Planning permission for working from home
Working from home is usually fine without permission: unless your business causes a “material change of use”, changing the character of the property.
Using a room as an office does not normally need permission. It is when the business starts to change how the property is used, traffic, visitors, noise, or the home no longer being mainly a home, that planning gets involved.
- Using a room in the house for work, with the home still mainly a private residence
- Home working that generates no significant extra traffic, visitors, noise or nuisance
- A Certificate of Lawful Use can confirm no permission is needed, for peace of mind
- The home no longer being used mainly as a private residence
- A marked rise in traffic or callers, or activity unusual in a residential area
- Disturbance to neighbours: noise, smells or unsociable hours
- A separate garden building used as business premises (see outbuildings)
Don't forget building regs
Ordinary home working needs no building work. If you build or convert space, a garden office or a loft study, the building regulations for that structure apply.
If your plan is really a garden office or a loft study, that is where the design work sits, and we can help. Where you want certainty that your use is lawful, we can prepare a Certificate of Lawful Use application. Ask on the contact page.
Frequently asked
Do I need planning permission to work from home?
Usually not, as long as the home remains mainly a private residence and the business does not cause extra traffic, visitors, noise or nuisance. Once it changes the character of the property it can be a material change of use that needs permission.
How can I be sure my home business is lawful?
You can apply for a Certificate of Lawful Use, which confirms that your activity does not amount to a change of use and needs no permission. It is a useful safeguard, and we can prepare the application.
Not sure where your project stands?
Checking whether you need planning permission is one of the first things we do: on the house, before any drawings. Tell us about your project and we'll confirm the route.