Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: Common HOuse fees

[Patty F Gourley (pattymara]

At Tierra Nueva, cen. CA coast:
 
> If two or more members would both like to use the guest room for their
> guest, how do you decide who uses it?

We have a reservation book in the office, first come first served.

>Or if I've used the guest room for half a dozen guests in 
> the last month, would I then need to allow someone else to use it even
if I 
> do alway sign up first?

We developed a guest room policy early on that limited the use of guest
rooms, but I can't remember what the limit was, because it has never been
a problem.  Oh, yeah, I guess it did come up, when a member reserved both
guest rooms for two solid weeks during Christmas vacation when lots of
folks had guests coming in.  So the limit is 7 days, with the hope that
both rooms aren't tied up by one household.  This has worked very well
for us...and we've learned to talk to each other when a conflict arises,
shifting rooms and dates when possible.  Another shadow issue is when
members who have large four bedroom houses (for one or two people)
shedule guest rooms in the common house, when other members have families
of four or five or six crammed into 2 or 3 bedroom houses.  Slowly we've
been learning to say to the people with larger houses, use your own space
first, if a conflict arises.  It's getting a little easier with time.  

> Is there a maximum length of time that the guest room can  be used 
> by one guest.  Could I sign up for my friend to use it for the next 3 
> months?

7 days for us is the limit.  But if a need arose for a member to use the
room for a longer time, I hope we would be able to listen to the need and
perhaps make an exception with comfortable boundaries.  

Be careful not to spend too much time on the "What Ifs...".  Set simple
guidelines, stay flexible.  Talk to each other.  Change it if it doesn't
serve you anymore.  

coheartedly,
Patty Mara Gourley
Tierra Nueva Coho, cen CA coast  

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