Membership Agreement FAQ
Why does the price increase at the end of my Fixed Term Membership?
At the end of your Fixed Term, the rate automatically goes up to the month-to-month rate only if the member chooses not to terminate or renew. We will reach out before the start of your notice period to discuss your options for renewal. At this time you can choose to:
- Renew your membership for the same length of time again
- Move to a different duration (month to month, 6 month, 12 month or 24 month)
- Upgrade or downgrade your membership
- Terminate your membership
The reason we can offer such a competitive price on Fixed Term memberships is because of the long term commitment, so the price increase only applies if the member chooses not to renew or terminate.
Why do I have to terminate at the end of a month?
Your membership fees are paid monthly at the beginning of a month. The Commons requires that you meet your minimum notice period and that your termination date falls on the last day of a calendar month to make sure that all members moving in and out have a smooth experience.
How do Flex Desks work?
If you have a Private Office, you can purchase a Flex Desk for $100 per month to allow more people than the capacity of your office to be onboarded as members. You may purchase as many additional Flex Desks as your office has capacity (e.g. a 10 person office can have up to 10 Flex Desks). All Flex Desk purchases will be confirmed in writing and are committed on monthly terms only for maximum flexibility.
What happens if there is a lockdown and I am not permitted by the government to access the office?
The Commons generally remains open throughout any lockdown as we support members who work in essential services. The Commons has never been forced to close in a lockdown – we are still here keeping the space secure, accepting mail and deliveries and keeping the office running. Local Governments make decisions about which industries are considered essential and this may vary between different stages of restrictions. Each member has a responsibility to ensure that they are following all current laws, including whether they may attend the office in a lockdown. The Commons remains operational to service members who do attend the office. Providing The Commons lawfully remains open during a lockdown, members are not able to pause or discount their membership, even if the lockdown prevents you from accessing the space. This means that members are required to continue paying their membership fees as normal.
We offer two membership types, Fixed Term and Month-to-Month memberships. A month-to-month membership allows you to terminate your membership with just 30 days notice. If you are concerned about lockdowns preventing you from accessing the space, then a month-to-month membership provides excellent flexibility.
The Commons always puts our members first and we will always do everything we can to support our members. Fairness in business is important to us and in periods of extended lockdown we have always worked with our community to support with fee relief and payment plans for anyone who requires it.
What does your Force Majeure Clause mean?
Our Agreements have a Force Majeure clause which protects members in the case that The Commons is not able to provide you with access to the space for more than 30 consecutive days. For example, if a fire causes severe damage to the building or there is unexpected building works which forces us to close and we cannot provide members access to the space for a period of more than 30 consecutive days, memberships can be suspended for up to 6 months and you won’t have to pay during any period of suspension. If you are on a Fixed Term Membership, your membership will be extended for any period of suspension so you still get the benefit of the full membership you signed up to.
It’s important to note that government lockdowns as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic have never forced The Commons to close, and as such, suspending your membership under the Force Majeure clause does not apply in this context.
What happens if I want to terminate earlier than my agreed term?
Fixed Term memberships require that you commit to the full term. We are able to offer significantly reduced rates because of this long term commitment, but month to month memberships are available for members who require more flexibility.
The only option for early termination by the Member is where The Commons breaches our material obligations under the Membership Deed and does not remedy the breach within 14 days.
How do I terminate my membership at the end of my Fixed Term?
If you wish to terminate your membership at the end of your Fixed Term then you’ll need to provide us with written notice as outlined in your agreement. For memberships with a Fixed Term of up to 10 months, this is 60 days notice. For memberships with a Fixed Term of greater than 10 months, this is 90 days.
For example, if you have a 12 month agreement with a 90 day notice period which terminates on the 31st of December, you’ll need to provide us with written notice of your intention to terminate by the 30th of September.
Why do you need to take a deposit?
We take a deposit to cover damages to property (e.g. desks, access passes, office keys) or any other unpaid fees. As long as you leave the space in the condition that you found it, all office keys and access passes are returned to us and all of your fee payments are up to date then your deposit will be returned to you in full at the end of your membership with us. Deposits are returned with 6 weeks of either your last day, or the day that you give us your bank details (whichever is later)
Can we negotiate on the Notice Period for my Fixed Term membership?
No, notice periods are not negotiable. In order to offer a competitive rate on long term agreements, we need the full notice period for termination to give us time to fill the space when it becomes available. If you require a shorter notice period then your best option is to take a month-to-month membership requiring just 30 days notice to terminate.
What does your Public Liability Insurance cover?
Every venue has public liability insurance which covers The Commons as a business in case anything happens in the space as a result of our negligence. Members should have their own Public Liability Insurance as they would with any other office arrangement.
For example, if the floor is wet and The Commons hasn’t managed this risk (e.g. signage) and someone slips and becomes injured then The Commons Public Liability Insurance covers us for this.
Do we need our own insurance?
Yes. Every Member should have their own insurance for their business as they would normally in any office. This includes but is not limited to public liability insurance, contents insurance and workers compensation insurance.
Why do you charge a Joining Fee? When does it get charged?
Joining Fees are charged to cover the costs of onboarding members to all The Commons systems including the app, portal and access pass system as well as the Welcome Kit merchandise that is provided to new members. Every time a new member joins The Commons and requires onboarding (e.g. new hires) the one-off $100 Joining Fee is applied.
How do I pay? Can I pay via invoice?
All payments are via direct debit.
Other FAQs
These are general in nature and are not listed on the website.
Questions about security/privacy on member forms
Could you explain what our ID's are required for in a bit more detail, and also explain who has access to these? How are they stored securely for example. Obviously this is front of mind at the moment with several big data breaches in the news.
The security section of your privacy policy doesn't explain how breaches will be monitored and reported to us. I appreciate the realism of 'we cannot guarantee the security of your personal information', but it would be good to know what steps are being taken particularly to limit the data that you store.
Answer:
We require a copy of IDs for all who are given a 24/7 access pass to our building for security purposes. It's important that we know exactly who has access to our space since you'll be able to come and go when the building is unstaffed.
ID data is stored securely in Salesforce and is available only to staff members at The Commons. When members are deactivated, copies of IDs are destroyed. The form collecting software is called Titan and you can read about their compliance here. In the case of a data breach, we would inform members via email immediately as well as any relevant authorities.
CONTACT US
For further information, please contact us at:
The Commons:
hello@thecommons.com.au
1300 848 568
3 Albert Coates Lane
Melbourne VIC 3000