Regulations

The name of the association is ”Föreningen Nordiska Studentbostäder” (NSBO) – Nordic Association for Student Housing. The Nordic countries include Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden.

The association’s activities started in 1975 in Åbo, Finland. In 1984 the association decided to adopt regulations for the business. In 2013 the decision to move the association to Sweden was made. The location of the association is Gothenburg, Sweden, from 2014-01-01.

NSBO’s purpose is to promote and develop the Nordic cooperation within the student housing sector.

This means that the association’s basic activities will focus on:

• Promote sharing of experience and expertise within the Nordic student housing sector with the aim to strengthen each country’s national skills and advantages.

To achieve the goals, the association should: 

• At least once a year arrange a meeting point for the NSBO network
• Disseminate knowledge about the state of the student housing sector in the Nordic countries
• Assist members with inspiration and advice on student housing

The association’s operational and fiscal year corresponds to the calendar year.

The organizational body of NSBO is:

• The annual meeting
• The board

NSBO’s activities are conducted by the board or by persons appointed by the board.

Organizations with student housing business in Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and/or Sweden can become members of NSBO. Student housing business includes owning, managing, providing, developing and/or representing student housing.

Application for entry into the organization is decided by the board.

The annual meeting is held every year in conjunction with a board meeting. An invitation to all members of NSBO must be sent out no later than two (2) months prior to the meeting.

Every member of NSBO has the right to attend the annual meeting.

The annual meeting elects the new board, decides on propositions from the board, motions from members and other potential questions arising from the board or the members.

At the annual meeting each country will have one (1) vote.

Within each country, every member organization receives one (1) basic vote plus a number of votes in relation to the number of accommodations they represent as of January 1^st the current year*. The votes of the members are used for decisions within each country to decide each country’s stand on issues that will be addressed at the annual meeting. For instance, election of the countries’ proposed board members.

The number of votes given to the member organizations is as follows:

• 0-99 accommodations equal 1 vote
• 100-999 accommodations equal 2 votes
• 1 000-1 999 accommodations equal 3 votes
• with one (1) added vote per started 1 000’s accommodation.

* The number of represented accommodations is equal to the number of accommodations that a single company/organization own, manage or provide. For an association of companies that are members under a common name the total number of accommodations of all the single companies is counted. If a single company is member of NSBO individually, and member of an association who also is a NSBO member, the single company’s accommodations are withdrawn from the number of accommodations that the association represent.

The membership fee is equal for all and fixed by the annual meeting with a majority of the present votes.

Members have no financial obligations to the association beyond the membership fee, unless otherwise is agreed.

The responsibilities of the board
The association is headed by a board consisting of members from each of the Nordic countries. The board shall manage the association’s assets and optimally utilize the association’s purpose. The board is responsible for maintaining its rules. The board must document its decisions.

Each year the board may consider;

• Decision on the budget and action plan
• Choice of one (1) external auditor and one (1) external alternate auditor for the association
• Income statement and balance sheet and auditor’s report for the year

Board Members
A board member must have a connection to a member of NSBO, for instance being employed by or being a board member of a NSBO member. A member of NSBO has the right to be represented in the board by at least one (1) board member from its country. The board cannot have more than three (3) members from each country.

Election of board members
The members in each country elect their board members separately. Every country represented by a member organization in NSBO shall have at least one person as a national election committee. The national election committee then proposes board members for the country’s member organizations to decide about.

Each country’s member organizations also elect the members of their national election committee.

Board members are elected for a period of two years.

Chairman of the board
The board elects a chairman within the board for a period of two (2) years. The intention is that the chair shall rotate among the member countries each time a new chairman is elected.

Administrative officer
The board is entitled to appoint an administrative officer from one of the member countries who reports directly to the board. The administrative officer is entitled to economic compensation to cover time and costs. The amount of compensation is determined by the board annually.

Board meetings
The board shall meet at least once (1) a year. The board decides when and where the board meetings should be held. The chairman is responsible for the practical preparations for the board meeting.

Board quorum
The board has discretion when at least half of the board members are present or represented. If tie, the chairman has the casting vote.

If any of its members are unable to attend the board meeting, she/he may vote by proxy assigned to another member of the board.

Presence, expression and the right of proposal
The board has the right to decide on the presence, expression and the right of proposal at the board meetings for other participants.

Travel and subsistence costs
Each member is responsible for travel and other costs associated with board meetings, and will not be charged NSBO

The association is signed by the board members, two jointly. If an administrative officer is appointed and the board so decides, the association can also be signed by the administrative officer.

When needed the board appoints one (1) external auditor and one (1) alternate external audit of the association’s accounts and the board’s management.

Extra ordinary board meeting is to be held on auditors’ or on any of the member countries’ request. Notice of an extraordinary board meeting takes place in writing no later than four (4) weeks before the extra ordinary meeting of the board.

Change of the regulations can be made at the discretion of the annual meeting, with 2/3 majority vote of the total present votes of the annual meeting.

For changes in the annexes to the regulation, normal decision-making of the board is to be followed.

A member which do not pay the membership fee or other obliged payments to NSBO can be excluded from the organization. Improper activities on the market or mismanagement in contrary to good ethics could also serve as a ground for exclusion. Decision and implementation of the exclusion is done by the board.

In order to exit the association, the member is to notify the request in writing to the board no later than the October 1st, so the withdrawal can be executed at the next turn of the year.

Dissolution of the association can be made at the decision of the board, with three quarters majority vote of the board’s total number of votes and on two board meetings in succession. All member countries will have to be represented at the decision.

Any outstanding balances will be used to promote Nordic student housing sector.