A housing association board is responsible for the safety of shared spaces, and that duty does not pause during a power cut. The work is smaller than most boards expect: map what stops working, decide who does what, agree how residents are told, and write it on one page. Myndigheten för civilt försvar (MCF, previously MSB) asks every household to manage on its own for at least seven days. This guide turns that into something a board can decide on at one meeting.
Reviewed by Oskar Björk, defence engineer (Swedish Armed Forces) and adviser to Kapsel. Last updated 2026-09-11.
What the board is actually responsible for
The board manages the association's affairs, which includes keeping shared spaces safe and usable. A serious disruption is not a separate category. It is the same duty of care that already covers fire safety, lighting and locks, applied to a day when the power is out.
In practice that means three things: the shared spaces stay safe to move through, residents can be reached with information, and the board can show that the question has been considered rather than ignored. A board that has thought it through and documented the decision is in a different position from one that has not. Where liability is concerned, check with the association's auditor or a lawyer, because it depends on your statutes and on what actually happened.
What the board is not responsible for
The board does not stock food and water for individual households. Each member is responsible for their own seven days. The board's job is the building and the shared situation. Keeping that line clear is what makes the work manageable, and it is also what makes an offer to members feel like a service rather than an obligation.
The crisis plan, in five steps
1. Map what stops working
Walk the building and write down what a power cut actually takes with it. In most properties the list is longer than people expect: lifts, stairwell lighting, door entry systems, ventilation, heating pumps, garage doors, laundry room bookings, and in tall buildings the water pressure. Add a water outage as a second scenario, because the answers differ.
2. Decide who does what
Name two people, not one, and write down how to reach them without a phone network. Decide who checks the lift for anyone trapped, who checks on residents who may need help, and who speaks for the association. A list of residents who have said they may need assistance, kept with their consent, is the single most useful document a board can hold.
3. Agree how residents are told
When mobile networks fail, a printed notice on the entrance door still works. Decide now which board is used and who puts the notice up. Public warnings in Sweden reach people through radio, so make sure at least the board knows where to listen. See how public warnings reach you.
4. Go through the shared spaces
Battery lighting in the stairwell and by the entrance, a manual release routine for the lift, a way to open the garage without power, and a known assembly point. None of this is expensive. All of it is difficult to arrange in the dark.
5. Write it on one page and anchor it
A plan longer than one page will not be read when it is needed. One page: what stops working, who does what, where residents gather, how they are informed. Take it through a board meeting, minute the decision, and tell members it exists. That last part is what turns a document into preparedness.
What belongs in the building
Keep it to what is used in the shared situation: torches or battery lanterns in the stairwell and by the entrance, a first-aid kit where everyone can find it, a battery or crank radio, and printed copies of the plan and the contact list. Neighbour co-operation matters more than equipment, and MCF writes about that in getting to know your neighbours.
The members' own seven days
The board's plan covers the building. It does not cover the flat. Every household still needs water, warmth, light, information and food for seven days, and in a block of flats that has its own constraints: little storage and no safe way to burn fuel indoors. See home preparedness in a flat and the full preparedness checklist.
Many associations choose to help here rather than leave it to chance, either by offering members a shared price or by equipping the building itself. That is what our page for housing associations covers, including a calculator for your own number of flats.
Raising it at the meeting
Preparedness for shared spaces falls under ordinary management and can be decided by the board. An offer that reaches individual households, especially one the association subsidises, belongs on the agenda of the annual general meeting. The easiest time to raise it is during Preparedness Week in late September, when the question is already in the news.
Frequently asked questions
Is a housing association board responsible for preparedness?
The board is responsible for the safety of shared spaces, and that includes serious disruptions such as power and water outages. It is not responsible for stocking food and water for individual households.
Can the board decide this without a general meeting?
Preparedness for shared spaces falls under ordinary management and can be decided by the board. A subsidised offer to individual households is better taken to the annual general meeting.
What should a crisis plan for a housing association contain?
Four things on one page: what stops working during a power or water outage, who does what, where residents gather, and how they are informed when mobile networks are down.
What should be in the shared spaces?
Battery lighting in the stairwell and by the entrance, a first-aid kit, a battery or crank radio, a manual release routine for the lift, and printed copies of the plan and contact list.
How long should a household be able to manage on its own?
At least seven days, according to MCF's recommendation: without mains electricity, running water, working drains, mobile networks or digital payments.
Related: preparedness for housing associations, home preparedness in a flat and the full questions and answers on home preparedness. Sources: MCF, krisinformation.se on home preparedness and MCF on neighbour co-operation.