Found This Site Too Late...Help

That reminds me of the tatooed and body pierced guy on an early Yahoo! TV commercial who was researching quilting clubs, then was later shown sitting in a circle with several very hot women making a quilt! :lol:

Well it didn't take long before word of mouth spread that I was thinking about renting my new space out to other bands. I'll be using it 2-3 time/week, so that leaves a good deal of time left. I thought about furnishing the PA and drums and requiring a security deposit. Also, I'm thinking about renting it out in 3 hour blocks for, say, $50. An average 5 piece band would equal to ten bucks per person, per session, which I think is pretty reasonable, given you'd get the space, PA, drums, heat and A/C. Being a musician, I know funds can get tight and I'm not looking to get rich off this. But pulling in a few hundred bucks a week would nicely offset the cost of building the thing. One thing I'm concerned about is I don't want this to be a "commercial" thing, meaning this isn't a business, just helping out some fellow musicians. Another concern is liability issues. Say someone got hurt while rehearsing. I think I need to ask my insurance company about this. Maybe I can get some kind of cheap supplemental policy or addendum to my current one. I do have an umberella policy of $5 mil, but I don't know if something like this would be covered. If this looks to be too much of a pain, I guess I won't do it. :cry: Bummer if I can't do this, because again, I know finding a decent, affordable place to rehearse is tough.

You can say it's not a business... But if you're charging money for it, it's a business. It may not be a profitable business, but it's still a business. Your biggest obstacle may the business license that you would need to obtain from your city or county. In many areas, to obtain a business license for a residential address, you need to (also) obtain a home occupation permit. I cover this in the "Permits, Codes, Licenses -- and WHY YOU SHOULD CARE!" thread. Many home occupation permits don't allow for regular visitation by customers and/or limit the number of customers/guests allowed at any one time. This is often in proportion to the density of the neighborhood -- the higher the density, the more restrictive the regulations. It's best not to make any assumptions.

Checked with my attorney today...a simple lease is all that's needed. No permits, licenses, or intrusive governmental nonsense necessary :P He also said I really don't even need a lease but recommended one in case of damage to the studio occurred. He said I could create a subsidiary under my songwriting corp, but said that'd be a waste of $$$ and since I'm only doing it for no more than 5 bands I know personally, a lease'd be fine. I do need to chat with my insurance agent, though.

Is your attorney familiar with the zoning or municipal code restrictions for your neighborhood? Your profile doesn't indicate where you live specifically... But just as an example, the City of Nashville has restrictions for home-based businesses:

May I operate a small business from my home? Yes, under certain limitations, and with a "Home Occupation Permit". Permits are required for all home occupations and may be obtained through the Department of Codes Administration at a cost of $25.00. Contact our Zoning Division at 862-6500 to obtain complete information regarding current requirements. The basic limitations include:
• There can be no employee associated with the home occupation on site that does not reside on site.
• There can be no signs or advertising of a business at the residence (except in the areas of child care, or tutoring).
• In no case can customers be served on the premises.
• One vehicle, not exceeding an axle load of 1.5 tons is permitted, but no advertising is permitted on the vehicle.
A reliable "rule of thumb" is: if you can see it, hear it, or smell it, the business is not allowed as a home occupation. (Source)

I'm not saying that these restrictions apply specifically in your case (unless you live in the Nashville city limits)... But you should contact your city or county officials to find out what, if any, restrictions do apply to you. You're welcome to think of such things as "intrusive governmental nonsense" -- many would agree with you. However, such restrictions aren't in place solely to tell you what you can't do -- they're in place to protect others from becoming victims of the actions of others. I once heard of a case in a shiny brand new neighborhood of a homeowner running his ice cream truck business from his corner lot property. He had covered his back yard with concrete, constructed an unpermitted and illegal driveway, and serviced and stocked the vehicles in his backyard. The neighbors were rightfully outraged and were ultimately successful in shutting the operation down with the enforcement of existing ordinances. If you utlimately discover that there are restrictions that apply to you, then work within the law to try to get the rules changed or to be granted a variance. Perhaps you live in a rural area and there aren't any such restrictions that apply to you. (Don't assume that to be the case though.) If so, then you should be set -- provided you have the necessary insurance and legal CYA documents as recommended by your attorney. :-) --Keith :mrgreen:

Quote - "Another concern is liability issues. Say someone got hurt while rehearsing. I think I need to ask my insurance company about this" Only in America!! JohnG

Again, this is NOT a business, small, large, or otherwise. There will be no advertising, acceptance of outside "customers", and it's a private matter between me and a few friends. This is on the scale of a yard sale My attorney knows what he's doing and I pay him for his advice. If he tells me it's cool to do this, then that's the end of it.

Nashtalon, "ve sent you a couple of pm but guess you are not getting them? As for the insurance, Be very carefull, if you get paid,it's a business period, and most insurance compaines will require a commercial policy... I have just gone through the discussions. By the way, you I've not noticed where your located, I'm out here in the Lebanon area.. Dave

Looks like this really turned out Nash, congrats. Any chance of seeing some pics of the whole thing (All 4 walls :D)? Would be awesome.

Hey, Haven't been here in a long while. I wanted to report the new studio is performing beyond expectations. Nary a complaint from any neighbor, or my woman, who likes to sit on the deck in the evenings (when we rehearse) with her neighbor girlfriends and can't hear a thing. Also, back in May I installed a Fedders mini-split AC unit (did it meself :D ) and it really kicks butt. It's a 12,000 BTU unit and it keeps the place COLD. And since the building is so doggone doubly insulated, once it's initially ran on high for about 15 minutes, I can switch it to low and it's still chilly. The great news is the small 2" opening for the refrigerant lines didn't compromise the sound reduction any. All in all...things couldn't have turned out better.

Awesome news! Hey, do you have any photos of your mini split installation process? I'm planning to hire out the installation work, but maybe you'll boost my confidence enough that I'll give it a stab myself! :shock: (Not likely, but you never know!) --Keith :mrgreen:

Man, I LOVE success stories; glad to hear you're likin' your results so well, sure is a far cry from your first post, huh? (Walks away, humming stupid love song...) :lol:

congrats! pix?