NASHVILLE, Tenn (WTVF) — Nashville law prohibits a lot of people from working from home if they don’t have a permit from codes. Even with a permit, business owners are prohibited from seeing clients.
Metro Councilman Dave Rosenberg is working to change the law. He held a virtual town hall discussion Thursday evening.
He said thousands of licensed business owners are operating in their homes and seeing clients, but Nashville is conducting a “don’t ask, don’t tell” stance by turning a blind eye.
However, he says with those businesses could be shut down with just one call to Metro Codes.
“If you craft jewelry in your spare time then you can never let a client come pick that up,” said Rosenberg, “If you're a math tutor you can never have a student over, if you’re a piano teacher you can never have a student over.’
Rosenberg says many people are doing it illegally in their neighborhoods from day cares, hairdressers, music lessons and legal advice.
“So many people are working from home and fact are being told they have to work from home, and so to have this law on the books still after all this time doesn’t make sense,” said Rosenberg.
Rosenberg addressed concerns some residents had with noise and changes to zoning areas. He said he’s legislation will keep the residential neighborhoods as there are now.
The new law will allow a specific set of businesses to operate from home with a limited number of clients. The bill says you must live in the home and no outside signs and there will be restricted hours.
“We need to allow them if they’re doing it in a non-invasive, respectfully invisible way do it from their homes,” said Rosenberg.
Public hearing for the bill will be June 9 at 6:30. For more information on the legislation click here
