Instructions for keyholders

Below are described instructions of OtaHoas’ clubrooms and loanable items, their reservation process and other general rules and guidelines. Keyholder is a person who has a key to a clubroom or storage.

It might seem that there are a long list of instructions, but they contain very important information about rights and responsibles that a keyholder should follow. As this is volunteer work, you shouldn’t be too grumpy because all of this is meant to support communal living. OtaHoas tenant committee is happy to take feedback about processes.

By signing the contract of a key loan, you accept the rules and guidelines described below.

OtaHoas’ clubrooms and their administration in general

All OtaHoas’ spaces are meant for tenants’ use. They are not for a single person or associations. As the tenant committee is such a small group of people, the committee has let associations to maintain clubrooms as a favor for keeping a clubroom in a good condition and get them in active use.

All keyholders are welcome to join the tenant committee’s meetings. Meetings will be announced on OtaHoas Telegram group.

No money is taken from the use of clubrooms. Keyholders are not allowed to take money from people using rooms or items.

All clubrooms are described on OtaHoas website. If there are major changes in clubrooms, description should be updated by the tenant committee.

Some of the clubrooms has a cleaning service ordered by Hoas. People who use clubrooms are responsible to keep spaces clean. The cleaning service is just a generic “middle-floor cleaning”. If there isn’t a cleaning list in a clubroom, you can ask that from the tenant committee.

If there are any faults in permanent furniture or constructions of a room, make a fault report to Hoas: https://www.hoas.fi/en/tenants/taking-care-of-your-home/fault-report/fault-report/

Purchases for clubrooms

Tenant committee has annual budget for improving clubrooms. Keyholders should remember this if the committee doesn’t remind this separately. Budjet is several hundreds of euros. Small purchases can be made such as kitchen ware, small electronics, toilet paper and cleaning items but no food or candies.

Annual budget is made in January by the tenant committee. If you’d like to have a big bigger purchase for a clubroom, contact the tenant committee well beforehand.

Twice a year there’s a possibility to apply money, that is left over from committees’ annual budgets. This money is suitable for larger purchases, even thousands of euros. Application periods are usually on spring and autumn. If you are interested in to apply extra money, please join tenant committee’s meetings.

Usually improvements of clubrooms doesn’t depend on a budget but activity of tenants.

If associations would like to bring their own property to a clubroom, association members accept that those things might be in the use of tenants.

For making a purchase to a clubroom, read instructions here.

Terms of use and problem situations

Use of clubrooms end at the silence time of the building. Smoking inside is strictly forbidden. Person who has made the reservation is responsible to make sure that the space is clean after use. Some spaces might have additional rules.

If there are any problems such as noise during night time, please contact the tenant committee.

Keyholders responsibilities

Only the current tenants of Hoas can get a clubroom key. When a key is given, a key contract is signed. All the key loanings are listed in the committee’s archive and on Google Drive. (Google Inc., details might move outside of the EU area, 22.4.1999/523 Law of personal data, 23 § Exceptional situations)

All the keys are as personal loans, not a loan of an association. That’s why keys are never forwarded when association members change. If the follower wants to get a key, the person must make his/her own key contract with OtaHoas.

If the key is forwarded, the person whose name is in the contract is guilty in a case of theft or mischief. This concern both short term loans and intentional forwarding. Only returning the key to OtaHoas, a person is free from these responsibilities.

Key loan end at the latest when a holder moves out from a Hoas residence. The loan ends as well if keyholder cannot use a room actively anymore or is not capable open its door for tenants. Keys must be returned to the committee without delay. When a key is returned to the committee, it is signed to original key contract.

Keyholder must engage to open the door of a clubroom or give loanable items to tenants as a favor that the keyholder can use a room or items to his/her own needs. The process is described below.

As keyholders are volunteers, duties are made according person’s own schedule and flexibility. One clubroom might have several keyholders so usually someone is available to open the door. Also, wishes of tenants are negotiable.

If none of the keyholders of a clubroom are available, a keyholder must contact the tenant committee.

Keyholder must advise clubroom and item users. If there are problems with a person using a clubroom or items, conflicts should be solved among participants and inform the tenant committee, if needed.

Keyholders are added to clubroom specific mailing lists. All reservations will income through the lists. Mailing lists can be used for another communication too.

Keyholder has to read and react to emails that comes via mailing lists. For example, every January annual key inventory is organized and contact details are asked to update. Also iLOQ keys might be asked to update at key updating points in Otaniemi (JMT 11 A, SK 5 A and SMT 3 door of a cellar corridor on the road side)

Keyholder has trust from the tenant committee what comes to administration of a clubroom. If a keyholder neglects the duties, a key will be taken back to the committee.

Keyholder should be available to help twice a year in OtaHoas events such as the open-door-day of clubrooms or common events of Teekkarikylä such as christmas party organized with AYY Campus Section.

Keyholders are volunteers, but OtaHoas can reward from a good work.

Accepting reservations

Tenants can make a reservation through a form on OtaHoas website. Form asks tenant’s contact details. There’s no need to write down any other information but missing contact details should be asked. Clubrooms might contain loanable items which reservation process is similar to the rooms. 

Reservation form send an automatic message to a mailing list. It is recommended to to keep the mailing list as a cc of emails so everybody else on the list would know that someone has reacted to a query. An alternative option of informing others is to use chat groups.

Reservation form send an automatic confirmation to the person who has filled it in. The confirmation says that if nobody answers to the query in 48 hours, a reminder can be sent. If nobody still reacts after 24 hours, the person should contact the tenant committee.

It is said in the reservation form that reservations should be sent week beforehand so keyholders have enough time to react. It is just a guideline and thus, keyholders should react to queries also in shorter notices.

If the reservation is made for the same day, a keyholder should go and look before accepting the reservation if the space is empty. If there are already people in the room, keyholder should discuss with reservee and other people if all of them can use the room at the same time. Keyholder can also ask in Telegram groups if the room is empty.

If a keyholder cannot open the door, keyholder should contact the tenant committee if one of them can open the door. If none of the committee cannot come, then the tenant should be informed because otherwise the person is left in uncertainty and in most cases, complains to the committee.

If the tenant committee is informed that keyholders don’t answer to reservation queries or systematically refuses to open doors, OtaHoas tenant committee is forced to thing again if someone else is better to administrate a clubroom.

Registration of reservations

After agreeing the use of a clubroom with a tenant (who opens the door, reservation time etc.), a keyholder accepts the reservation through a link in the reservation email. Some of the loanable items are reservable through a form as well (especially kayaks).

Reservation system is meant to inform all clubroom users that the space is reserved or an item is in use. All the reservations must be handled so that no-one has to guess if a space or an item is available.

Reservations can be cancelled through a link in the confirmation email.

If keyholders have needs for clubrooms or items, they should make a reservation to themselves. If the need is regular, such as weekly meetings, contact the tenant committee, because the reservation forms is not for regular reservations. Regular needs should always be one-time or seasonal, not for every day. Tenants’ reservations are always prioritized before keyholders use, because keyholders can use the room anytime.

Thank you for volunteering!

It is recommended that keyholders join OtaHoas Telegram group and a Telegram group for keyholders.

Active keyholders are welcomed to join OtaHoas tenant committee or committee meetings.