Shop with flat - caught in licensing?
HMO Licensing

nicest landlord
nicest landlord
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1,724 Posts
4 years ago
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I have a shop with a studio flat above (access through shop). I have always let it to commercial tenants. I now have an applicant who want to run a pilates business downstair and live above shop. The area is now subject to selective licensing so what will be the implications?
I plan to give a normal commercial lease spelling out that the tenant does not have the rights of a residential tenancy. At some point the council will probably work out that she is living there and I can either say that I have no control over the use of this commercial lease or I could at that point apply for a license. The building might fail to get a resi license because there is no heating (tenant to supply electric heaters) and the rear door would be slow to open in a fire...The building was once a pharmacy and so the rear windows have iron bars but there is good means of escape to the front...General state including wiring is all tip top.
What do you think? Am I walking into an expensive mistake?
Tenant would be there on her own with dogs so not an HMO....but the area is designated for selective licensing...

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