Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: Re: accessory apartments in cohousing

[Kristin Becker (kbecker]

As a person in the 18-30 range, I fully agree with Sharon.  I would love to
rent a space in cohousing, but all I've seen available are too large and
sharing a house with someone does not appeal to me as I live with a
significant other and we enjoy our privacy (him especially).  We are not yet
ready to settle down completely and own a home as we have yet to decide
where we want that location to be, but we know for the next two years at
least we will be living where we're at and so a long-term lease would be
perfect!
Kristin

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Sharon Villines" <sharon [at] sharonvillines.com>
To: <cohousing-l [at] cohousing.org>
Sent: Monday, October 20, 2003 5:48 AM
Subject: Re: [C-L]_Re: accessory apartments in cohousing


>
> On 10/18/03 10:39 PM, "Shelly DeMeo" <shelldemeo [at] comcast.net> wrote:
>
> > I would be interested in
> > and very appreciative of any comments or observations from people who
live
> > in communities where accessory apartments are permitted. Are there
issues of
> > priority of access to facilities between renters and owners?  Parking
> > problems? Tenant problems?  Tensions between those with accessory
apartments
> > and those without?
>
> We don't have accessory apartments as such but we do have a large number
of
> roommates and a few rented units. Similar to Rob's experience there is no
> difference between the participation of owners and renters. Some renters
are
> fully active and others are not, just as owners are. One problem with
> roommates that would be solved with accessory apartments is that people
who
> need roommates to meet their mortgage payments would be more likely to
rent
> to long term residents. With roommates they tend to rent to someone who is
> here only a few months or on certain days of the week or so busy with
school
> that they are never around on work days.
>
> Some of us do have an issue with renters using facilities when they are
not
> members and do not participate in work. We have an associate membership
for
> non-owners that allows full privileges including the right to work (!) and
> only limits their ability to vote to raise condo fees, but it is not
> "enforced." Everyone has free rein of the place, including guests. But in
> general, this is no more of a problem with renters than owners or guests.
We
> just haven't gotten real yet on the costs of having non-contributors wear
> down equipment like computers and copy machines and general maintenance.
>
> Our parking is limited to one space per unit. Additional cars park on the
> street.
>
> You should strictly enforce lease regulations and local landlord laws.
Many
> people are not aware of the rights of renters which are very strict in
some
> localities. Once you become a landlord you are bound by them -- getting
rid
> of even a non-paying renter is not easy. Roommates are not covered by
these
> laws but an accessory apartment resident would be, I assume. Otherwise the
> interpersonal problems should be no greater than any other interpersonal
> problems.
>
> Accessory apartments would be a great boon to cohousing because it would
> diversify the population and allow those who do not want or cannot afford
to
> own houses or apartments to live in cohousing. The whole age group of
18-30
> year olds who are not ready or able to buy homes have no opportunity to
> live in cohousing when there are no small apartments or rentals. This age
> group wants to be on their own but cannot yet afford it or may not want
the
> burden of ownership. Yet the energy and spirit they bring to a community
is
> wonderful. I would have loved it if my children had been able to live in
> this kind of community at that age -- all-be-it someone else's!
>
> Sharon
> -- 
> Sharon Villines
> Takoma Village Cohousing, Washington DC
> http://www.takomavillage.org
>
> _______________________________________________
> Cohousing-L mailing list
> Cohousing-L [at] cohousing.org  Unsubscribe  and other info:
> http://www.cohousing.org/cohousing-L

_______________________________________________
Cohousing-L mailing list
Cohousing-L [at] cohousing.org  Unsubscribe  and other info:
http://www.cohousing.org/cohousing-L