Working on HOA boards is becoming much more common for homeowners. Recent reports indicate that 2.5 million Americans now serve on boards. However, there are some things you should know before doing this yourself.
So, what can you do to optimize HOA management and build a better community? Below are a few tips that will help you with effective HOA management.
Establish Clear Communication
It's hard for communities to come together when they don't know what's happening. They see there's an HOA meeting. But if they don't know what's happening, what incentive do they have to join?
Effective HOA leadership means creating clear communication channels. Clearly explain why people should join meetings, contribute to governance, get involved, and participate in other community management activities. Doing this will encourage people to get more involved since they understand what's happening and how it impacts them.
Clarify the Rules
A primary benefit of an HOA is the establishment of community rules. These rules tell people what they should and shouldn't do on their property. While some community rules may seem too much for some people, they keep the community in great shape and protect property values.
One of the best homeowners association tips is to create these rules early on. Establish a bare minimum for keeping up property and hold people accountable when they don't do their part.
Take Feedback
One big issue homeowners have with HOAs is the feeling that they aren't listened to. Some of this goes back to no clear communication. However, you can also address some of this by taking feedback from the community.
Some HOA board best practices are getting feedback from the community and creating regular meetings to discuss community issues. Doing this will get people more involved and help get feedback on the direction to take the HOA.
Manage Maintenance Tasks
A community association management board is responsible for keeping the community looking great. They need to perform landscaping, amenity maintenance, and other tasks to keep the area looking nice.
Depending on the community and how they want to spend funds, this responsibility may also include property maintenance of residents, like lawn cutting. The board will need to manage the budget to ensure they can pay contractors to do this work.
Look for Help
Even if you have HOA members with enough time to contribute to board management, there may still be issues you need help with. There is a lot of administrative work and little details that are hard to get right without enough experience.
That's where HOA management companies help. Many reliable HOA management strategies include working with professional companies to manage the community. You get experienced professionals to help guide your board in the right direction.
Do Proper HOA Management
An HOA is only as effective as the people running the organization. You rely on the board to maintain the community, ensure people follow the rules, and maintain a budget to keep things running. Follow the HOA management strategies above to improve community engagement and run a great HOA.
Of course, your community doesn't need to handle HOA management on its own. At PMI East Bay, our homeowner association management services can help neighborhoods do everything they need to do. Contact us to learn more.
