Advice - Flat let

[Marmora Man]

Over the course of the last year the integral granny flat in my house which no longer has a granny to occupy it has been used occasionally by friends, family and EDF relatives for short stay B&B. Apart from the latter category payment has mostly been in bottles of wine or a meal out.

We are considering turning this into a small business and would appreciate feedback / advice - hence posting in Lounge.

Questions:

1. As the flat (2 bedrooms [1 double, 1 single], kitchen, bathroom and living room [with pull out sofa bed]. Cable TV, WiFi, radio, washing machine) is an integral part of the house - albeit with separate entrance, are there any regulations I need to be aware of? I don't want to go around fitting fire doors in what is, essentially, part of a family home. Smoke alarms are fitted. I seem to remember legislation about letting room(s) in a house?

2. Is there a demand for a 2 bedroom short term B&B apartment in East Dulwich? Recent EDF related stays have involved relatives visiting people where the East Dulwich flat is too small to accommodate visitors. We've seen Australian grandparents visiting new grandchild, Italian aunts visiting new nephew and a Chester based Mum & Dad visiting daughter to collect cats for Christmas. I envisage stays of between 2 day weekend and 7 days.

3. In rental terms thinking of ?60 a night for 2 people, with a ?20 supplement for additional guests. Price would include a welcome pack of milk, juice, cereal, bread & jam + tea and coffee. Is this about right or too expensive / too cheap?

4. What would be allowable expenses against tax? Cleaning, laundry ??

Advice welcome.

Thanks

Marmora Man

[Coman]

On point 4. have you checked to see whether the flat would be a furnished holiday let. The tax advantages are clearer than ordinary rental.

[????]

MM - I may be accidentally scaremongering and don't Have a clue of the position but take advice on tax implications in terms of if you ever sell your house as it's possible a pro-rata CGT may be applied to the flats value if you've used it commercially and claimed tax relief on it. As I said don't have a clue but you know how keen THEY are to get their hands on YOUR money :) so worth checking out.

[Saria]

Hi there - this won't actually help with your specific questions - but my Mother is coming over from Italy in Feb for 6 weeks for the birth of my first child and I'm looking for a local short term holiday rental - my father and one of my brothers will also be joining her but for a shorter period and your place sounds ideal. If your plan of turning your granny flat into a business does come to fruition - please let me know if it might be available...

Kind Regards

Saria