How Collective Ownership works

In response to the dire situation that renters face, the Collective Ownership Society exists to provide equitable, secure, resident-controlled homes.

Security and control

The Collective Ownership Society is a professionally managed freeholder of properties, issuing renewable leases to member co-ops. Residents will have day-to-day control of the property. Leases will be automatically renewed unless there is a substantial breach of terms. Member co-ops also have a stake in the Society ensuring accountability.
Our key principle is to create independence and avoid a culture of dependency in the traditional landlord-tenant relationship. This is an ‘adult’ transfer of rights and responsibilities, not interfering in what residents want to do in their own homes.

Rents and fairness

Houses should not be seen as assets to extract the maximum financial gain. Instead, Collective Ownership increases affordability over time, as debt on properties is progressively paid down.
In comparison with a private landlord or shareholders benefiting from the difference in market rent increases and debt repayments, the profit that would otherwise leak out from tenants can be used to increase the housing stock in collective ownership through further purchases, ensuring more and more people are able to live in stable, secure, self-managed homes.
We strike the balance between affordability and scalability, ensuring one does not take precedence over the other. Rents will generally be around 70-90% of the market rent.
In the long term, a larger number of homes in Collective Ownership, will provide a powerful incentive for the improvement of living standards and an independent mechanism to temper property market speculation, as seen in other countries with large co-operative housing sectors.