Norms

Intro

Welcome and have a pleasant stay. Based on years of observation, we’ve compiled this page to maximize pleasure and harmony. May vAstoShpati be pleased!

Owners occupy L0 and L2 (ground and second floors).

Message channels

Telegram channels for asynchronous communication (Owner and respective current occupant families only):

• L1 L1
• L3

Occupancy

• Any significant increase in occupancy requires prior approval. Examples: A few guests staying in for multiple weeks, or big group of visitors sleeping over.
• Big events outside your portion of the premises (example: parties in the terrace) require prior approval.
• No smoking anywhere in or around the building.
• No Non-Vegetarian food (meat, fish etc..) on premises.
• No dogs or cats.
• No illegal activities online or offline which could land us in trouble.
• Segregating dry and wet waste is a must.
• Background cultural norms: Traditional Hindu.
• Please note that there may even be an emergency and we live in the same building. We might need to enter your residence for maintenance purposes even if you’re away on a vacation (as specified in the agreement). Hence:
  • Use the main door lock we’ve provided. If you wish to do so, it may be electronically operated. You can set a PIN to avoid accidental opening.
  • If you put your own padlock due to some contingency - be sure to provide us with a pair of keys.

Workers

• Please oversee any workers you let into the premises throughout their stay. We’ve seen movers and packers soiling toilets, internet guys prying out socket plates and planning to damage wiring by shorting cables, electricians littering the terrace, plumbers planning to needlessly remove fittings etc..

Damage, repair, modifications.

• In case of any structural problem (eg. dampness, big leaks etc..) please inform us ASAP.
• Responsibility/ share of repair will be reasonably assigned on a case-by-case basis.
• Any significant modifications require written permission. Example: Drilling big holes, changing household wiring, wallpapers, painting.

Stairs

• Remember to turn off stair-lights after late-night use (there are two-way switches on either ends of the stairs). Will avoid sleep-disturbance since the bright lights are right next to bedroom windows (even neighbor Nadaf objects).

Terrace and balconeys

• We do rainwater harvesting. So no litter or pollution on the roof.
• No fireworks there - rockets launched from bottles are ok.

Cloth drying

• Terrace
  • There are plentiful cloth-lines provided on terrace - you are welcome to use them. Please remember the 4+ monsoon rain months, though.
  • Please don’t tie clotheslines diagonally in front of the terrace room door etc. (unless you’ve rented the terrace room). Use the lines provided or get a drying rack.
  • Please don’t use ropes and clips which degrade with rain and sun (esp. nylon). We’ve observed remains of such threads polluting rain water harvested into our sump and clogging the filters.
• 1st floor
  • Drying rack is very useful during monsoon, when terrace is not suitable.
  • You can have unobtrusive clotheslines in the balcony (eg. low in the front or high + diagonal between the door and pillar). But please don’t put a clothes line parallely next to neighbor Nadaf’s balconey - he objects on aesthetic grounds.

Pots

We do rainwater harvesting.
Water runoff from pots should not contaminate our sump (especially if contaminated with chemical fertilizers, pesticides or waste).
Can keep pots indoors, or in L0, L1, L2 balconeys or in terrace, under solar panels, in deep tubs.
Alternatively, can keep pots in deep tubs (if one is confident of periodically emptying the tubs so as to prevent overflowing.)

Walls

• Please ask for prior written permission and guidance if drilling big holes for AC or chimney.
• Don’t paint or write on walls with ink. We prefer not to paint walls in our eco-friendly, healthy building. Chalkpiece or other easily erasable material is ok - but should not erode walls.
• Drive nails (if needed) only in grouts between bricks. Use preexisting nails where possible. Also, electric pipe positions can easily be deduced in our mud block walls - so you can avoid them by looking for slight linear color difference.

Floor

• All floors except L0 and bathrooms are cement with colored wax coat. Rest are ceramic-tiled.
• Cement floors are not as tough as ceramic tiles. So, it is possible to gash and cause holes, for example, due to heavy sharp furniture feet. So, please take appropriate precautions like using bushes/ carboard underneath.

विस्तारः (द्रष्टुं नोद्यम्)

Damage fix - fill with cement. Then apply wax.
Putty or wax filling won’t work - will come out.

Wiring

• UPS points are provided as follows:
  • L0 and L1: below the L0 stairs.
  • L2 and L3: In the terrace.

Cable and internet

• Most windows and ventilators have mosquito meshes. Please don’t make holes in them - we have made provisions for getting cable and internet connection from suitable points in the terrace. They should be intact when you leave.
• If you MUST bring in a new wire (with owners’ agreement, of course), use the pipe (covered by a dummy white plate) provided near the roof by the stairs in each floor. Otherwise, you can keep some window firmly open all the time and bring in the wire between musquito mesh velcro-binding.
• Don’t cut cables inside the boards; don’t remove sockets. Use the sockets provided.
  • Say you subscribe to Airtel internet service, and they use 2-pair cable. Just buy a short (8 pair) lan patch cable, cut it in two, join the 2-pair cables at each end to the appliance and the cable provider wire.
• If you get a dish antenna, place it in the prescribed spot (consult the owners).
• Your phone/ internet/ TV cables should be properly placed.
  • They should not obstruct carefree movement.
  • They should not increase ugliness.

Plumbing

• When installing water filters or washing machines - please take care to purchase appropriate adaptors which fit the fittings provided. Please don’t let the plumber pry out fittings we’ve already installed.
• After using the shower mixer to get warm water, please turn all taps (especially the mixer) to neutral position. Otherwise, heated water will flow back into the pipeway (ie kitchen etc.) and you will waste energy (and money).

Appliances

• Chimney/ kitchen exhaust
  • You are expected to use the chimney or kitchen exhaust provided. This is the most economical way of keeping the walls free of grease and avoiding cleaning/ natural painting charges.
  • Glen 1050 cm/h demo (1st and 2nd floors) and maintenance instructions here. L0 Glen 1200 cm/h demo.
• Wardrobe number lock code provided upon request (Don’t change this please.)
• Controls for exterior plug point are deliberately placed indoor, so that occupants can disable them when they want. This is done to ensure that thieves don’t use them to turn on power tools facilitating break-ins. Such controls are marked with a ^ sign as of this writing.

Tinxy wifi lock

If you want to use mobile phone to lock/unlock via wifi please install tinxy app from Google Play store or Apple store - Install tinxy app - but don’t sign in yet. The host will send you an invite. Then sign in.

Be sure to keep a copy of the key outside somewhere in case of power/ internet failure!