Catalyst administers the registration of Radical Routes’ model rules for housing co-ops (RRFM14).
These rules are
- fully mutual – all members are tenants and all tenants are members. This guarantees that properties are only controlled by those who live in them.
- common ownership – ensures that none of the co-op’s assets can fall back into private hands to profit individuals. If the co-op dissolves, then its assets can only be sold or given to other common ownership organisations. This takes away all incentive for speculation and rent extraction, hence completely breaks free from the logic of the private housing market.
- par value – each member only holds a single non refundable £1 share that cannot increase in value.
- protected from carpet bagging – certain clauses in the rules can only be changed if agreed by Radical Routes. Specifically this guarantee that the common ownership rules can’t be changed further down the line to let individuals profit from the sale of a house
- consensus based – where possible, decisions are made by consensus rather than voting. For some specific decisions, voting is required by law.
- ready for conflict – the rules include guidance for mediation and arbitration when there are difficulties in the house, with strict processes for removing people from the co-op
It costs £375 to register a co-op with these rules. This price includes some FCA fees, the admin time we spend processing your registration and any advice and support you need around setting up. This income also helps us to offer free advice to groups who don’t necessarily end up registering.
If we process a lot of registrations, we redistribute some of the surplus to Radical Routes.
The RRFM14 rules are available for you to review and see if they fit your needs.
Other housing co-op support documents (for membership, loan stock, tenancies and financial planning) are also available.
If you have any questions about setting up a housing co-op contact verity@catalystcollective.org