An HOA (Homeowners Association) can be a massive benefit to a neighborhood, but only if it’s run well. A mismanaged HOA can easily spiral into a disaster, with an unhappy community at the top of your list of problems. This is why it’s important to keep your HOA Board organized and remember these simple tips.
Make Rules Clear and Available
If you want people to follow your HOA’s rules, they need to be readily available for people to check. The easiest way to do this is to have a website for your HOA and give the rules their own page. If there are updates or changes to the rules, consider sending out a newsletter informing everyone so they can stay in the loop.
It’s also important to keep the rules informative and use clear language. You can’t expect people to follow your rules if they don’t understand them. If you only permit HOA members to bring two guests into community areas, like the pool, you need to state that clearly.
Keep Members Invested
It’s important for the community to recognize the value of having an HOA. Your community should trust you and understand why they’re paying annual fees and the benefits they pay for. This is why you and other members of the Board need to foster good relationships. Be friendly and approachable. Show strong leadership and problem-solving skills. Plan events for the neighborhood so you can get to know everyone and help foster a strong sense of community.
Communication is Key
If you want your community to be happy, you need open communication lines. Members should feel like they can come to the HOA with their concerns and be able to receive answers quickly.
To do this, send out newsletters stating timely information like rule changes and community events. Encourage participation and voicing of ideas and concerns at open-floor meetings. Be willing to step in and handle disagreements between members with diplomacy. The more you communicate, the fewer problems your HOA will have.
Enforce Policies Consistently
Rules are occasionally broken, either by accident or intentionally. Someone could have violated guest policies, noise ordinances, or other rules that are put in place to maintain the peace of the community. Usually, this will result in some kind of fine as a punishment and reminder that the rules are meant to be followed.
Of course, there could be exceptions due to extenuating circumstances that the board is willing to give some leniency towards. The thing is, if you make too many exceptions to the same people, it can cause a rift in the community. You don’t need whispers of favoritism because one rule-breaker is always getting off scot-free. Make sure that everyone in the neighborhood is receiving the same treatment.
An HOA is only as effective as its leadership, so be sure the Board works together to create a happy community. For even more efficiency, consider making use of our Association governance services. We can help organize meetings, set up online portals, and more to allow you to focus on more important HOA matters.