# Can I lease an office space and live there? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 24, 2011, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-lease-an-office-space-and-live-there/572505 "2011-02-24T21:32:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![SanVito](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sanvito/32/2805_2.png) [@SanVito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanVito)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2017, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-lease-an-office-space-and-live-there/572505/43 "2017-06-07T15:30:51Z")
What are the property taxes like in your part of the World? In the UK, we pay Council Tax on residential property and Business Rates Tax on commercial property. Both fund local services. Business Rates are usually more expensive. I discovered this when viewing a property to buy - it was a ‘live/work’ space, where the ground floor was designated as commercial premises. I didn’t need a home office at the time but thought it might come in useful, but then discovered that it would mean paying higher property taxes. ---
**Author:** ![Morgenstern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Morgenstern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgenstern)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2017, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-lease-an-office-space-and-live-there/572505/44 "2017-06-07T15:33:20Z")
Rent an office. Put a sign on the door - “Sleep study area, please be quiet.” Problem solved. ---
**Author:** ![furryman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/furryman/32/99_2.png) [@furryman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/furryman)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2017, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-lease-an-office-space-and-live-there/572505/45 "2017-06-07T19:29:51Z")
In this area I’ve seen quite a few houses that have been transformed into offices. All the ones I’ve been in, it didn’t look like anyone was actually living there. Maybe a zoning code violation? The place I used to live had a bunch of stores with apartments over them. I can’t imagine a worse place to live. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2017, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-lease-an-office-space-and-live-there/572505/47 "2017-06-08T15:11:23Z")
> [@furryman](#): > > In this area I’ve seen quite a few houses that have been transformed into offices. All the ones I’ve been in, it didn’t look like anyone was actually living there. Maybe a zoning code violation? > The place I used to live had a bunch of stores with apartments over them. I can’t imagine a worse place to live. Generally speaking, the idea of putting residences above shops is a great idea. It increases conveniences, efficiencies, and quality if life in multiple ways. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2017, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-lease-an-office-space-and-live-there/572505/48 "2017-06-08T15:49:58Z")
> [@Clothahump](#): > > Our lease for the Taekwondo school says we can’t live in it. But the reality is that we probably could live in it and the landlord would never know. Use the gym down the street to shower, use the coin-op laundry around the corner. Heck, I can easily imagine a martial-arts studio that – well, folks exercise there, right? Working up a sweat, kind of like at a gym? So what if it has its own showers? ---
**Author:** ![watchwolf49](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e9c0ed/32.png) [@watchwolf49](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/watchwolf49)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2017, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-lease-an-office-space-and-live-there/572505/49 "2017-06-08T16:45:55Z")
I’m trying to think of a good reason why commercial properties can’t be used as residences … seems that all the logical reasons are fairly trivial … so that only leaves illogical reasons … So, we rent a store front and set up a little habitable space in the back … our commercial landlord is getting his money, but then there’s a residential landlord who isn’t getting anything … generally speaking, landlords have a great amount of political power, and legislators will fashion all manner of lame excuses to prohibit residing in commercial properties … so by law we’re required to rent an apartment someplace in addition to our commercial rent … more of our money leaving our pockets and going into landlords’ pockets … How many legislators are themselves landlords? … a landlord collects rents on the first of the month, pays bills on the second … that leaves four weeks per month free time to hold political office without affecting the landlord’s income … including being the judge in eviction court (hahahaha) … ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2017, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-lease-an-office-space-and-live-there/572505/50 "2017-06-08T19:56:02Z")
Supposedly one of the issues is that electrical outlets and wiring in offices isn’t requires to be as heavy duty ad for residences, so plugging in a microwave or a fridge is a hazard. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2017, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-lease-an-office-space-and-live-there/572505/51 "2017-06-08T20:05:07Z")
