Housing Rentals

Housing at Lost Valley Educational Center

Lost Valley Education and Event center offers houses and land sites for rent as part of a community experience.  The rental prices for sleeping spaces and access to shared facilities can range from $150 per month to $500 per month.  Lost Valley’s 4 townhouse units are about $1000 per month with unique opportunities for renting one to three bedrooms and sharing space with other renters.  Lost Valley also owns 3 yurts and many sites for other types of camping.

Priority of available housing is given to current community residents by seniority and good standing, but cabins, yurts, apartments, and sites then become available to new residents.  And when they do, please jump on the chance to come learn with us!   We are a living model of community discovering best practices for our life together with respect for Self, others, and nature.

Lost Valley has unique facilities and 88 total acres open to and shared with its residents, personal guests of residents, and seasonal visitors.

PERKS:

• Campus-wide WiFi internet available (low-cost cooperative–rare for rural living!)
• Meadow, forest trails (future mushroom research center), ponds, and creek for walking, biking, or swimming.
• Woodland alters.
• Ducks and chickens abound.
• Guest House, Guest House Kitchen and Seasonal Outdoor Kitchen.
• Small wood-fired Hot Tub and Sauna (training required).
• Super high-quality air and water.
• Inter-community mail service.
• Community spaces for small events: lodge and lodge kitchen, sacred yurt (with firewood to heat it), lawns, 2 classrooms, 2 lib offices, and eco-resource room,
• Access to some shop tools and workspace during specified shop hours and with necessary supervision or training (tools must be signed-out and returned).
• Access to land and garden tools (tools must be signed-out and returned).
• Access to natural materials on the land, including plants and trees for medicine or other creative projects (requires preliminary conversation with Land Steward).
• Resident guests have discounted lodging.
• On-site meal plan options.
• Trash removal and recycling.
• On-site parking and storage available.
• Ability to lease on-site spaces for micro-business development.

Most of our cabins and facilities are older and reflect aging exteriors.  An ideal permaculture system reflects peak efficiency of inputs like human energy, grid-tied energy, and other resources.  However, most of Lost Valley ‘s existing infrastructure and systems are inherited and thus designed for less comprehensive use.  Since the land and it’s houses became property of Lost Valley Educational Center in 1989, its residents and students have made slow changes, utilizing permaculture principles to improve the functioning and efficiency of its systems.  We continue to make slow but dramatic changes to improve the site!

Process for Becoming a Renter

Screening guidelines

You may choose to arrange a short day visit with the Site Manager to view available rentals even when the Visitor Program is closed for the season.  This is usually about an hour of time with the Site Manager sometime Monday through Friday 9-5.  We are a community and a minimally staffed center, so please arrange well in advance of your visit so that the Site Manager or Visitor Coordinator can inform residents about unfamiliar faces.  When the visitor program is open, Lost Valley can host overnight stays as well.

Please see our Visit Us page for more details. Also Who We’re Looking For

1. You simply MUST read the Community Living Agreements (they’re great fun!) and see if you resonate with them.  Feel free to ask questions about them via housing(@)lostvalley.org.

2.  Request a rental application from the Site Manager or Office Manager by emailing housing(@)lostvalley.org or calling the office at (541)937-3351 x206.  If calling, enter the extension 206 any time after you hear a man talking.  If you get to voicemail, please leave a message with a return phone number and an email or physical address we can send the rental application to.  The application is issued based on your desired housing, and informs the applicant of relevant move-in costs:

Lost Valley Educational Center

Rental Application

Rental unit desired:   [ ] Cabin ___  [ ]Sol-Plex  [ ] Yurt [ ] Tipi   [ x ] Other __any coming avail.__

Monthly rent: $_200-1050____

Utilities included? _yes for cabins and yurts, no for Solplex units_

Refundable Campus Security deposit  (depends on rental) minimum $350 plus amount of final month’s rent Pet Deposit $250 a pet up to 2 pets__

Other pertinent lease information: Community Interview is a prerequisite to residential agreements. Pets must also apply for residency in the aspiring eco-village and are not guaranteed to be accepted (limit 2 per household). Must agree to the Community Living Agreements. There is a $50 per month extra vehicle (per household) fee and $75 per month RV/Trailer/Camper storage fee. Leases are usually 4 months then month to month.

Once submitted, the rental application is approved or denied based on some standard investigations of the provided information.  Background checks, which are issued alongside rental applications for a specific unit are a cost to the applicant ($25). A complete rental application and background check is necessary for holding a space on the waiting list and being considered for the next step.

3. When the application and background check have been reviewed and accepted, a “community interview” is scheduled.  (It’s not a big scary ordeal!  We’re nice people who want a full community.)  This in-person or video-chat “community interview” happens with at least 3 community residents and all applicants present.  The “Residential Approval Panel” (aka residents present or accounted for at the interview) may approve, deny, or delay an application based on the applicant’s interview.  This is also a chance for applicant(s) to ask the community questions face-to-face.   We observe fair housing and Landlord/Tenant laws for the state of Oregon.

4. After receipt of deposits and rent are accepted, move-in can begin!   Participation in a half or full meal plan is required for all residents in 2013 (see Food section of the Intentional Community tab).

A list of all Rental Units in Community: 

“Solplex Units,” 2 Townhomes ~ 3 bedroom 2 bath 1080 sq. ft. $1000/month Residents pay electricy bill. Vaulted ceilings, skylights, woodstove, kitchen, washer and dryer hook-ups, large front deck with view of the shared organic garden & chicken coop.

Apartments (Townhomes split between 2 floors)~ 1, 2, or 3 bedrooms, 1 or 2 bath, first-floor full kitchen and/or upstairs kitchenette.  680 to 1200 sq. ft. $400 to $1180/month Resident(s) pay electricity bill. Wood floors, vaulted ceiling, skylights, kitchen, washer/dryer hookups, large front deck with a view of shared organic garden and chicken coop. *All leases are 4 months minimum and go month-to-month after that.   

Cabins (prices are baseline assuming single occupancy, utilities included) ~ sizes range from 100 sq. ft. ~ 535 sq. ft. $150-$440/month for single occupancy.  One additional adult raises the rent $50 per month to cover an additional utility share.  A second additional adult is another $25 per month. Children 5 to 16 are $25 per month. Our cabins are nestled in the trees and are located near our community lodge, kitchen, and bathroom facilities.  There are about 10 total cabins, with three of those cabins having rentable rooms inside them.

Yurts (rarely available, seasonal) ~ sizes range from 314 sq. ft. ~ 706 sq. ft. $240-$570/month for single occupancy. Utilities are included in rental cost for single occupancy. Each additional adult is $20 to cover added utility and facility costs.

RV/Camper/Bus/Travel Trailer Space

Not preferred, but $250/month No dump station.  Electric and water hookups in meadow.  Beautiful views and nature trails.

Updated March, 2013