charging for use of menage?

[L&M]

Moral dilemma!!

I am very lucky to have a quality menage, and am the only person in the area with one. Increasingly I am being asked by people if they can borrow the school, which i don't mind occasionally, but have a couple of friends are now using it weekly.

Obviously the more the school is used the more maintenance I have to do which costs me in time and money, but feel uncomfortable asking friends to pay. But equally I am starting to get peed off that people are taking me and my facilities for granted.....

What would you do?

 

[Tallante]

You can charge them a fee but then you have to pay business rates.

 

[sprite1978]

Its difficult to change the arrangement once its started. My suggestion would be to tell your friends that you are going to start and charge anybody new who wants to use it because of the maintainance costs, and see if their conscience kicks in! Youll probably find they either stop coming, or offer a donation.

 

[EQUISCENE]

You could stipulate that after they have used it that they leave it how they found it and level it for you!

I have had a similar problem and now say no occasionally..

 

[flyingfeet]

Plus you'll find that people using your own private arena is a PITA

We always charged, because otherwise people totally take the p*ss, and I wouldn't trust them to level with our (big) tractor

Bear in mind that wear and tear and fuel to level is costing you money. Unless you are getting something in return then you are being used to a certain extent.

 

[L&M]

Excuse my ignorance but what is PITA?
Thanks

 

[flyingfeet]

Pain In The Ass!!

Although mainly because I spend ages setting up grids and courses with BSJA striding and then arena users would destroy course and rearrange

Ok so its irrational, but I don't have much free time and if something took me an hour to build I am not very tolerant to people !!

 

[L&M]

Ha Ha - I thought it was some council term!

Off to hang my head in shame.....

 

[navaho]

Ha Ha - I thought it was some council term!

Off to hang my head in shame.....

Ill come & hang my head with you, i thought it was some council term as well lol!

 

[barbaraNcolin]

I've had a few people ask to use ours, I always tell them we aren't insured to have others using it. It can definitelty become a pita when people start taking the biscuit. I like sprite's suggestion, explain to them that it's take up your time, money and effort to maintain it and you need something back. I'm sure you'll find they either cough up, offer to help out or don't come back.

 

[lara b]

My friend is in similar situation to you, when it comes to friends/neighbours she doesn't charge but she also doesn't feel guilty about asking for help with any help/jobs she needs doing either, so it ends up being a fair trade! Maybe ask them to level arena or if you don't want them handleing your levelling gear then enlist them for weeding chores around arena etc, only fair!

 

[jnb]

£10 - £15 an hour is the going rate...IMO anyone expecting to use a quality arena should be more than happy to pay that, I do. Currently our YO is having a 60m x 30m Charles Britton menage built - YIPPEE! No more boxing it on drak wet nights!

 

[Gilbey]

We only let a friend use it once, and goodness know what they did as it has always had a bit pit at X now and we cannot get it level despite rolling and harrowing. It is definately a PITA.

 

[imr]

Arenas cost a bomb to build and they cost time and money to maintain. If they werent using yours for free they would be paying elsewhere or using muddy fields.

I dont think its remotely unreasonable to ask people to give you a contribution or ask for something in return. You absolutely shouldnt feel bad about it at all.

 

[Llewellyn]

Could you put a waterproof honesty box on the gate. We used to use an indoor that had one might give people a nudge. Make sure it says honesty box in big writing.

 

[Andalucian]

I don't own an arena, but I do hire them in the winter. I'm happy to pay £10-15 per hour and I would expect to pay someone for the privilage. Also I'd expect to adhere to rules like putting jumps back where I found them and poo picking afterwards, and I know that all accidents are at my own risk.

I'd just tell your current users that you want to formalise it a bit so its nicer for everyone, tell them the rules and make it cash in hand only, it won't be enough to make it a business will it? Otherwise peeps will take the p*ss which is a shame when you're being kind enough to allow them to use it.

 

[RunToEarth]

I would ask them to make a contribution for using it. When we first had ours built we had a few locals come up to use it, it got to the point where jumps and poles were being left about, one lady stuck paper dressage markers everywhere and didn't take them down, they ended up blown all over the place, and the final straw was someone not closing the gate- the wind got hold of it and cracked a bar- wooden gates are not cheap either.
I would just explain to them that you cannot reasonably be expected to level out and maintain your arena for other people using it free of charge, and you feel you are being taken advantage of.

 

[Lilyhead]

Not sure if its possible for you, but I use the school at the next farm along from us and we have an agreement that I pay them a minimum amount (£5 an hour) when I use, but provide them with cover once or twice a year when they go away, i.e. looking after their horses for them. Usually works out I do 10 days a year for them, so nothing major.

They are doing me a favour by letting me us their lovely school, so I do them a favour back! Perhaps you could try and agree something similar with your friend (as someone else suggest even if its just weeding the school weekly!) but charge any newbies?

Always a toughie when they are friends!

 

[smudge99]

I am also in Shropshire and I would be more than happy to pay £10-£15 per hour. The local riding school from me is the nearest for hire and its a lot more than that .... not near me are you ;o)

Liz

 

[LegOn]

A friend of mine rents a private arena off another friend of hers once a week & she pays £10 a hour during the summer to contribute to the upkeep of it & £15 in the winter for the electricity for the use of floodlights.

Friends or not, its your arena that you paid alot to install I'm sure - charge for it & dont worry about business rates or anything like that, lots of people do small cash-in-hand business for something this small. Plus the amount you would be earning wouldnt be worth registering for. Maybe have them sign a waiver though, saying they are using it at their own risk so you are covered??

 

[abina]

First of all please check your planning permission - if your school is built on a private (non commercailly rated) yard then 9/10 it will state that permission has been granted for private use only. If you then charge people for the use of your school you are then generating income from the facilicty and it would then have to have apply for change of use and you would then be charged commercial business rates. You also then have to declare your extra earnings and pay tax on them as well.

You would also be unwise to allow other people to use your facilities without having an insurance cover for yourself and if anyone instructs in your school, then then you must also insist that they have the correct instructors insurance and make sure you see proof of it - to cover yourself again - any persons entering your property you are responsible for, however you may see it !

Many times it would not be worth the extra hassle and expenditure, my advise would be to leave the hiring of facilities to the commercial yards and just enjoy your own school!

Bit tough on your freinds I know but if they are friends then they will understand!

 

[cobgirlie]

All the legal stuff aside...how rude of these people to use your school without offering anything in exchange!!! I cannot abide users and frankly people who take the micky like these have are not the sort I'd be calling friends!! Even a few quid offered would be something, I cannot believe they expect it for nothing!! I'm annoyed for you, people obviously are taking advantage of your kind nature.