Working From Home: What Should You Know?

Businesses seeking to reduce overheads and flexible working mean more staff are choosing to work some or all of their week from home. Combined with rising self employment the number of people working from home has risen considerably in recent years.

The advantages of home working, both for businesses and sole traders are evident. Home workers are supported by advances in technology and it is now easier than ever for satellite staff to keep in touch.

Many home people enjoy working from home. They save on commuting costs and often feel it provides greater flexibility.

For small business owners the saving of converting a room at home into a work space rather than leasing a separate property or desk also makes working from home attractive.

Whether you yourself work from home, or lease to a tenant who does there are some legalities you should be aware of.

If you work from home know what is covered by your home insurance. Ensure that your policy will cover claims that arise because you are working from home. It might be necessary to upgrade your policy, adding an all-risks policy can cover you for loss or damage of items you use both at, and outside of the home.

Businesses which have frequent visitors should also consider whether public liability insurance is necessary. This is not compulsory, however it does protect you from loss and damages. It will cover your legal fees and expenses should you need to defend a claim so is worth weighing up.

If you are a landlord, do not be put off by renting to the self employed. Thorough background checks will support you as with any tenant and this growing pool of potential tenants should not be ruled out.

Your tenants are responsible for their own contents insurance, but it is worth making sure that home workers are educated about their responsibility.

We work hard to ensure that landlords are kept up to date with all aspects of the changing market, and in recent years we have recruited specially trained consultants for the role of Cairn property partners to help us do this.

Cairn property partners are dedicated, local advisers who provide a personal connection for landlords. They work closely with landlords to help them fully realise the investment potential of their property. They also advise on all aspects of sales, tenant care, and keep landlords up to date with recent legislation, while providing a personal connection from the local area.

If you have any questions about any of the issues raised here, or any other aspect of being a landlord please do get in touch with our team here at Cairn.

If you found reading this blog post useful and would like to read other content like it, please visit the Cairn website which which we regularly update with industry related content alongside information on all the services available at Cairn.

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