HOA 101: What Is an HOA Board Responsible For?

  |  April 20, 2021

Purchasing a property in a community governed by a homeowners’ association (HOA) comes with many benefits and responsibilities. The shared amenities, maintenance, landscaping, and policies that make the neighborhood a safe and inviting place to live must be overseen by someone. In the case of an HOA community, that role is served by an HOA board, an elected board of volunteers that runs the HOA and helps uphold its rules and regulations on behalf of its homeowner-members.

To learn more about the roles and responsibilities of HOA boards, we turned to the team at Associa New York, a Poughkeepsie-based branch of national community and property management company Associa, which provides HOA management services to 30 communities in the Mid-Hudson Valley, from existing co-ops, condos, and HOAs to new communities in development.

Read on to learn more about what a well-run HOA board looks like—and if it’s time to enlist the help of an HOA management company to make sure the board and community continues to thrive.

1. What does an HOA board do?

Community members who are elected to an HOA board have a lot of responsibility. They help run, manage, and maintain their neighborhood, building, or other collective of homes. Often, an HOA board works with professional partners to ensure responsibilities are carried out according to its rules, regulations, governing documents, and other applicable laws.

2. What kind of regulations does an HOA board uphold?

In general, HOA boards help ensure owners are properly caring for their homes and a consistent look and feel is achieved throughout the neighborhood. This can include regulating what color you can paint your house or how often you should mow your lawn. Rules will be outlined in the HOA’s governing documents.

3. What financial responsibilities does an HOA board have?

An HOA board is responsible for managing the community’s budgets and handling monthly association dues that go toward general maintenance. The board is also responsible for budgeting, planning, and contracting for capital improvements like installing fencing or renovating shared pool or gym facilities. They also must maintain a dependable contractor and vendor list for the variety of services the HOA will regularly need.

4. What is the HOA board’s involvement in resolving community disputes?

If there’s ever an issue resolving community conflicts, the HOA board is an invaluable resource for fixing the problem. Whether it’s enforcing an existing rule or helping homeowners come to a mutually agreed-upon resolution, the board must be an advocate for everyone living within the rules and regulations of the community.

Upholding all of these responsibilities and more is why many boards have begun looking to professional managers and management companies like Associa New York to help them successfully carry out the daily duties and responsibilities of the community that they serve. For over 40 years, Associa has been an industry leader in providing secure financial services, technological solutions, and 24/7 access to important information for self-managed communities, so they can remain focused on the big picture while ensuring that day-to-day tasks are well in-hand.

To learn more about Associa’s services, visit Associaonline.com

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