Teaching Space Percentage
Found in: Fees Rates & Cost
Gretchen G., Tennessee
I am newish to an area and looking for places to teach within a few miles from my home.
A local dance studio has an additional room adequate for group teaching with a piano and has offered to let me use it on certain days for 20% of what I make in tuition. I have never had to look for or rent a teaching space before so could anyone share with me typical rent you pay or request for your space that you let others use? I know that every town is different but was wondering if 20% was good or outrageous…I don’t know.
Mary R., Michigan
I only pay 10% to my local community center AND they let me advertise my info sessions in their quarterly newsletter that goes out to all residents in my community and hold the sessions at their facility. I think I have a sweet deal as I also teach Kindermuisk for them and I believe for most people 20% is more typical but it never hurts to try to negotiate down!!
Mei W., Canada
I would think a flat rate for rent would be a more fair arrangement. As to exactly how much, I suggest looking at you local newspapers, calling around your community for suitable space rentals as a comparison. That would give you a more accurate figure to work with.
Sue K., Australia
To me, 20% seems very high. If you had a large group, that could be very lucrative for them. But if you had a private student, no so much. Personally, I would prefer to know how much I pay for every time I use the room.
Vivien K., Washington
I am subleasing from a speech therapist and she charges me by the hour that I use per week. She gives me a very lenient rate because we both share the same vision in working with special needs children. She was told by her business consultant that charging a percentage of tution would be considered a “kickback” which she is not allowed to do so.
Claire C., Pennsylvania
When I was working at a local music school, I was charged 20% of my tuition which was considered their commission for their placing a student with me plus $14 a month studio overhead (I call it rent for the room) for 10 months per student in a 30 minute session. I was teaching privately and doing mostly music therapy. I thought that was pretty hefty to be charged both. So it was $140 a year plus the 20%. The actual rent was around $8.50 an hour for use of a studio room. 20% would be (on my rate of $26 per half hour = $52 an hour) = 10.40 an hour(=20%). Just throwing these numbers out so you can see in actual $ what it comes out to. Perhaps it could be to your advantage to negotiate a flat rate for rent and not 20%.