Using a residential property entirely for offices

[JonoBoy]

Hi

I am looking to lease 2-3 offices for our Counselling clinic in Auckland.

If I approached a residential property owner advertising a small house for rent, is it easy for them (or even legal) for them to rent the building to us to be used entirely for commercial purposes?

Thanks!

[Propertytrader]

Hi

I am looking to lease 2-3 offices for our Counselling clinic in Auckland.

If I approached a residential property owner advertising a small house for rent, is it easy for them (or even legal) for them to rent the building to us to be used entirely for commercial purposes?

Thanks!

Hey there, that is of course legal,as the one who will be doing the commercial business is you,not the owner of the property and the owner can just make a note on the investment portfolio file and make an adjustment if needed.

This is very common practice as you can see many medical centers use residential houses to set up practice and home owners use part of their houses to use as an office space.

If you looking to set up that counselling center in Auckland CBD, I will be having a 2 bedroom apartment that i can lease to you by early February 2015,thanks

[charlotte30]

Dear Jono

I suspect that you need to check with the council to see if it is a permitted activity. Medical centres are permitted in residential areas without being zoned business. Carparking and disability access could be an issue.

Cheers
Charlotte30

[Rosco]

Hi

I am looking to lease 2-3 offices for our Counselling clinic in Auckland.

If I approached a residential property owner advertising a small house for rent, is it easy for them (or even legal) for them to rent the building to us to be used entirely for commercial purposes?

Thanks!

Hi JonoBoy,

Years ago we tried to turn a property from residential to office use. It was a nightmare with council!

Our building was within a certain distance of the neighbours building, so council was talking about taking out all the gib and putting in fire rated gib (or something like this ).

There was also hassles with the carparking and turning circles.

So yes it can be done, but can take months to get approval from council and then complete the necessary work.

Ross

[JonoBoy]

Thanks for your replies so far. I suppose I really need to check with council to confirm.

[Eugene]

The rates for commercial could be higher too.
If it is part residential part commercial this could mean residential (lower) rates. This was the case with a property in Wellington I bought.
Then on change of use to all residential I incurred the type of costs Rosco mentioned - fire rating, carparking etc

[Davo36]

As others have said, it's not an easy thing to do, nor cheap.

Best to look for one that is already zoned and used in this way.

Vacant office space is usually pretty easy to find, whereabouts are you looking?