policy probably excludes commercial activity so you would need a separate general liability policy for the business.

You'll want to check your lease agreement carefully to see if it prohibits renters from engaging in commercial activity in the rental unit. If there is such a prohibition you'll need to clear it with the landlord first.

In Florida we have to get permission from the landlord in order to get an occupational license.

I know most of the apartments I've rented had specific lease clauses stating the apartment couldn't be used for business purposes. These were all larger company run properties. If you are in a house or an apartment owned by a landlord instead of a company they may allow you. Just check with them first. I think the liability issue is going to be the biggest hurdle.

I know most of the apartments I've rented had specific lease clauses stating the apartment couldn't be used for business purposes. These were all larger company run properties. If you are in a house or an apartment owned by a landlord instead of a company they may allow you. Just check with them first. I think the liability issue is going to be the biggest hurdle.

I rent in Texas and I am running my CFL business from my home, I have renters insurance and did not go to my landlord for permission. I am not violating my lease in any way and therefore my landlord has no issue with it. You can always just ask and see what response you get.

I would think that the landlord has recourse because you signed a residential lease. I am a landlord and I would not be happy if someone ran a business out of a unit without my approval. Baking is a fire hazard. Customers coming to a unit is different than a personal visitor. If the tenant came to me and we both verified that we were properly insured and I was put on notice of any non-payment of insurance payments, then we could proceed.

Hi all, I am in utah and run my CFL out of my rented home.. I thought to err on the side of caution and asked my landlords permission, he had no problem, in fact he is ordering from me! I also have a substantial renters policy and business liability insurance... I definitely think your landlord should be consulted first, this is probably a sitiationof permission not forgiveness...

Thanks for the replies. I was scared to ask him, because if he said no, then my dream was over before it began. But I quoted the lease where it said not to run a business from home and asked if occasionally selling cakes to friends would be ok. (I want to start slow at first. Maybe 1 or 2 cakes a month, just to get things started.) He said yes, as long as the HOA doesn't sniff it out and give me a violation. He said as long as state and county were ok with it, he was too. (And I have it in writing, so I'm good!)

If my business takes off and I get busier than I anticipate, I'll ask again if I can increase from "occasionally" to "regularly".

I rent a house in Texas. Landlord was totaly fine with that. Not much traffic coming in and out because of my buisness.

I think most HOA's are concerned with the level of activity at a home. So if you were delivering, or having 1 pickup a week, I doubt they would mind, but you would still want to get approval. Home businesses our old HOA didn't like was like an in home hair salon where clients were coming and going all day, in home daycare, they approved truck sizes if you were a landscaper or painter or something...

You should definitely make sure you get approval - maybe running a delivery only cake business where no clients ever come to your home would be more likely approved than allowing people to pickup.