Welcome to HSB A BOOKLET FOR ALL THOSE WHO HAVE JUST MOVED IN!

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1 Welcome to HSB A BOOKLET FOR ALL THOSE WHO HAVE JUST MOVED IN!

2 Together we number over half a million members Here at HSB, you are in good company. The various HSB associations throughout Sweden currently have more than 540,000 members. Around 360,000 of these live in properties owned by HSB s tenant owner associations, while the rest are saving for a home. You may find living in an association of this type a bit unusual, particularly if you are coming directly from a rented apartment or from a house of your own. If you have lived in an HSB tenant owner apartment before, you will of course already know what it is like. Otherwise, it is a good idea to familiarise yourself with certain aspects that make HSB accommodation different from rented housing, for example. 2

3 Some of the many benefits of being an HSB member CENTRAL AGREEMENTS Due to the fact that we have over half a million members, HSB is able to enter into advantageous agreements concerning such things as electricity, broadband, white goods and insurance. LOCAL AGREEMENTS Many HSB associations have agreements with local businesses concerning discounts on various goods and services. ADVICE You can get advice at any time on accommodation issues from your HSB association. HSB Riksförbund can provide free legal advice for members over the telephone concerning relatively simple issues that may arise in a tenant owner association. Telephone +46 (0) Monday Friday Telephone advice covers relatively short issues that can be answered over the telephone. You can keep up with the latest news 24 hours a day on HSB s website. Here you will find links to your local HSB association website, information on new products, association information, central agreements etc. FAIR CONDITIONS All members must of course be given the opportunity to live well for a reasonable cost. So HSB promotes discussion on fair conditions between the different forms of accommodation. HSB SECURITY GUARANTEE The vast majority of new tenant owner associations within HSB bring financial security for you as the owner of a new tenant owner apartment, through the HSB Association and the HSB Foundation s Guarantee Fund. This means that HSB Security Guarantee safeguards the financial security of the tenant owner association for the first seven years by purchasing any unsold apartments, thereby taking over financial responsibility for them. The HSB association owns the rights to sublet or sell the apartments. 3

4 You own the association together with your neighbours As a member of a tenant owner association, you not only share in the association s assets, but also in its liabilities. All members of the association must therefore share responsibility. Naturally, you have a special responsibility for your own apartment, but you are also responsible for the property as such and for the immediate surroundings. We hope that you will feel a commitment to issues concerning your living environment and that you will be an active member. YOU ONLY PAY WHAT IT ACTUALLY COSTS It is not the aim of a tenant owner association to make a profit. The members monthly fees are designed to cover interest and amortisation expenses on the association s loans, as well as operating costs and scheduled future maintenance. Operating costs include costs for certain repairs, water and heating, as well as caretaking, cleaning etc. National real estate taxes are also included here. One of the Board s tasks is to draw up a sensible financial plan for the future while minimising costs. In particular, the Board is responsible for financial management. The figures are presented at the association s AGM, which you are invited to attend so that you can help decide whether the Board should continue in office or whether a new Board should be elected. YOU CAN HELP TO KEEP COSTS DOWN If you have lived in a house of your own, you will know that water, electricity and heating costs are high, but that it is possible to curb them. Within the framework of the association, we can all contribute to minimising costs, by thinking about our water consumption or the indoor temperature of our apartments, for instance. It is important that faults in the heating and ventilation system, dripping taps and defective toilet-flushing mechanisms are dealt with immediately. If you come up with an idea that might help cut the association s costs, you are welcome to contact anyone on the Board. In a tenant owner association, all money-saving ideas are welcome! Savings on operating costs are to the benefit of all members. YOU DECIDE You are responsible for keeping the interior of your apartment in good condition. You decide if and when it is time for new wallpaper, a new coat of paint or other home improvements. If you wish to make more substantial changes to the apartment, however, you must check with the Board first to find out if the measures you have in mind require permission. In the majority of tenant owner associations, part of the monthly fee is set aside in a special repair fund for interior 4

