Housing for crews: what good crew housing needs

Housing is part of the project

Crew housing is more than four walls and a bed. HomeShare provides furnished crew housing to companies that send people where the work is, across Norway and the Nordics, and we hear the same questions again and again when a new project starts. It is easy to think of housing as a detail the crew just needs somewhere to sleep. But anyone who has done it before knows that crew housing affects the whole project. A long, tiring commute every morning, a washing machine that does not work or a landlord who does not answer will sooner or later land on the desk of the project manager or HR.

So we have gathered what we think good housing for a crew needs, whether the project is in Kristiansand or elsewhere in the Nordics.

The first thing to look at is the distance to the work site. Housing that looks good in the photos helps little if the crew spends a long time travelling each way. It wears people down over time, and it makes the days longer than they need to be.

That is why we always ask for the project address and how much travel time to the site you can accept. Based on that, we find options that fit, whether that is one address for the whole crew or several units spread across the project area. Some projects work best when everyone lives together. Others, such as a project in Kristiansand with crews from several subcontractors, need several smaller homes near different parts of the site.

A bedroom of your own: what Norwegian law requires

Since 01.06.2024, chapter 3A of the Norwegian working environment regulations (arbeidsplassforskriften) sets requirements for housing an employer arranges for its staff: as a main rule, every worker gets their own bedroom, with a common room, a shower and a toilet nearby. HomeShare plans one employee per bedroom in the crew housing we put together. Whether a specific home meets every requirement in the regulation is for you as the employer to assess, ideally with your safety representative or HR.

Ready to move into from day one

The second thing is that the crew housing is actually ready when people arrive. Ten homes without furnishings means ten rounds of purchasing and just as many ongoing agreements to follow up. That is work that has nothing to do with the project.

Good crew housing should have this in place before the first working day:

• ✓Fully furnished, with bed linen and towels
• ✓A bedroom of your own per worker, with a kitchen and living room
• ✓Washing machine and tumble dryer
• ✓WiFi and electricity included
• ✓Parking and an EV charger where the project needs it
• ✓Cleaning

With us, furniture, equipment and amenities are included from day one, and everything is delivered and managed by us. The crew moves straight in, and you do not lift a finger. If the project has special needs, you can write them in the enquiry, and we include them in the quote.

A lease period that follows the project

Projects change. They are delayed, they are extended, and sometimes they finish ahead of plan. A standard lease with a fixed term does not take that into account. The result is often that the company pays for empty beds after the project is over, because nobody gave notice in time.

Good crew housing therefore has a lease period that follows the job. With us, you are never tied in for longer than the job lasts. You give a start date and an end date when you send the enquiry, and we set up the lease accordingly.

The same goes for the money that gets tied up. Ten separate leases at once can mean NOK 600,000 locked in deposits throughout the project period. With us, you only provide a simple guarantee of NOK 30,000 per bedroom, and the capital stays in the business.

One contact from check-in to check-out

The last point is perhaps the most important. When the washing machine breaks at ten in the evening, who does the crew call? If you rent the homes directly, the answer is often you. You become the go-between for landlord and resident, and it takes time from the job you are actually there to do.

With HomeShare, we handle check-in directly with the residents, deal with whatever comes up along the way, and take care of check-out and the final settlement when the project is over. Neither you nor HR becomes a go-between. You have one contact person from start to finish, and all homes are gathered on one invoice marked with the project reference, with a fixed due date each month.

Getting started is simple. Tell us where the project is, what period it covers and how many employees need housing. We take on assignments from ten employees and up. If you have several projects, send one enquiry per project, and we keep them separate.

You will hear from us within 48 hours with a concrete quote: addresses, photos, price per person and move-in date, gathered and ready to present internally. The quote is non-binding, and you are free to say no.