Stockholms Kooperativa Bostadsförening (SKB) is a membership-owned housing co-operative. At the end of 2009, SKB had more than 82,500 members. The co-operative, founded in 1916, owns and manages some 7,000 apartments. Most of its properties are in Stockholm, and approximately half of these are in central Stockholm

SKB practises a fair system for distributing its apartments. Apartments can not be bought or sold. When an apartment becomes available, it is rented to the member with the longest time on the waiting list. Waiting time varies depending on the requested area and apartment size. Members keep their place on the waiting list even after being allocated an apartment by SKB.

Membership
Membership is obtained by paying a fee of SEK 1,750. Out of this fee, SEK 1,500 goes to a home-savings account, and SEK 250 is the annual membership fee for SKB. Your place on the waiting list is based on the day your fee was received by SKB.

If several family members wish to join SKB, they are eligible for a family membership, whereby at least one family member is a principal member and pays the full annual membership fee, and additional members pay half the fee, i.e., SEK 125. An SKB tenant is always a principal member, since the annual fee is included in the rent.

Home-savings
In order to keep your place on the waiting list, you must deposit SEK 500 annually into your home-savings account until you have accrued SEK 10,000. The annual savings are added to the amount you paid in when joining SKB. Your waiting time is not shortened by saving more than SEK 500 per year. If you fail to submit at least SEK 500 to your home-savings for a year, however, one year is deducted from your accrued waiting time.

If you cancel your membership in the co-operative, your home savings, including interest, will be returned to you in accordance with the regulations of the Swedish Association Act.

Renting an apartment from SKB
When you are allocated an apartment by SKB and sign the rental agreement, your home savings must amount to SEK 10,000, which may require you to make a supplementary deposit. Moreover, a handover deposit is paid for the apartment. This deposit is currently (2010) SEK 265 per square metre total apartment area. The handover deposit for apartments produced or acquired from 2000 may amount to a maximum of 10 per cent of the production cost for the development in question. The handover deposit amounts are adjusted annually and are linked to the Consumer Price Index. When you move out of the SKB apartment the handover deposit is returned to you.

Waiting times
Since the 1970s, our membership has increased by over 70,000. During the same period, some 3,000 new apartments were built. In recent years, an average of 900 apartments have become available per year.

The waiting time for available apartments varies depending on location, rent, size and standard and is currently (January 2010) as follows:
Central Stockholm at least 25 years
Central suburbs at least 25 years
Distant suburbs from 0 years

Rent
The co-operative determines the rent. In practice, the board of directors sets the rents after a so-called rent consultation with SKB’s rent committee. Both the board and the rent committee are made up of tenants and members who are appointed by the annual association meeting.
The rent includes a home insurance and the annual SKB membership. SKB’s rents are in line with those of other landlords.

Repairs and maintenance
SKB tenants are responsible for painting and wallpapering. Costs are covered by a redecorating fund that is available to tenants. Full refurbishing may be carried out every 15 years.

Overall maintenance such as the repainting of stairwells and window repairs is the responsibility of SKB. The association is also responsible for maintenance of public areas and new flooring, white goods and sanitary ware in the apartments.

SKB’s organisation
The association meeting is SKB’s highest decision-making body. The 103 delegates of the association meeting are elected from among the members of SKB.

As a member, you can influence the co-operative’s decision-making. You can also submit resolutions. All resolutions are considered at the association meeting which is held annually some time between 15 May and 30 June.

An annual membership meeting is also held for members who are on the waiting list or are already SKB tenants. Here you can meet representatives of the SKB board of directors or its management. The local tenant committees also welcome ideas from SKB tenants.
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