Homeowners association boards are key to keeping neighborhoods running well. The HOA acts as the community's guardian, focuses on community improvements, and is responsible for determining the monthly or yearly fees.
They make sure everyone follows the rules and keep the area looking attractive and inviting. But how does an HOA work, and what do they do exactly?
This article covers five important duties of an HOA board.
1. They Enforce the Rules
The HOA board members have an important job: enforcing the community's rules and regulations. These rules help create a safe, welcoming, and peaceful living environment for everyone.
They may cover topics like noise levels, such as restrictions on music volume or construction times within the HOA community. Rules might also limit the types of pets allowed or set guidelines for how homes should look on the outside.
By making sure these rules are followed, the HOA board helps reduce conflicts and creates a positive, united living space for all residents.
2. They Balance the Budget
The HOA board manages the community's finances. They create a budget for necessary expenses like lawn care, common area repairs, and pool maintenance. The board decides the HOA fees each owner of HOA homes must pay to cover these costs.
The books need to be balanced at year-end. The HOA carefully tracks finances to ensure this.
3. They Deal with Maintainance and Repairs
The HOA Board schedules maintenance and repairs. They take care of communal areas, such as landscaping, fixing streetlights, or maintaining the community pool. However, they usually don't handle these tasks themselves.
Instead, the HOA hires professionals to manage these projects. This ensures everything in the community works well. A good HOA focuses on preventative maintenance.
By addressing issues early, they save money on repairs in the long run. Doing preventive maintenance is always cheaper than dealing with emergency repairs.
4. They Communicate Effectively
The HOA serves as a neighborhood communication hub. They keep people who live in an HOA properly informed about important events and changes in the neighborhood. This includes upcoming meetings, community events, and rule updates.
They also listen to homeowners' concerns and find solutions to conflicts. Addressing issues helps maintain a happy, well-functioning community. Good communication is key to achieving this goal.
5. They Make Key Decisions
The homeowners association makes big decisions about the neighborhood. For example, they may handle issues like parking rules. The HOA board leads this process.
However, the board isn't a dictatorship. They must listen to the community's concerns and opinions. This often happens through homeowners association meetings.
At these meetings, the board listens to homeowners' input. This helps them make decisions that benefit everyone. They may vote on matters if there's disagreement. The goal is to improve the neighborhood's appearance, atmosphere, and quality of life.
The HOA Board Serves an Important Function
The Homeowners Association is crucial for keeping the community orderly, functional, and attractive. They handle finances, enforce rules, manage repairs, and involve residents in decision-making. This creates a great community for homeowners to enjoy and call home.
In some cases, an HOA board might work closely with a property management company. If you want to work with such a company, contact PMI today, and we can help you manage your community effectively.
