If you do rent your property and want to operate a tiney home, you will need to get your Landlord’s consent to do so. It is important for them to be aware you will be operating your business from home and that children will be in the premises.
How to do this:
First - check your contract - as there may be clauses telling you how the property should be used and if a business can be run from the address. Do be aware that childminding is classed as 'working from home' and the use of the property does not need to change! This is a common misconception.
Second - contact your Landlord or housing officer directly to let them know you’re becoming a tiney registered childminder (via an Ofsted registered Childminder agency) and want to operate from the premises and require their approval - we’ve provided a template email below which you can use to share more information with your landlord.
The permission can take some time to get back so we encourage you to get in contact with them as soon as possible. This will help prevent delays and also potentially disappointments later down the line.
We’ve found some of the biggest concerns that landlords have are related to public liability insurance and their own liability- we have highlighted this below in bold to confirm that you will have your own business cover in place once registered.
Whilst you’re waiting for the Landlord permission, we advise you to start your learning modules and checks to ensure there’s no delay to the 6 week deadline we have in place for you to complete everything. Asking for permission as early as possible will mean you have your outcome sooner and before you’ve invested all of your time and effort.
📄Please copy and paste the text below and note you will need to fill out some of the missing information:
My name is [INSERT NAME], your tenant at [INSERT ADDRESS]
I am currently in the process of registering as a Childminder. I’m working with an Ofsted Registered Childminder Agency called tiney, who are working with me to set up my business.
As part of the requirements, I need written permission from you that you are ok with me running a childcare business from the property. To confirm, childminding is classed as 'working from home' and the use of the property DOES NOT need to change. The property needs to remain a domestic premises.
I can confirm the following:
The business is being run by myself and no other party.
It will be run as a 'tiney home', which is another name for a Registered Childminder. I will be fully trained, registered, insured and regularly inspected by tiney.
My operating hours will be from XXX to XXX.
The licence registering the running of the business will be issued by tiney as an Ofsted-registered Childminder Agency. I’ll receive a certificate of registration, which will show my tiney registration number. This will only be issued once registration is granted.
Public Liability insurance is provided following my successful registration. This includes Public Liability to a limit of £10 million, plus professional Indemnity and Legal Expenses cover.
Risk assessments / fire risk assessment are a condition of my successful registration, which I will complete in advance of my inspection visit from tiney.
I will be operating within the Early Years Foundation Stage and Ofsted ratio requirements. That means I will be able to care for up to 6 children under the age of 8 (floor space allowing). I also may choose to have some after school children over the age of 8 (if space allows and it is not detrimental to the younger children in my care).
Please do let me know if you need further details from myself or from tiney on any of these points.
Best wishes,
[Your name]
Next steps:
If you do receive permission, please keep a copy of this for your own records.
If you or your landlord has any concerns or questions, these can be shared with us at community@tiney.co
If unfortunately they’re unable to give you permission, please do let us know. We will not be able to proceed further with your tiney offer, as the Landlord permission is a mandatory requirement to be able to operate a tiney home.