Principal residence and absence
- Member Absences: Each member must use their co-op unit as their principal residence and personally live in it.
- Absence limit: Members may not be away from their unit for more than 10 consecutive months without Board approval.
- Unit status during absence: Even while away, the unit must remain the member’s principal residence.
- Short visits don’t reset the clock: Members will still be considered absent if they only return for short visits during a longer absence.
- See Occupancy Bylaw, Article 6.2
- Subsidy recipients: Members receiving a housing charge subsidy may face additional limits on absences under government rules or co-op by-laws. If this applies to you, please review Housing Charge Subsidy Bylaw, especially Article 1.3.
- Proof of residency – see ID requirements as proof of principal residence
(Membership Bylaw – Member Approval and Unit Allocation)
Sub-Occupancy (Sublets)
If you need to leave your unit temporarily, you may allow someone to occupy your unit as a sub-occupant, but you must follow the Occupancy Bylaw procedures.
Rules and Approvals
Agreement required: All co-op members in your household and all sub-occupants must sign a Sub-Occupancy Agreement approved by the co-op before the sub-occupancy begins.
Board approval: Any sub-occupancy longer than 1 month must be approved by the Board of Directors.
Length of stay: Normally, sub-occupancy cannot last more than 3 months. In unusual cases, the Board may approve a longer term — but never more than 12 months.
Members who receive housing charge subsidy, and who are thinking about sub-occupancy or other absence from the co-op, should find out what effect it may have on their housing charge subsidy. (Occupancy Bylaw, Article 3.7.4 The assisted household may not sublet its unit.)
No profit: Article 6.5. (b) says that says that members must not profit, directly or indirectly, when they allow others to use their unit. This includes sub-occupancy of the unit when the member is away or any sharing arrangement.
(c) Examples of profit are key money and placing too great a value on the furnishings of a unit. Profit does not include guests or sub-occupants paying their fair share of the housing charges and other household costs if it is not a hidden profit on the housing charges.
Required Forms
Request Form
First step in approval.
Must be completed and signed by all household members and the sub-occupant(s). Submit to Management for Board approval.
Sub-Occupancy Agreement
Must be signed before the sub-occupancy starts.
All household members and sub-occupants must sign, with Management as witness. Filed with Management.
Reminder – no short-term rentals
It is against the Occupancy By-law to use your unit for Airbnb, Bed & Breakfast, or similar rentals. This rule applies to all co-op units. (Occupancy Bylaw, Article 6.3 (b))
You may have long-term guests living with you in your unit but they can only pay their fair share of costs.
Home businesses
Related uses” are typical home business uses that are related or incidental to the use of a unit as a member’s principal residence. Members can have one or more related uses, if:
• the use is permitted by government requirements, including zoning by-laws
• the use does not create disturbance beyond what is appropriate in a residential community like the co-op, such as by too much noise or too many visitors
• the use does not involve excessive demands on co-op utilities and services, such as electricity, and
• co-op by-laws are obeyed.
See Occupancy Bylaw, Article 6.3.
(a) Related Uses
(c) Insurance and liability for related uses