> [@watchwolf49](#): > > How many legislators are themselves landlords? … a landlord collects rents on the first of the month, pays bills on the second … that leaves four weeks per month free time to hold political office without affecting the landlord’s income … including being the judge in eviction court (hahahaha) … Clearly, you have never been a landlord, or even a build superintendent. The maintenance alone requires much more time than that (unless you’re a slumlord who does none). Plus all the paperwork required by the government, and tax reports, city inspections, etc. And there’s the work or replacing tenants who move – advertising, showing, screening, approving, signing papers, notifying other applicants. Even in a small building, that probably happens every few months. Like most occupations, doing a good job as a landlord takes a lot more work than it appears to outsiders. ---
**Author:** ![watchwolf49](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e9c0ed/32.png) [@watchwolf49](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/watchwolf49)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2017, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-lease-an-office-space-and-live-there/572505/52 "2017-06-08T20:42:39Z")
> [@t-bonham@scc.net](#): > > Clearly, you have never been a landlord, or even a build superintendent. > > The maintenance alone requires much more time than that (unless you’re a slumlord who does none). Plus all the paperwork required by the government, and tax reports, city inspections, etc. And there’s the work or replacing tenants who move – advertising, showing, screening, approving, signing papers, notifying other applicants. Even in a small building, that probably happens every few months. > > Like most occupations, doing a good job as a landlord takes a lot more work than it appears to outsiders. The only clarity is that you’ve never been a landlord … what you describe is the occupation of a rental manager … for small operations, of course it makes sense for the owner to manage the units themselves … if we’re talking several hundred units spread out over a few cities … the owner just hires out all the work … [giggle] … and pays the invoices on the 2nd of each month … Why on Earth would you think a person grossing over a million dollars a month is going to be out scooping dog shit off people’s porches? … or are you not aware of that particular task associated with apartment complexes? … ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2017, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-lease-an-office-space-and-live-there/572505/53 "2017-06-08T20:49:26Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > Supposedly one of the issues is that electrical outlets and wiring in offices isn’t requires to be as heavy duty ad for residences, so plugging in a microwave or a fridge is a hazard. No, the _requirement_ is the same – for example, the code requirement for a refrigerator receptacle is a 20-Amp, separate circuit. That’s what you should put a fridge on. +It’s just that in a house, you know where the kitchen will be and thus where the refrigerator outlet should be. But you don’t know that in an office, so they just pick a location to be a ‘break room’ and install a refrigerator, microwave, etc. in it, even though the room might only be wired for normal office use. However, most modern offices are designed so that wiring can be easily changed & adapted to its’ use, so they could rewire appropriate wiring into the break room. Also, nowadays offices are usually wired heavier than they used to be, with every desk having a computer printer, cell phone charger, etc. – much more electrical equipment than before. ---
**Author:** ![GaryM](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garym/32/241_2.png) [@GaryM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GaryM)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2017, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-lease-an-office-space-and-live-there/572505/54 "2017-06-08T20:50:36Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > Supposedly one of the issues is that electrical outlets and wiring in offices isn’t requires to be as heavy duty ad for residences, so plugging in a microwave or a fridge is a hazard. I’m thinking you’ve never seen the power cord on a big high speed copier? ---
**Author:** ![watchwolf49](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e9c0ed/32.png) [@watchwolf49](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/watchwolf49)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2017, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-lease-an-office-space-and-live-there/572505/55 "2017-06-08T22:37:10Z")
Office spaces also don’t typically have 220 VAC outlets suitable for stoves … so we’d be left with a 110 VAC hot plate … and of course the danger here is leaving the thing on while we’re down at the public restroom cleaning up … but that danger occurs even in a residential unit with an appropriate outlet for a stove … it seems a wash to me … if we leave anything on like that we risk a major fire … ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2017, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-lease-an-office-space-and-live-there/572505/56 "2017-06-08T23:51:19Z")
