anyone doing massage out of their home...

[bored_ at_ work]

or someone else's home???How do you handle the homeowner's insurance???I own my home and my roommate and best friend wants to start doing massage out of the extra room. I just found out that my current AAA insurance policy doesn't cover anything related to that kind of business since it involves seeing clients and people in and out and hands-on. Plus if for some reason she were to, say, pinch someone's nerve or something like that and they sue her, it could come back on me since I'm the homeowner and that's where the big money is. I hate to have to tell her but I think I'm going to have to ask her to make her business a traveling one.Please help if you have any experience with this. Did you get a special insurance policy? Would massage/bodywork liability insurance for her relieve me and my house of any liability?Help!Thanks guys.....Stephanie

 

[Pompal 09.]

anyone doing massage out of their home...

well at present she doesn't have any massage liability insurance, she is goign to start by doing friends, coworkers etc but if she is going to do anything in my house I am going to have to insist she get some insurance. And since my HO insurance won't cover even slip and falls by HER clients, she needs to have her own. If my insurance is at all jiggy about it and there's a chance that HERS would not cover any potential thing that could happen to a client, we can't do it. massage magazine offers some for pretty cheap like 129 a year. that seems very reasonable.steph

 

[anthony f]

anyone doing massage out of their home...

It would be a great idea for her to have Professional Insurance for any problem that may come up because of her services.You need to have a policy in place to cover things like them slipping and falling on the steps, etc.

 

[Violent John]

I'm in California and I have TRiple A insurance and he already told me that they DONT provide coverage for home businesses with clients coming and going (my biz is ok because no clients). This is odd to me because if i was a piano teacher or something, there must be a rider available to cover that. AAA is a huge company.I guess I need for HER to get professional insurance that covers her malpractice AND the dwelling she operates out of. Then I SHOULDN'T have to worry about it.  But I imagine that I DO have to tell MY insurance company. I may tell her that if the biz gets popular and expands beyond 5-7 massages a week she needs to go mobile or else rent a space. I don't want to lie to my insurance company and have something go awry.You all are very helpful. I'm going to send my roomie here to meet you all. God I love the internet!STeph

 

[YanksFan]

:-/I know.....she has struggled hard to move here and get into something she loves, which is nutrition and healing and such. I try to be really supportive of her and she really has no money to go out and get a place. She has been so excited and fixed the room all up. I only recently thought of hey what about my ho insurance and asked my agent and then.....Well the bottom line you are right I can't jeopardize my house....at least she could have a mobile business. But she needs liability insurance for her own purposes. Esp since she wants to give people bach flower remedies and supplements and things.If I can assure myself that I'm not at risk by her getting some good liability, then I'd let her do it.  It'll be her job to get fully covered and fully cover the dwelling and I'll let AAA know what we are doing and show them HER insurance policy. As long as they are ok with that...What do you guys pay for your liability? Any suggestions?Steph

 

[michael941260]

anyone doing massage out of their home...

AMTA (American Massage Therapy Association) covers Any massage therapist Anywhere your friends Are in their massage practice, As far As I understand it. Check with them for clarification As to what they cover currently.Contacthttp://www.amtamassage.orgto get further details.Make sure your massage friends are both insured with 3 to 6 milllion liability insurance each, and you have your own liability insurance too.

 

[Cal]

anyone doing massage out of their home...

They would not be covered if they trip and fall in the home with a policy from AMTA/ABMP, etc.

 

[goldstcy]

hm well how many people out there do you know that do massage part or full time out of their homes?I wonder if they've even thought of potential risks from their lack of homeowner's insurance coverage.  AAA says that "most insurance carriers" don't cover these kinds of home businesses. But look at piano teachers....lots of them have clients coming into and out of the home. What's the difference? As far as people tripping and slipping and all that....steph

 

[MassEauTerra]

Look into an umbrella policy...  that may give you a bit more coverage.

 

[nette]

anyone doing massage out of their home...

AMTA.....how much is that to have?Does it cover you not only for malpractice on the client but also on them injuring themselves by falling or tripping or things like that, slipping on the carpet etc.?I am sure she would have to have them sign a form for remedies stating that they have not been regulated or tested by fda and the massage therapist is not a doctor and all that...I will have to have her call AMTA to ask them. They should be able to tell her if THEY cover the office space, even if it is a home.SDBliss, have you checked with your HO insurance about the clients you are seeing at your house, do you have a rider on your policy, or IF something were to happen, would the client say they were just there for a visit or whatnot?STeph

 

[Atherfool]

The situation in Australia (I know, totally different country, so not really relevant....) bodywork insurance is about $200 per year, this includes aromatherapy.  The minute anything is prescribed to be ingested the insurance goes up to almost $400.

 

[Cloud 9 with bells on!]

anyone doing massage out of their home...

Well I'm not sure what state you're in. However, I would think that if two or more licensed therapists are practicing under one roof, then that business is called an "establishment" and is under a completely different set of rules than a single business owner place. Check your local zoning and business regulations to see what they say about restrictions. Be well,Jen

 

[Lenny Kicks In!]

anyone doing massage out of their home...

