HOA Management Blog

A homeowner’s association’s worst nightmare occurred on June 23, 2021, when a 12-story beachfront condominium in the Miami suburb of Surfside, Florida partially collapsed. Many people died, many were injured, making it one of the deadliest building collapses in American history. It’s important to acknowledge and address a tragedy like this to respect the lives that were lost and the families affected, while also learning from the experience to make sure it doesn’t happen again.

Is your homeowners association thinking of embarking on a maintenance or construction project that will require the services of a contractor? If the project needs association approval, the first thing before you get to the place of interviewing contractors is to make sure you follow the steps of your design review process. Once the design review process has been completed and the association is ready to begin the steps to move the project forward, make sure your project is nailed down using the following five simple guidelines:

You live in a homeowners association and one of the favorite features in your home is the enclosed patio. It’s where you go every morning to sit and enjoy your cup of coffee before beginning the day. As you take a sip, today you notice the peeling paint, cracked concrete, and dying plants. The patio really could use an update. You decide you'll submit your maintenance request at the next HOA board meeting for some new paint, a trellis, small irrigation system, and definitely new concrete.

Fast forward a few months. You’ve learned that your enclosed patio is a “restricted common area.” This means the actual patio belongs to the homeowners association, but can only be used by the owner. So, who is responsible to maintain the patio?

Approximately four in 10 homes in suburban America are occupied by people who rent. Even though people who rent in the HOA have no vote on homeowners association matters, they are an important part of your community. Today's renters may be tomorrow's owners - or even board members! If the unit you own is occupied by a renter here are a few tips that will help you and your renters live harmoniously in the homeowners association.

Is your homeowners association located in an area that wildlife frequent? More specifically, is your Association located in such a location that deer regularly visit your community? While deer are beautiful creatures to admire, the HOA board may want to caution owners from interacting too closely with these animals.

Reducing water use means making significant changes in your everyday habits and routine, but it can also mean substantial savings on water, sewage and energy bills for homeowners association residents. In fact, there are ways you can reduce your water usage by nearly half without purchasing expensive equipment. The following suggestions will help you get in the habit of saving water indoors at home.

As homes in your homeowners association begin to thaw from the cold months, it’s time to start thinking about preparing your home for spring and summer! The steps you take now can help avoid costly maintenance and repairs later.

Homeowner associations, like most organizations, have adopted information technology for everything from accounting and bookkeeping to email and other forms of communication such as preparation of documents and presentations, etc.  However, HOA board members and their management staff must recognize and address the inherent risks in modern electronic technology, especially data breaches & server hacks that compromise information the HOA is responsible for keeping private.

As a homeowner, you probably received a new home warranty when you purchased your home - many owners within your homeowners association may also have one. If no major problems have been encountered with your home, then you probably have not read the home warranty paperwork, but you should!