A minimum level typically includes cooking dinner in the common house once per month and participating on a work committee or two. After the hard work of the planning stage and the transitional first months after moving in, most communities need to meet formally only once a month. Cohousing rentals are not yet widely available. Few cohousing households can afford to own a second unit, especially if the monthly costs cannot be covered by the rental income. Several communities have had a few rental units, owned by residents who intend to move in later or who are away for a period of time.
Most residents agree that rental units are a positive addition to a community.
At this point, not typically. Land, construction, consultant, and financing costs are similar in any new development. Residents can save money by doing their own landscaping or taking on some development tasks. However, they may incur extra expenses owing to a more lengthy design and approvals process, a high level of customization, or any of numerous possible delays or setbacks. Without some type of outside subsidies, cohousing homes are usually comparably priced with other homes in the area.