Man lyfter kvinna i flyttkaos

Rights and obligations in tenant-owner housing

Living in a tenant-owner property is simple and secure, but there are certain things worth considering. Here, we talk about some of them. For a more detailed description of your rights and obligations as a tenant-owner, see your housing cooperative’s statutes and the Swedish Cooperative Housing Act.

Your rights

Your home and shared spaces

You have the right to use your home and grounds for an indefinite time, providing you follow the rules and regulations of the housing cooperative. Along with other tenant-owners, you also have the use of shared spaces.

The right to make decisions

You have the right to be involved in making decisions at the cooperative’s AGM, and to put yourself forward for being voted into various positions of trust in the housing cooperative. However, bear in mind that this only applies to the members of a housing cooperative. If you have a spouse or partner who is not a joint owner in the property, they are not a member of the housing cooperative and do not have the same right to make decisions.

Compensation in the event of a problem

If, for example, the housing cooperative has neglected its duty to make repairs, you may be entitled to a reduction in your annual fee, or to leave the tenant-owner property following cancellation and compensation. You may be entitled to make repairs at the cooperative’s cost if the cooperative has not met its maintenance obligations.

Cancellation

You may be entitled to cancel and move out of your tenant-owner property if the cooperative has made a decision on a significant rise in fees, and your cancellation is not unreasonable towards the cooperative or its members. The cooperative should then pay you a reasonable sum for the tenant-owner property.

Your obligations

Paying the annual fee

The annual fee, often known as the monthly fee, must be paid by the stated deadline. If you are living in your tenant-owner property and are more than a week late paying the fee, you may forfeit your right of use – i.e. your right to keep living there. If this happens, the housing cooperative is entitled to cancel your tenure. The cooperative does not need to send you a reminder if you have failed to pay in time.

Maintaining your home

You are personally responsible for interior maintenance in your home. Interior maintenance is defined in the cooperative’s statutes, but tenant-owners are generally responsible for e.g. walls, floors and ceilings inside the home – and for tiling, sanitary ware, floor drains and kitchen equipment. Maintenance of exterior surfaces, however, is the cooperative’s responsibility.

General order and organisation

It is your responsibility to look after your home and keep it in good condition, at your own cost. The same applies to any grounds included. You, along with everyone else who lives in your home and any guests, must also follow the rules of conduct as agreed by the housing cooperative.

Admitting cooperative representatives

You are obliged to let representatives of the cooperative into your home for inspection purposes, or to carry out work for which the cooperative is responsible.

The housing cooperative may be entitled to cancel your tenure

If you do not meet your obligations, in the worst case you may forfeit the right of use of your home. If this happens, the cooperative may be entitled to cancel your tenure. This is very rare, but it is important to know that it could happen.