Your feedback matters
Want to learn everything about Webflow? Download our free eBook today.
.svg){kind=small}
Do I need permission to run a taxi business from my home?
Running a taxi business from home will require planning permission as it constitutes a change of use of the property. The business may cause increased traffic or visitors, staff being in the property and external advertising, all of which would have an impact on the surrounding area.
You should contact your local planning authority or the Planning Guidance Service for more advice.
Common Questions
Planning permission is not required if the home will be used as a short-term let for 90 days or less throughout the year.
If you plan on using the home as a short-term let for more than this time period, then you will need to apply for planning permission for a change of use.
If you rent a room in your property while you still live there, you will not require planning permission.
Rendering or cladding the exterior walls of your house may fall under permitted development rights, meaning an application for planning permission is not required provided you meet certain limits and requirements set out in legislation.
If you live in a listed building, you will need listed building consent for any significant works whether internal or external.
If you live in a Conservation Area, a National Park, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty or the Broads, you will need to apply for planning permission before cladding the outside of your house with stone, artificial stone, pebble dash, render, timber, plastic or tiles.
Outside these areas, cladding may be carried out without having to first apply for planning permission provided the materials are of a similar appearance to those used in the construction of the house.
If the new materials will not have a similar appearance to those previously used you will be required to submit an application for planning permission.
Read more about change to external walls on our common project.
Replacing existing render
Replacing existing render on the outside of your house with render of a similar appearance will not require planning permission as it is considered permitted development.
If you are changing the external appearance of the house or in a protected area such as a conservation area, then planning permission will be required. The external appearance of the house is likely to be changed when you are changing the type or colour of the render.
If the building is listed, then you will need listed building consent.
By law, any planning permission granted expires after a certain period. Generally, unless your permission says otherwise, you have three years from the date it's granted to begin the development. If you haven't started work by then, you will probably need to reapply.
An application for full planning permission for a change of use is often required when changing from a house (use class C3) to a residential institution (use class C2). This is due to the increased activity which a C2 use would have on the local street area through the addition of visitors, staff and changes to parking.
Read additional information on use classes and changes of use.
A carport can fall under permitted development rights provided it meets certain limits and conditions set out in legislation. If you exceed or fail to meet a requirement then you will require planning permission.
If not attached to the house, a car port will be treated as an ‘outbuilding’. A full list of requirements is available on our outbuildings common project.
