Reply to: Is Contracting a problem for house sharing?

[SueEllen]

So basically I can register the LTD at the accountants, and then have a correspondence address at the tenancy. And that should not raise HMRC's eyebrows right?

Do you actually read what's posted on the thread?

The answer anyway is "Yes". Lots of people do that.

[farout117]

Yes, HMRC allow a correspondence address which is different where the company is registered so that isn't a problem and VAT isn't strictly doing business so don't think it would affect insurance.

So basically I can register the LTD at the accountants, and then have a correspondence address at the tenancy. And that should not raise HMRC's eyebrows right?

[northernladuk]

Some posters on here managed to get their landlord to allow them to use the address for VAT and other letters.

I know one of my landlords was fine with the 2 blokes I was sharing with to do that.

They however weren't allowed conduct business from the premise i.e. have visitors, work from home.

Yes, HMRC allow a correspondence address which is different where the company is registered so that isn't a problem and VAT isn't strictly doing business so don't think it would affect insurance.

[Scoobos]

You can do it from your accountants and would have to use this as your business would be registered at your landlords house which he will certainly not like. Don't think HMRC will be best pleased either.

VAT registration now stipulates on the form that you cannot use an accountants address, but you can still authorise them as an agent, obviously.

So flat rate VAT is a definate no no, based on the form I got just last month.

[SueEllen]

All the landlords insurances I looked at (well 3 of them anyway) were very clear that no business can be done from the property so there is no negotiating. No business else his insurance is invalid. I would ask the landlord particularly if he is covered as he probably doesn't know or may not care.

Some posters on here managed to get their landlord to allow them to use the address for VAT and other letters.

I know one of my landlords was fine with the 2 blokes I was sharing with to do that.

They however weren't allowed conduct business from the premise i.e. have visitors, work from home.

[northernladuk]

See my post above.

Also have a search on these forums for "Darren Upton". You are advised not to use your own accountants address but an office company's who will forward your post to you.

Advised not to by who?

[northernladuk]

Can't I used the accountancy address? I think they do offer that kind of service for an extra fee from what I have read here.

So to set up a LTD, you cannot be flat-sharing?

You can do it from your accountants and would have to use this as your business would be registered at your landlords house which he will certainly not like. Don't think HMRC will be best pleased either.

[farout117]

TBH the fact you are out of the UK is going to give you more problems that your contracting. They are not allowed to say no <insert whatever the PC bridade cry about here> and cannot turn you down based on all those things but I bet there will be a lot of rich excuses.

People come in, f' the place over and then leave. Utter nightmare.

To be fair that isn't confined to any group of people. Well paid 25-35 year old blokes are just as bad but that isn't the debate here.

Yeah maybe a reference from previous landlords would be much better than a work reference

[SueEllen]

Can't I used the accountancy address? I think they do offer that kind of service for an extra fee from what I have read here.

So to set up a LTD, you cannot be flat-sharing?

See my post above.

Also have a search on these forums for "Darren Upton". You are advised not to use your own accountants address but an office company's who will forward your post to you.

[northernladuk]

Virtually all tenancy agreements whether you are sharing or not say that. It's up to you to negotiate with the landlord to use it as a trading address for VAT purposes.

All the landlords insurances I looked at (well 3 of them anyway) were very clear that no business can be done from the property so there is no negotiating. No business else his insurance is invalid. I would ask the landlord particularly if he is covered as he probably doesn't know or may not care.

[farout117]

You may have problems regarding the registration of your LTD and any VAT registration.

It's often in shared house tenancy agreements that the tenancy is residence only and not business purposes. If the owner has a registered business there, it may raise eyebrows.

Can't I used the accountancy address? I think they do offer that kind of service for an extra fee from what I have read here.

So to set up a LTD, you cannot be flat-sharing?

[SueEllen]

You may have problems regarding the registration of your LTD and any VAT registration.

Ltd registration can be at your accountants or an office company's address.

VAT is your trading address so it can be where you live.

It's often in shared house tenancy agreements that the tenancy is residence only and not business purposes.

Virtually all tenancy agreements whether you are sharing or not say that. It's up to you to negotiate with the landlord to use it as a trading address for VAT purposes.

If the owner has a registered business there, it may raise eyebrows.

If the owner has a business registered in a property they rent out they are an idiot.
There is no guarantee that the tenants will:
a. Let them into the property,
b. Hand over the post.

In a houseshare I lived in other tenants dumped the post for people who didn't live in the property in the bin. This is completely legal as they weren't using the post for fraudulent purposes and the post had been delivered to the house.

There is also nothing legally stopping more than one business using an address.

[northernladuk]

TBH the fact you are out of the UK is going to give you more problems that your contracting. They are not allowed to say no <insert whatever the PC bridade cry about here> and cannot turn you down based on all those things but I bet there will be a lot of rich excuses.

People come in, f' the place over and then leave. Utter nightmare.

To be fair that isn't confined to any group of people. Well paid 25-35 year old blokes are just as bad but that isn't the debate here.

[NotAllThere]

As a British national but not resident, I also cannot be credit-checked. It wasn't a problem last time I rented a flat for a few months in the UK.

If all else fails, a suitcase full of twenties usually does the trick.

[Scoobos]

You may have problems regarding the registration of your LTD and any VAT registration.

It's often in shared house tenancy agreements that the tenancy is residence only and not business purposes. If the owner has a registered business there, it may raise eyebrows.