finding a home to rent if you are a CM

[Chatkins]

Hi there,

I was just wondering how many cm's out there rent their homes ? I rent mine and have been a CM for 4 years, no problems. Now we are looking to rent a bigger home, as we still cannot afford to buy in our area, and desperately need more space. However every time we call or e-mail about a house that would suit us, we are told chldminding would not be permitted as it is running a business from the premises.

I am really cross, as I work really hard, as does dh, I have insurance etc, do don't see what the problem is. I don't want to give up what I do because I love it, but we can't stay where we are forever !

Any advice from anyone please ?

i started childminding in our rented home but after we had started renting. we do have the permission of the landlord and the agency is not involved at all in that area of our agreement.

we have also been considering moving but we know that we will face the same problem.

I was wondering, though whether you could put together a letter to a prospective landlord, setting out how professional your business is and how unobtrusive in your neighbourhood it is. Perhaps then you could give that to the agency to try to convice landlords to consider your application. also, is it not quite difficult at the moment for landlords to find tenants? not sure at all. but if this is the case, then this may also count in your favour.

have you considered looking to rent privately, as al alternative?

good luck.

Can you ask your current landlord / agent if they will write you a reference to pass on just stating that work from home but keep the property in good order and have not been a nuisance to any of the other residents in the area. This will obv mean that your current landlard will know you intend to move, but he may be able to reccommend you to someone he knows or he may have another property that he could rent to you.

thankyou for your replies, they are great ideas, writing a letter, plus getting current landlord to recommend us. It was funnily enough all taken out of our hands today when we were server notice to vacate the property ! Totally out of the blue, just as we had kind of decided to stay here a year or two more and see what happens.
The landlord has passed away and the will states the house must be vacated, and I presume, put on the market.

So we have 2 months to find a new home, around the same price, but preferably bigger, and lets us childmind, and is close to dds school becuase I don't drive yet!

Not a tall order atall then ! Plus we have no deposit saved to rent again, so not sure what we'll do about that. Oh well, it never rains but it pours...

Sorry to hear that, I know lots of CM's that do rent, so it's not impossible why not ask you local council's planning dept as you don't need planning permission if you have less than 12 mindees in most LA's so perhaps you could put this point over when you talk to new landlords, something like, yes I work from home but the council don't require any permissions as it isn't obtrusive or disruptive to anyone else, after all you could quite easily have 4 or 5 children of our own a landlord couldn't refuse a lease just because you have more children than the average family, and at least mindees go home at the end of the day. Its not like your a mechanic or anything.

As your technically going to be homeless shortly could you apply to the council for housing? if they can't rehome you they refer onto an association, you will probably find that their rules arn't as stringent with regards to your occupation as private landlords, you could also ask your local EYP for advice they are very helpful and maybe prepared to contact the housing dept for you to put your case forward, I find they are very helpful and often go above and beyond to help local cm's.

Good luck with your search.

Thankyou atworknotworking - I have contacted an agent about one possible house today, bit pricey, but otherwise ticks every box, and have asked them to ask landlord about childiminding. I said I had letters of recommendation from my current neighbours, plus 2 different insurances, and would be happy to talk to the landlord in person to assure them if needed. Waiting to hear about that one !
DH saw council today - we have been on the housing list for about 7 years, so are already technically waiting to be housed, but until now we have had adequate housing for our needs so have never been offered anything. We have a meeting with a lady from the council this week, so hopefully it will be helpful in some way !
The third option is moving area altogether, as I have been looking at houses to rent in more rural areas in this county. They are far cheaper, and you get more for your money, plus landlords seem ok about kids, pets etc, so more flexible !
That would of course mean losing all my current minded kids, which would be devastating, to them and to me. But it is the last option, and appeals to me in every way, apart from the losing mindees bit !
Arghhhhhh, major headache and I keep wanting
to start packing, there will be so much to do. We have lived here 4 years.
Anyway, thanks again, any advice is much appreciated.