Hi Jen I'm in California.Nope it's just her, and she's operating out of my personal home. Kind of like a piano teacher. This raises huge homeowner's insurance liability issues.Steph

 

[`??????]

anyone doing massage out of their home...

Steph,I would tell her that you support her calling, but that you cannot allow it if she doesn't get licensed & insured. As many have mentioned before, you must be mentioned as "additionally insured". You might want to have her include a signed disclaimer sentence or two in each client intake form that insures you (landlord/property owner) are not responsible for any malpractice, accidental injury or medical emergency that might arise before/during/after their appointment. It sounds like you're asking her to jump through hoops, but those small steps can help keep your relationship where it belongs & very clear. And remember, once you give your consent, its a two-sided coin. She can & will run her business as she sees fit. Will you be annoyed with people you don't know coming in & out of your home? Will late appointments make you feel like you can't relax? Just cover all the bases. In a good business relationship, you cover the end of the relationship as well as the terms to begin. That way its all laid out. It could be a wonderful arrangement, but if not prepared for ... a series of hard lessons that could chip away at your synchronicity as housemates or friends.Good luck.Jill/sagetherapist

 

[as.erwin]

Thanks Jill and everyone this has all been very helpful. I was thinking if it got to the point of more than 2 or 3 clients, 3 or 4 days a week I would have to ask her to rent a space or go mobile. I don't want to have to worry about not having ANY clutter around the house and mopping all the floors every day, and I don't know if she does either.  I don't mind shutting the door to my room a few hours a day, but there does become a point where it is an intrusion, plus if it is mostly strangers then you never know who is casing the place!If a client signs a disclaimer like that that we draw up before she treats them, that is a legal contract that wouldn't hold up in court, right, if they tried to sue me? I am sure I can write something that sounds comprehensive as long as it's legally ok.YEs I don't want to ruin the friendship. She and I need to sit and discuss all this.Oh here is another thing.....if California doesn't require her to be licensed (she used to be licensed in Texas years ago) then she can get AMTA or AMBP insurance, right? It's whatever the state's rules are?Thanks again everyone. Y'all rock!Steph ;D

 

[Proud mommy of Logan! <3]

Okay, I live in CA and I'm not sure where in California you live, but because the STATE does not require licensing does not mean that your LOCAL government doesn't.  Also, for most of the municipaltiies that I'm aware of in CA, you're not permitted to work out of your home at all so I don't think any insurance coverage would help or be considered valid if she is working outside the scope of the law (ie: without a local license and in her home - whether she owns it or not).  This could definitely affect you.  On a side note and a little off topic, do you really want strangers wandering through your home when you might not be around?  How is she screening these clients?  I think someone renting a room is asking an awful lot of you beyond providing shelter.  And again, prescribing BACH Flower remedies is surely outside of her scope of practice as an MT unless she's separately certified by Bach.  Is she?    Too many questions for me but you'll make the right decision for you.  Good luck, Joe E.

 

[Pompal 09.]

She wants to do massage and also john thie's touch for health and regular nutritional supplements and counseling and bach flowers. I don't think you need a cert to do bach flowers do you? Her clients would have to sign a waiver stating that she is not a medical doctor and bach flowers are not proven to cure any ailments and have not been approved by the fda and all of that.Gosh I dont know about LOCAL MT licensing. I am in Sacramento county.  I thought it went by state.Well I keep using piano teachers as an example. Many of them work out of their home, and I know that there is not the hands-on touching feature with that but as far as HO insurance and small business for zoning is concerned, it's the same regarding having clients in and out of the home tripping and falling on the carpet. Perhaps piano teachers CANT work out of their homes here in Sac county, I don't know! I don't mind people she knows and I know and neighbors coming in for a rub every so often but not really when it gets into 2 strangers a day and such. I'm going to have to have her do a lot more research.What county are you in Joe E?STeph

 

[Tony]

anyone doing massage out of their home...

Hi Pete....I am in the city of FOlsom.I found a number for the city and will have her call tomorrow. Also it looks like there ARE local regs but since she HAS had MT training in the past to get her license in Texas (this was over a decade ago) then she HAS had training, not sure if she has to take current training for local cert.The confusing thing is if I have her get insurance and put me on as additionally covered, I still don't know if my HO insurance will be a problem since they DONT cover home business like that, or should I say maybe "allow" it so I dont want to void my HO insurancce warranty. ACK this is mushrooming.If she tells AMTA or AMBP that she is also recommending supplements and giving bach flower therapies, will they cover her for an additional charge? Steph

 

[Mojito]

anyone doing massage out of their home...

She's been out of town in LA for thanksgiving and just got back last night. I've been doing research all weekend and I haven't sat her down to tell her yet, gotta wait till we can talk. I hope she doesn't get too discouraged by it...it's hard when you're making a life and career change, everything is about money and she was excited about this as something she could do that she already knows how to do and has been interested in all her life, and we had the extra room.....now it looks like money is going to get in the way again!Steph

 

[Mario (Backup)]

anyone doing massage out of their home...

Ariala you did it out of your home? How did you handle your homeowner's insurance? Did you get a rider? Would they cover you? Mine won't.Steph