Community Policies

Common Area Agreements

(from the Membership Agreement)

Purpose. The common areas in OpenDoor communities are the central place where members gather, socialize, host events, and more. In partnership with Members, we strive to make the common areas a welcoming, safe and inclusive space for Members and guests alike. As such, this policy is designed to provide a baseline of clear agreements and etiquettes for members to follow in using the common areas.

Quiet Hours. Quiet hours are between 10pm and 8am every day. Members may use the common area during this time but must keep noise to a minimum and halt any noise-making activities if requested by another member.  If a member(s) wishes to use the common areas during quiet hours for activities that produce significant noise, they must receive permission from the community as a whole. Members must also respect noise restraints, as set by the local municipality.

Cleanliness. In service of providing a clean and inviting space for all members, each member agrees to leave common areas in the same or better condition than they found them – which includes removing all personal items and trash from common areas. While in most of our homes, OpenDoor hires professional cleaners to clean the common areas periodically, this is no replacement for members tidying and cleaning up after themselves each time they use a common area. The purpose of the professional cleaners to provide the deep clean, including mopping floors, sanitizing surfaces, etc. They are not your maids, they will not clean up your messes!

Prohibited Activities. The following activities are prohibited in all common areas:

• No nudity in the common areas
• No sexual acts in the common areas
• No sleeping by members or guests in the common area
• No usage of illegal drugs (also prohibited anywhere on the property)

Activities to be Mindful Of. Certain activities may make other members and guests feel uncomfortable or unsafe. These may include but are not limited to cuddling, massage, or other signs of overt physical affection. We kindly ask that members be mindful of the impact on other Members when considering performing these activities, and always err on the side of consent with other members in the space if they are not sure.

Exclusive or Dominating Uses of Common Areas. Any use of a common area that makes it difficult or impossible for other Members to utilize requires permission from the entire community. This includes activities such as large social gatherings, yoga, loud music, and similar. We do encourage events and other special activities in common areas, so long as the community is supportive of it as well. 

Restricted Access. OpenDoor reserves the right to restrict or eliminate access to common areas, or programming being offered therein, for members who are a) not following the below common area policies, b) causing damage or harm to the common areas or common furnishings, or c) being a nuisance to other members or their guests.

Guests

Hosting Guests. You are welcome to have friends, families, partners, and the like over at your home. Hosting guests helps build a larger community and network of people around your community. As a member, opportunity to connect with new and interesting people is one of the great benefit of coliving. Guests are the responsibility of the member who invites / hosts them. Guests are required to follow all the rules and policies of your home, and it is the hosting member’s responsibility to make sure guests are sufficiently educated and managed. Make sure to be mindful of how your guests are impacting fellow members and check in with them if you are hosting people regularly. 

Overnight Guests. Overnight guests are welcomed as well. Overnight guests must sleep in the hosting member’s private room and are not allowed to sleep in any common areas. Per the membership agreement, each guest is limited to a maximum number of nights per year. If you would like a guest to stay longer, they will need to be added to your Membership Agreement, which is subject to approval from OpenDoor. Please see your membership agreement for the full details of this policy. 

Subletting

Due to the nature of our community, we do not allow members to sublet their units without alignment from fellow members and OpenDoor. Sublets can add complexity to the community dynamic, given the thoughtful process in which new members are onboarded into our communities. If you are interested in subletting, please talk to your community first and then reach out to OpenDoor. 

Similarly, you are not allowed to advertise or rent your room on Airbnb, VRBO, Craigslist, or any other listings platforms.

Slack Policy

Purpose. OpenDoor uses Slack as the online communication platform for our members to communicate, collaborate, and organize with one another. Each community has its own dedicated Slack workspace intended for open communication about community needs, issues, and coordination between community members.  This policy is meant to provide basic guidelines for Slack usage by members and moderation by OpenDoor.

Do’s and Don’ts

• Do not posts anything that is obscene, inappropriate, sexually explicit, an invasion of privacy, or generally unwanted by other member(s)
• No bullying, harassing, and shaming of other members
• Avoid arguments or interpersonal conflict over Slack – if a conversation gets heated, please take it off Slack and work it out directly with the other person
• Use threads to respond to specific Slack posts – it helps keep channels uncluttered
• Please limit @channel tagging to only things very important or urgent
• Please check Slack regularly to stay up-to-date on important announcements and communications within the community
• Manage your own notification settings to work for you

Moderation by OpenDoor. While OpenDoor does not monitor daily Slack activity, OpenDoor may take the following actions if it deems member(s) have violated the Slack policy or are generally being a nuisance in the Slack workspace:

• Delete a post
• Delete a channel
• Temporarily or permanently limit access by a member
• Temporarily or permanently remove a member from the slack Workspace
• Temporarily or permanently shut down the workspace altogether