Housing Co-operatives

A housing co-operative is a group of people who jointly own, manage and control their homes. The properties belong to the co-op as a whole. Co-op members do not own their individual homes, but are tenants and pay rent to the co-op.

The benefits of living in a co-op

As a co-op tenant, you have a say in the way your housing is managed. You and other members have a stake in your housing and will feel more involved.

Repairs can be organised more quickly and efficiently.

The responsibilities of living in a co-op

You will be expected to give up some of your time to help run the co-op.

You will have to take part in meetings and you may have to make difficult decisions, for example, what to do if a fellow tenant does not pay their rent.

The types of property 

Conversions

Houses may be converted to make two or more flats. These properties are very often in residential streets.

• They have a shared front door with individual entrance doors to the self contained flats inside.
• Although some of these flats have central heating, most of them tend to be heated by gas fires.
• Not all of these flats have individual gardens or access to a shared garden.

Blocks and Estates

Some housing co-operative properties are blocks on small estates. These vary in age and facilities, and many do not have lifts or central heating. Most do not have their own garden.

Who can be nominated to housing co-operative?

• Council tenants who have asked for a transfer and have said that they would like to be nominated to a housing co-operative.
• People on our Housing Register.

How can I be offered a housing co-operative property?

You will need to tell the person dealing with your application that you want to be considered for a housing co-op.

All offers of accommodation for council housing and nominations to housing co-ops, trusts or associations are done in the same way. We use a time-based system for offering housing. When you first apply for a transfer or to the housing register, you will go to the bottom of the waiting list. In time, your housing application moves up the list as the people at the top are made offers.

When your application reaches the top of the waiting list, we will offer you housing. If a co-op property is being offered at that time, we will consider you for the property.

We will always take account of the following before we nominate you for or offer you a property:

• Is the property in your chosen part of the borough?
• Is it the right size for yourself and your family?
• Do you have any medical needs that we know about that will affect the kind of home you can live in?

Other information

• Co-operative tenants do not have the right to buy their home.
• You cannot ask to be nominated to a particular housing co-operative.
• We cannot guarantee that you will be nominated to a housing co-operative.

Contact details

You can get more advice by contacting our central rehousing services communications team, or you can visit our housing services unit.

You can phone us between 9am and 5pm, Monday to Friday on 020 7926 4200.

You can speak to someone directly at the Brixton Customer Centre 18 Brixton Hill, London SW2 1RL.