5 maintenance of each apartment. Find out what applies in your association. This fund is earmarked for maintenance and is transferred with the apartment in the event of its sale. The Board determines what the fund can be used for. COSTS ARE SHARED FAIRLY Another part of the monthly fee goes into a fund for maintaining the building as a whole. The Board is responsible for there being sufficient funds to meet future repair requirements. Should such funds prove insufficient, the association must finance it through other means, e.g. by taking out a loan. This means that all those who live in the building at the time must share the costs involved to make up for the fact that not enough was paid previously. It is therefore important for the association to have a maintenance plan. ECO-FRIENDLY LIVING On the basis of its eco-friendly approach, HSB endeavours to adapt its activities to suit the environment. Only eco-friendly fuels and cleaning agents are used in the building, for example. A quarter of all tenant owner associations are already involved in sorting household waste for recycling, and many also compost organic waste. So anyone interested in an environmentally friendly lifestyle will have ample scope to apply that interest within HSB. We need all the enthusiasts we can get! 5

6 Shared ownership can mean greater security Joint ownership can bring people together and make everyday life more meaningful. Many people feel a greater sense of security in knowing who their neighbours are. If or when you need help, there is always someone close by you are never alone with your problems. A tenant owner association also provides another form of security, since you cannot be given notice to vacate the premises as long as you pay your fees in good time, follow the association s statutes and respect the legislation pertaining to tenant owner associations. GOOD NEIGHBOURS MAKE FOR A PLEASANT LIVING ENVIRONMENT Together, you and your neighbours create the living environment you want. You all contribute to the upkeep of the house and its surroundings and organise various types of activity. Communal spring-cleaning, for example, often helps people forge new contacts with their neighbours. The same is true of study groups, such as those on running a tenant owner association. There are many ways of making everyday life more pleasant and cheerful with a minimum of fuss or expense. ALL MEMBERS VIEWS ARE EQUALLY IMPORTANT Once a year, the association holds an AGM and elects its Board and its auditors. You are encouraged to attend and help elect the Board from among your fellow members, who are of course also your neighbours. The Board then takes care of the day-to-day running of the

7 association and implements the decisions taken at the AGM. It is important that all members should make their voice heard. It is also particularly important for new members to get involved a fresh pair of eyes will sometimes see things in the association that others have missed. The more you are able and willing to get involved, the more you can expect to get out of your tenant ownership. SUBMIT MOTIONS REGULARLY Members who wish to make suggestions and comments can submit motions in writing to the AGM. The statutes stipulate the length of the period during which motions can be submitted. The Board discusses the motions and the AGM decides whether to accept, reject or table the motion for further investigation. You also have the right to ask questions at the AGM. GREEN LIGHT FOR ACTIVE MEMBERS If you are interested in getting involved in the work of the association, you can contact the deputy landlord or a Board member. HSB holds courses for Board members to make their work easier and more interesting. At the tenant owner association s AGM, members are also appointed to represent the association at the HSB Association s AGM. These members then have an opportunity to exert an influence on the activities of the entire HSB Association.

8 Your tenant owner association is part of a strong organisation The HSB members organisation is divided into three sections: the tenant owner association the HSB Association the HSB National Federation (HSB Riksförbund). This organisational form allows all members to exert an influence and to take part in the decision-making process. Members who have not yet been allocated an apartment belong to an HSB Association. If you already have an apartment, you are in general a member of both the tenant owner association and the HSB Association. At present (December 2004) there are 33 HSB Associations in Sweden, each with a varying number of tenant owner associations and home-saver members. The HSB Associations are responsible for member activities within the individual associations, and implement new HSB construction projects. HSB Associations deal with technical, financial and administrative matters for both HSB s tenant owner associations and other property owners. The HSB Associations are members of the HSB National Federation (HSB Riksförbund), which holds a yearly meeting attended by approximately 200 delegates. At this meeting, guidelines are drawn up for future activities. The delegates are elected by the HSB Associations from among their members. The HSB National Federation is the central member and interest organisation within HSB. Its main task is to promote the financial interests of its members. The National Federation carries out development and opinion-shaping activities on a number of issues, including environmental, energy and housing policies. HSB s central activities for housing construction are coordinated within HSB ProjektPartner. Its task is to support the HSB Associations in their work to build new housing for its members, be a partner to the HSB Associations on issues of construction and property, and perform certain financial activities. MAKING YOUR VOICE HEARD WITHIN HSB You can make your voice heard all the way from your tenant owner association, via your HSB Association, to the HSB National Federation s yearly meeting. There are always plenty of opportunities for active members to influence development. Make sure you use them! Welcome! This booklet is published by HSB Riksförbund, Box 8310, Stockholm, Sweden forlaget@hsb.se Illustrator: Lotta Klöverbäck.