Running a beauty business from home or as a mobile therapist: the UK paperwork checklist
Many therapists work from home or visit clients, but there is no single permission to apply for. GOV.UK says you may need planning permission, permission from a mortgage provider or landlord, business insurance and possibly business rates, and HMRC expects you to register for Self Assessment if you are self-employed. Check each with the right body before you take bookings.
Can you run a beauty business from home legally?
Often yes, but it depends on your home and your local area, and the answer is not a single licence. GOV.UK's guidance on running a business from home says you may need planning permission, for example if you plan major alterations to your home, and that you may need permission from your mortgage provider or landlord. It also says you may have to pay business rates on the part of your property used for the business, and that Scotland uses a local assessor rather than the Valuation Office Agency.
Because rules differ between England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, and between councils, ask your local council before you start. Some councils also license or register certain treatments, so ask about the treatments on your menu, not only about the room.
Tax: register when you start earning
GOV.UK says you register as a sole trader by registering for Self Assessment, and that you must register if you earn more than 1,000 pounds in a tax year, running from 6 April to 5 April. It warns you may get a penalty if you register late or do not register when you need to. GOV.UK's employment status guidance for hair and beauty covers working as a mobile hair stylist or beauty therapist, either at your own home or a client's home.
This page cannot tell you which status applies to you. Use the GOV.UK tools and, for anything unclear, ask HMRC or an accountant.
Insurance, health and safety
GOV.UK warns that home insurance may not cover your business, including stock, computers and customers visiting your premises. Ask your insurer in writing whether your treatments are covered at home and at clients' addresses. Therapist insurance policies differ on mobile work, so read the wording.
The HSE sets out five steps for managing risk: identify the hazards, assess the risks, control them, record your findings and review the controls. It says that if you employ 5 or more people you must record your significant findings, so a sole trader with no staff need not write the assessment down by law. Writing it down is still useful evidence, and your insurer may ask for it. The HSE's beauty page notes that some ingredients in beauty products can irritate the skin or cause skin allergies, so keep safety information for your products.
Data protection when you work from home or travel
The ICO says organisations, including sole traders, that use personal information need to pay a data protection fee unless they are exempt. Client consultation forms hold health details, so assume you are processing personal data and check the ICO's fee self-assessment.
The ICO's security guidance asks you to consider the quality of doors and locks and how you dispose of paper waste, and lists hard-copy records being lost, stolen or incorrectly disposed of as a risk. For mobile therapists that means taking only the forms you need on each visit, not leaving them in a vehicle, and filing them securely afterwards. Our guide to handling client data covers the rest.
The client paperwork to have ready
Home and mobile therapists need the same client paperwork as a salon: a consultation form, a patch test record, treatment-specific consent, written aftercare, a cancellation policy and a privacy notice. Our wider guide to starting your own business covers what each one is for.
For mobile work, add the address of each visit and who else was present, so your record shows where and when you treated the client.
A paperwork checklist for home and mobile therapists
A preview of our free Home and Mobile Business Setup Checklist. The complete, print-ready version is sent to you by email.
Your business
- Business name
- Your name
- + 3 more in the full form
Permissions and registrations
- I have asked my local council whether I need planning permission, or any licence or registration, for my premises and treatmentsYes / NoDate and who you spoke to
- I have checked whether my mortgage provider or landlord needs to give permissionYes / NoDate and outcome
- + 3 more in the full form
Insurance, safety and equipment
- My insurer has confirmed in writing that my treatments are covered where I will workYes / NoInsurer and policy number
- I have a written risk assessment for my treatment spaceYes / No
- + 3 more in the full form
Client paperwork
- Consultation form ready for every clientYes / No
- Patch test record ready for each treatment that needs oneYes / No
- + 6 more in the full form
The full form has 23 questions in 4 sections, a signed declaration and space for your business details. Get it free below.
Free template
Get the print-ready Home and Mobile Business Setup Checklist
A print-ready checklist to work through before you take your first booking, with space for dates, notes and your review date. Free, and yours to adapt.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need planning permission to see clients at home?
Not always. GOV.UK says you may need it, for example if you plan major alterations, and rules vary by area. Ask your local council before you start taking bookings.
Does my home insurance cover treating clients?
Possibly not. GOV.UK says home insurance may not cover your business, including stock, computers and customers visiting. Ask your insurer in writing and also check cover for visits to clients' homes.
Do I still need GDPR forms and a privacy notice at home?
Yes, if you collect client details you are processing personal data wherever you work. The ICO says sole traders that use personal information need to pay the data protection fee unless exempt. Tell clients what you collect and why.
Do mobile therapists need different consultation forms?
The health questions are the same. Add the address of the visit, take only the forms you need, and store them securely afterwards.
Sources
- Running a business from home, GOV.UK
- Register as a sole trader, GOV.UK
- Check employment status if you work in hair and beauty, GOV.UK
- Data protection fee, Information Commissioner's Office
- A guide to data security, Information Commissioner's Office
- Steps needed to manage risk, Health and Safety Executive
- COSHH and beauticians: key messages, Health and Safety Executive
Every form your beauty business needs
Consultation, patch test, consent, GDPR and cancellation paperwork as editable templates. One payment, no subscription.
See the form packs, from £29 →These articles are general guidance for UK beauty therapists, not legal or medical advice. Our forms are editable templates: adapt them to your specific treatments, your product manufacturer's protocol and your insurer's terms.