Every privilege comes with responsibilities to protect the rights of others.
This page initiates a creation process to hopefully reduce administration labor required to coordinated sharing responsibility inherent to privilege.
We can define a broad array of possible privileges here with forms to log requests and approvals as we find sufficient volunteer time and other resources to spare. By definition MSC, and individual Houses, are not obligated to approve Permits nor grant permission unless by our written commitment to do so in the Member's Lease negotiation that lead to an approved Lease. It is a Member's obligation to notify their Coordinator and Manager that they logged a Permit request on a Form here.
Logic of sharing a home, that Permits help us with:
MSC has obligations to the City and Neighborhood as a land owner and steward that most residents needn't know unless they seek to use relevant privileges. We needn't know about rules concerning goats or dogs if we don't keep animals.
Those whose power and comfort needs require nothing more than a lap top and a ceiling light, needn't care what else shares their electrical house circuit, but if others need to be cooler or warmer and operate many convenience devices up to 3 bedrooms suddenly loose power as a house circuit breaks. Those with no allergies tend to welcome furry critters, but some people can't stay long in a house that was used 5 years ago by animals that they are allergic to.
Some habits are no problem if we distribute them thinly (to stay within limits), while others avoid problems if we aggregate them (where residents share a preference or facilities accommodate). Logging large electrical power loads of bedroom appliances lets us recognize the total load on shared house electric circuits so we can shift loads onto circuits that can handle them or find appliances that achieve what residents need with less power or less intense power surges. Records of resolved conflicts can speed solving similar issues, or evidence justification for targeted building upgrades. Forms with branching logic can request the relevant details and with fewer forms, questions, and explanations per request.
Fairness would grant every Member equal right to a permit to park one small car on MSC property, but we have only 10 small car spots behind Keda. 26 Members in Keda, Ekklessia and Castle Houses share Keda lot. Learning to safely park in tighter spots would still risk mistakes if every anyone is hurried.
We restrict Larger vehicle and extra vehicle Permits to our spots along the Alley behind Main House and in our North-Lot off of Henden Ave. These can cost more, and safe navigation of parking areas that do not conform to modern design standards requires awareness of details. How far out do doors swing when opening down slope, which parking stops (that deter tree roots that otherwise heave up the asphalt parking surface)
-- More detail on our Parking Lots.
$5 to store in a shared locked storage area. Key custody is limited to limit who has access at any given time, and leaving storage unlocked violates the trust of other users of the storage area who are often not restricted to residents of the building where we have said storage.
$10 or more to lease any of a few private closets that one holds custody of the key for. A guest room can be leased for storage only until someone needs it for lodging, but some coop stuff would remain stored in there.
We start to map where perennial plants grow, prepare soils, and install durable fences for protection against various critters. We accumulate an inventory of native plants that we may be willing to move, but do not want to lose. It is vital to ask before digging, or dumping out pots, to not destroy the investments of previous gardeners. We move plants and fences as new gardeners suggest changes, yet it often requires group effort at strategic times of year. Noxious weeds that nobody puts in enough time to eradicate, remain our obligation to contain and not to spread. Local ordinance laws apply.
Permission is still mostly verbal + Chat messages in Spring 2025
Plant Reimbursement Request Form. -- This would help those who establish perennial fruit crops and native ground covers of low maintenance ecological value to get reimbursed for their personal expenditure that leaves enduring benefits for our coop. Gardeners can pay for fences and such by selling empty pop cans to the scrap recycle dealer.
-- Until we know that buildings deliver sufficient heat throughout rooms we do not charge for approved space heaters, but we still need to assure we do not over load circuits, Those sharing a 15A circuit lose power of collectively they trip the breaker, and breakers become easier to trip as wires get stressed. A 300W hot pad or a heat lamp does not require a permit if one follows UL guidance, but 600W tends to be significant. Even a 60W incandescent lamp
A 15-amp breaker can support a maximum of 1,800 watts, but for safety, it is recommended to use only up to 80% of its capacity, which is 1,440 watts. Code and our old wires do not support a 1500W heater, nor two 900W appliances simultaneously among rooms that share a breaker. 3x 600W heaters are possible if other loads are light.
-- We charge $10 per month that AC is in or connected to your window regardless of season. It is your responsibility to log when the AC goes in and comes out here. MSC has a right to inspect installation, insist on adding supports to protect window frames, and charge for damages if resident installs DIY without supervision. -- We would charge the same if we were to permit an extra refrigerator, and tend to insist it be on a CFCI outlet in the shared kitchen or pantry area if approved. Efficiency ratings and medical needs are considered, but MSC only assures a Member 8.25 cubic feet of combined refrigerator and freezer volume. -- we do not charge for dehumidifiers where approved (basements), and wave AC fees in the naturally hottest rooms on the hottest days that would exceed 95°F in the room without AC.
-- MSC has a right to inspect Appliances and their installation for fire safety, energy efficiency, and so forms may require a photo summit to document install and uninstall. Condensing devices over a wood floor often require a larger water proof drip tray similar to a flower pot.
This is as much to formally declare and acknowledge ownership as to approve standards are met.
This includes stove-top pressure vessels, pressure cookers to avoid safety hazards. Not every coordinator will know more than you do about your appliance, so you are responsible to assure what you bring into our home is safe to use. A pressure release valve must assure vessel will never rupture with sufficient pressure to explode. We lost a stove, oven, exhaust hood and cabinet when a small pressure cooker exploded. Such an explosion can kill, so our lives depend on respecting safety standards.
We upgrade kitchen electrical
You need permission from the house to have a guest overnight before they stay overnight. A group message to all members can suffice for them to grant approval and express conditions in writing , and a house can pre-approve quests up to 5 days per month until the next Lease changes in the house, but only up to the 5 people per toilet City Code limit.
When logistics of room transfers require, someone in a house may assume responsibility for an applicant as a guest for up to 7 days while their application is being received. If actual processing takes management longer than it takes to get a new Member into their private room, we they are responsible for themself as a Member in good faith pending legal confirmation of the lease MSC already commits to grant with all reasons for confidence that Manager will approve Lease.
As of May 2025, our Resident Booklet documents current policy. Violation of our policy can terminate your Lease and cause your eviction.
The number of people who may sleep in your bedroom is specified on the Lease. Each additional occupant raises the rent of a bedroom by half the single occupant rate. Each occupant must be approved as a Member of MSC with associated Member obligations. Our right to allow this is restricted by limits of each house, insurance on the house, and current Permits we have to rent to people in our house.
MSC can seek to improve facilities to accommodate more people comfortably, but occupancy ratings are City Permits to assure Fire Safety and we pay for Insurance that specifies other requirements for safety. Until a remodel designs bathrooms and kitchen to endure intense use more typical of commercial facilities than single family homes we risk causing failures that disrupt home life. Protecting health during a Pandemic, or flu season, warrant discussion as a house before approving more occupants.
As of May 2025, our Resident Booklet documents current policy. Violation of our policy can terminate your Lease and cause your eviction.
Each instance requires specific approval of Coordinators of both the destination house and the origin house.
Both House and MSC would need extreme confidence that a member in good standing for multiple years would personally be able to assure proper care of a pet or child as our building are and promptly perform or contract ample cleaning and or repairs or modifications to assure others are not inconvenienced for as long as the pet or child is here. An additional Pet Deposit should be declared to assure they will cover damages or liabilities associate. Provisions for care in such case as the guardian must leave the ward behind are needed. Animals that escape a house can bring fleas, chiggers, mites and ticks into a home.