advice on business addresses

[BrokenBiker]

evening all.

as some of you know, im a self employed spark, along with working as a machinist on okuma cnc lathes for a fairly local factory.

when I registered my business I had not long moved into my current house, which I rent privately. my contract stated no businesses run from the address, but I spoke to the landlord and they agrees that if I put an extra 500 quid on my bond then I could use the address.

problem is now that they have sold the house to another multiple owner. I can still live here under the same terms as before, but the new landlord is flat out refusing to let me keep this as a business address. he has given me back the 500 quid and told me I have a month to have the business registered at a different address...

citizens advice say there is nothing I can do to stop this as he has given plenty of notice and it is his right to alter the agreement with notice, he is doing everything by the book.

does anyone have any ideas as to how I can cheaply get a new business address?

I have considered moving, but cant afford it, have asked parents, siblings and so on but they cant help. my father has his own business registered to his address and doesn't want the confusion and my mother is renting like me.

have looked into local office space to let but they all want stupidly high deposits that I cant afford. one wanted 4k to secure a single room office for 2 years, plus the rent and utilities...

I don't need any storage or anything, the van stays outside the house and tools are kept in the shed, just an address to move the business to before the month is out as I could do without this guy contacting companies house and starting an issue.

 

[Welderpaul]

Have a look along the lines of these...
I have ones all over the country now. Some jobs you only win if you are local to the area. hey presto.

 

[Robotstar5]

I'm sure one of the (small) companies I worked for had the business address registered at their accountants.

 

[BrokenBiker]

you are a star, I cant believe this hadn't come up in my searches.

is it as good as it looks? or are there hidden catches?

something like this would allow me to work in the very local and neighbouring areas that don't really want sparks that are located over 10 miles away. fed up of people ringing for a quote then moaning that im in Newport and they are in Monmouth. they seem to forget I have a van and travel.

 

[Welderpaul]

There are basic packages that are only an address which will forward mail to your own address. Some provide office space rented on an hourly basis, will even put your signs/business logo on the walls etc...very convincing.
They can provide secretarial services and all sorts of other stuff.

Just be firm when they try to sell all the add ons.

Not the cheapest thing in the world, but cheaper than moving house

 

[BrokenBiker]

so can I use their address as my registered office address?

im not bothered about call handling as I only have mobile contact and email. the post forwarding is a bit I will need, but apart from that its just the registered address I need

 

[Welderpaul]

so can I use their address as my registered office address?

Yes

 

[BrokenBiker]

thanks, I have been looking through the site and have found a few that suit me. they have no addresses in Newport but have some in Cardiff and Bristol, and I am perfectly willing to travel to both for work. im not picky as long as the Bristol jobs pay enough to get me back over the bridge as it happens im going to Bristol in the morning with the missus.

Cardiff is plenty close enough to Newport, and their packages are a lot cheaper than I was expecting.

WelderPaul, I owe you a beverage

 

[rtbcomp]

If you're trading as a limited company just register it at your accountants, with their co-operation!

This is a very common practice.

 

[malcolm]

The correspondance address can be different from the registeted office. Mine is registered at the accountant and that address just goes in little letters at the footer of letters. I use my home address at the top of letters.

 

[Wendelspanswick]

Our registered business address is our accountants address, stops Reps calling round un-announced.

 

[BrokenBiker]

not limited liability unfortunately. im a sole trader with sub contract employees.

plus I don't technically have an accountant. my brother is qualified as one, but works for his father as a business co-ordinator, but he does all my accounting for beer money.

regus are going to phone me Monday morning and talk me through everything they offer so I have a full understanding, but they do look like a good idea for someone like me.

 

[rtbcomp]

Do you have customers calling at the address or is the address on adverts &c? Do you actually do any work there (apart from book-keeping &c)

If you're just a self-employed bloke who lives there I don't see what the problem is. By registered address I assume you mean that's where you told HMRC you live.

I could do without this guy contacting companies house and starting an issue.

Companies House are only concerned with limited companies and limited partnerships, not self-employed individuals.

 

[Paul.]

I agree with RTB, you are not really running a business from your address, and the HMRC will want a home contact not a virtual or rented office, limited companies are an entirely different matter though,
If the landlords rules were applied to self employed sole traders, then there wouldn't be a self employed sparks, bricky, taxi driver, decorator, etc etc living in rented accommodation anywhere.
I guess its to do with property insurance, but all the policies I have ever seen allow for book keeping and correspondence, what they don't want is customer visits, and car repairs, manufacturing , storage of possible hazardous materials and so on,

 

[rtbcomp]

My brother's a taxi driver and he lives in a rented house without any hassle.

 

[BrokenBiker]

I didn't have any until the landlord sold out to this new guy. he doesn't want any businesses associated with his properties in case the tenants leave without paying off their debts or something.

my previous landlord had no issue with it at all, he actually said that he liked having people in his houses with a trade as they generally take care the place better from his experience.

 

[rtbcomp]

That sounds odd, anyone can flit owing money and the landlord doesn't have an liability.

 

[brightspark]

That sounds odd, anyone can flit owing money and the landlord doesn't have an liability.

he does when the baliffs boot his door in and he has to pay for the damage

 

[BrokenBiker]

I know. if I built up a debt and legged it, it is still my debt and they will find me. the landlord wont owe anything. will just have letters addressed to me being sent here.

even if a bailiff turned up, without me here they couldn't come in or do anything, especially if the new tenants showed id to prove they weren't me.

to be perfectly honest I think he likes having power over people. must've been bullied at school or something. only spoken to him twice, and both times I got the impression he was a bit of a power freak

 

[Robotstar5]

Does the new landlord know you're a sparky?, you may be able to get regular work from him on his other properties and he may relent the business address then.