I have a longarm in my home (Innova 26" with stitch regulator), and it doesn't get as much use as I thought it would. (I need to make tops a lot faster, I guess.) I've thought about renting it to others, but there are so many considerations when it's in a home rather than in a place of business. I would like to hear from other longarm owners. Do any of you rent your longarm in your home? Any problems, solutions, hints?

The only thing I'd worry about is if someone got injured and was sue happy. But, you could ask your insurer about coverage and see what info. they give you?

I wouldn't cause it takes at least a 2hr training sesion at our los and I 'am affraid of what pests that might come in. Thats just me tho, I hate bugs.

Not only that,BUGS. Would that person take care & sew on YOUR machine like you would. I have a longarm I have only let my DIL sew on it one time she did great. But I'm so picky about my machines. I could never let someone come in that I didn't know real well t sew on a very expense machine . Think about it???

I would be afraid that a person I didn't know might just like my machine and come in sometime when I wasn't home and take it away.

You need to be very careful allowing strangers in your home. It is one story if you only rent it to members of your guild or to friends that you know quilt, but if you advertise you really can not pick and choose who uses it. You never know who comes just to see what you have at home to come back later when you are not there or worse, when you are alone. Be careful.

Maybe if it were in a room that didn't really allow people into the house, you might feel safer. Kind of like all those at home beauty shop ladies have. (Maybe there are not at home beauty shops everywhere. Some days I forget that small town IL isn't the whole world.)

I've seen the home beauty shops in Texas, California, and Oregon, so IL isn't alone. But unfortunately my longarm is in what used to be the downstairs family room. We seldom used that room, and it was big enough. I'm thinking that maybe renting out time on it is not a viable idea, unless I know the person.

i would never let anyone work on my longarm. for the reasons mentioned and i would feel the need to insure it since the warranty would most likely be void since its being rented out.

IMHO I wouldn't do it. The cons outweigh the pros. Boy, could I use it for my tons of UFOs!