Would you like to run your Business and Live on the Same Property?
The COVID-19 pandemic has changed many rules for living and doing business. Remote working or working from home is the new trend, and every small business is looking to take up this opportunity to go and thrive remotely. It leads the interest of small business owners and entrepreneurs into residential cum commercial properties to operate their businesses out of their residential places.
Investing in such properties can drive numerous benefits, but still, you need to know about all the legalities and laws related to business operations from a residential property. You cannot invest just in any property and start doing business from home as it could lead to many consequences and land you in legal trouble as per the zoning laws in your state. Many real estate brokers list residential cum commercial properties meeting the criteria for residential and commercial intensive zoning to let their clients make the right decisions. They help them know about zoning laws and restrictions in the state where a property is located for business cum living.
When you plan to invest in a property that comes under intensive commercial zoning, it’s good to know the local zoning laws and how they apply to you. So, in addition to making efforts on knowing about taxes, operational costs, location, connectivity, and marketing, you should also focus on local zoning laws to ensure you won’t break any law, especially when you are planning a home-based business. In some locations, it is illegal to operate business operations from a residential property due to the location's zoning regulations.
Zoning Laws and How They Work
Zoning laws are the rules to define how a property can be used and what is maximum occupancy or size is allowed for specific purposes. There are four main types of zoning laws in the USA:
- Intensive Residential Zoning:Covers homes and other residential properties. Specific locations have restrictions to run a home-based business under residential zoning.
- Intensive Commercial Zoning:The purpose of the Intensive Zone is to allow various commercial and industrial uses not permitted in the Rural or the Business Zone, including outdoor business operations and storage. The Owner can also have a variance for residential meaning they can reside on the property and run their business.
- Intensive Industrial Zoning:For certain types of business operations, such as manufacturing.
- Intensive Agricultural Zoning:For farming and other agriculture activities
Properties that have more than one zone can be used for more than one use case. A residential cum commercial property meets the regulations of both residential and commercial zoning laws, which means you have two options. It is where your search starts to find properties from where you can operate a home-based business.
Restrictions You Should Know About
Zoning laws define certain guidelines and usage that you cannot overlook to be in the good book of the authorities. Noise, waste management, parking, and building constructions and features are some notable Zoning laws issues that one should research before investing in a property for a specific use case. In a commercial zone, you may also need to follow restrictions and guidelines on the matters of hours of operations and other business-specific requirements in order to protect the rights and value of the neighborhood.
So, if you plan to operate your business from your home and looking for a property for it, talk with real estate brokers in your regions who have experience and expertise in dealing with residential cum commercial properties. They can also help you check your local zoning laws to make a well-informed investment decision.