Rules for living - why we have rules?

Integral to the fun, friendship and freedom of the Stockland Halcyon lifestyle, is mutual trust, community spirit and the comfort of knowing your neighbours. Community living brings so many advantages - such as security, like-minded neighbours and new friends - but it does mean compromising in some small ways for the benefit of everyone. 

Helping to shape the unique lifestyle that Stockland Halcyon homeowners love and appreciate are our community rules or guidelines. 

Some of these are governed by the legislation we operate under while others are better described as part of the ‘social contract’ of living at Stockland Halcyon. 

This is the accepted social agreement or code of conduct that our homeowners want to live with and are comfortable abiding by. 

It’s like when you go camping or take a cruise; there’s that common ground where you need to consider others so that everyone has a great holiday. 

Stockland Halcyon’s ‘social contract’ has evolved over time through valuable feedback from homeowners, as well as our experience creating and managing communities. 

These agreed standards foster the feeling of belonging, a sense of ownership, mutual respect and understanding in each Stockland Halcyon community by setting out how our homeowners want to behave, relate to each other and live as a community. 

And that’s their strength; because they are created and agreed to by the community, they are enforced by the community. 

So, if you break the social contract, it’s not Stockland Halcyon you are impacting on but your fellow homeowners, who are also your good friends and neighbours. 

Such a code of conduct is the small price you pay for the many benefits and rewards of living in a shared community. 

As we often tell people, community living is not for everyone, and you really need to ask yourself if you can accept the small compromises that are needed for this lifestyle. 

Having said all that, it’s important to mention that generally we don’t have problems with homeowners following the rules because our communities tend to attract people who are on board with the sharing community concept. 

But, if something does come up, Stockland Halcyon’s role as community operator and manager is to work with the homeowners committee, individual homeowners and the wider community to resolve the issue fairly and promptly. 

It’s all set out in our Community Living Guidelines, but I’d like to share with you the topics that most people ask about: 

• There are no renters: Our communities are 100 percent owner occupied; there are no investors. As a result, you get to know your neighbours on a long-term basis because they are not changing every six months. 
• Visitors: In our communities, while your family and friends are welcome to visit, we do have guidelines around how long they stay and their use of the community facilities. Visitors need to be accompanied by a homeowner when they use the facilities. House sitting is not allowed and the temporary letting of homes (i.e. Airbnb, house swapping) is also excluded. All of this means faces are recognised and homeowners have peace of mind around security. 
• Pets: We understand that pets enrich the lives of many of our homeowners and that’s why we allow them, subject to a few guiding principles. These ensure that other homeowners are not adversely impacted by their neighbours’ pets. Dogs and cats need a veterinary certificate to confirm they are suited to community living. Other common-sense guidelines apply, including that dogs are on a leash outside of the home, cats are kept inside to protect wildlife, owners clean up after their pets, and they are not allowed inside the community facilities. 

These guidelines protect the integrity, quality and value of the community, its homes and lifestyle, while allowing our homeowners to make the most of their Halcyon Days. 

They promote a spirit of co-operation and understanding so homeowners can live together harmoniously, with the peace of mind that they’re all on the same page. 

Find out more by viewing our Frequently Asked Questions.