> [@watchwolf49](#): > > Office spaces also don’t typically have 220 VAC outlets suitable for stoves … so we’d be left with a 110 VAC hot plate … and of course the danger here is leaving the thing on while we’re down at the public restroom cleaning up … but that danger occurs even in a residential unit with an appropriate outlet for a stove … it seems a wash to me … if we leave anything on like that we risk a major fire … Plenty of offices have microwave ovens in their break rooms, so at least there’s that. ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2017, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-lease-an-office-space-and-live-there/572505/57 "2017-06-08T23:59:47Z")
> [@friedo](#): > > Good luck getting a shower or kitchen installed without the landlord knowing. > > But if you just plan to sleep there and shower somewhere else and order a lot of takeout, I doubt anybody would stop you. Many offices have a breakroom with refrigerators and microwaves in them. Even if you do not, you can do all your food prep with portable equipment like a hot plate, dorm fridge, camper stove, microwave, crock pot, toaster oven, etc. that are stored out of sight in case the landlord comes. Showering can be done at the gym. ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2017, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-lease-an-office-space-and-live-there/572505/58 "2017-06-09T00:10:35Z")
I’ve got two microwaves and a full-size refrigerator at the office. But it’s also right next to a server room that services about 1,500 computers so there’s all sorts of very serious power lines and other assorted wires running everywhere. It’s all well hidden and looks like any typical office, but peek in the ceiling or open a service door in the wall and it’s all packed with conduit and wires. And I’d like to mention that of all the hundreds of threads I’ve started, it’s amusing to me that _this_ is the one that keeps coming up randomly every couple of years. I am pleased. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2017, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-lease-an-office-space-and-live-there/572505/59 "2017-06-09T00:42:23Z")
> [@friedo](#): > > Good luck getting a shower or kitchen installed without the landlord knowing. . . . . > [@needscoffee](#): > > It’s not unusual to have a small shower in an office. Lots of people bike to work and have to wash off. . . . If you add in a bike rack and some promotion, maybe some lockers, you might be able to get a grant to put in the shower. > [@Annie-Xmas](#): > > If the City’s Code Enforcement Office does catch up with you, expect a buttload of fines. This is the main downside. Also, the notice of eviction will specify days, rather than months, to be gone. Impacts to a city are different for office and residential buildings in many, many ways. The differences are reflected in different fees and taxes, especially the development fees and requirements when the buildings are originally constructed. Developers may need to construct or contribute to parks, libraries, schools, pump stations (for stormwater or sewage). They may have to contribute to road maintenance or require the installation of traffic signals, due to increased traffic. Having a few people ignore the zoning won’t matter much. But letting zoning be ignored in general can both tap out the budget and interfere with maintenance and provision of services, because the fees collected now don’t match the needs. ---
**Author:** ![am77494](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d2c977/32.png) [@am77494](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/am77494)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2017, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-lease-an-office-space-and-live-there/572505/60 "2017-06-09T01:29:54Z")
Why not just open a small gym with one treadmill, a meditation/sleeping/massage room, a shower and a health food preparation area ? Then when you have “no customers”, you take a deduction in your taxes for the losses. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2017, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-lease-an-office-space-and-live-there/572505/61 "2017-06-09T01:39:01Z")
> [@am77494](#): > > Why not just open a small gym with one treadmill, a meditation/sleeping/massage room, a shower and a health food preparation area ? Then when you have “no customers”, you take a deduction in your taxes for the losses. Hey, why not open a small hotel with all the amenities and no customers? ---
**Author:** ![GaryM](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garym/32/241_2.png) [@GaryM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GaryM)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2017, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-lease-an-office-space-and-live-there/572505/62 "2017-06-09T02:25:21Z")
And coffepots, refrigerators, popcorn machines. ---
**Author:** ![Snnipe\_70E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5a626/32.png) [@Snnipe\_70E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snnipe_70E)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2017, 6:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-lease-an-office-space-and-live-there/572505/63 "2017-06-09T06:38:44Z")
Office buildings normally have 3 phase 208 VAC panels. So if you want a 208 outlet it is just a matter of installing one. And most circuits are 20 amp so the fridge is not a problem. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-lease-an-office-space-and-live-there/572505.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-lease-an-office-space-and-live-there/572505.md?page=4)