Frequently Asked Questions About HOA Pet Ownership

/by

Pets are an integral part of any family, whether you have a playful pup or a kitten to curl up with. When you move into an HOA, you may find that your community association has rules and restrictions regarding your pets, whether it’s what types of breeds you can own or where you can take your animal within the neighborhood. Rules vary so greatly between each independent association, so it can be difficult to know exactly what’s allowed and what isn’t. Here are some of the most common questions that we’re asked about pet ownership within a community association.

Can my HOA restrict what type of pet I adopt?

Yes, it is legal for community associations to have restrictions on the size, breed, or species of pet that you’re allowed to have in your home. Many HOAs will often ban dog breeds known for being especially aggressive, such as pit bulls, and HOAs within apartments tend to have a weight limit for any dogs permitted in the building. More common animals like dogs or cats are usually okay, but your HOA may ban other species of pets such as birds or ferrets. As with anything, it’s always best to inform your HOA board of your intent to adopt and ensure that your chosen animal is permitted.

How many pets can I have?

Some homeowners associations will allow you to have as many pets as you’d like and won’t have any pre-existing restrictions in place. Others, however, may permit you to only have one, two, or three animals in your home at a time. Review your CC&Rs and ask your HOA board if you’re considering adopting another pet but you’re unsure of any limitations on the number of pets permitted.

What about service or support animals?

If you need a service animal due to physical disabilities, these pets are exempt from any standard HOA pet restrictions. Even if your HOA has a sweeping ban on all pets, they are not legally permitted to ban service animals in the vast majority of circumstances. Make sure that you have all proper documentation for your service animal and thoroughly research service animal laws in your state. In the case of emotional support animals, there is less clarity. Although they also generally must be permitted in most states, there will be more restrictions on them than with service animals. They may be confined to certain areas of the association, for example, in order to accommodate other residents with documented allergies. 

If you live in one of The Management Trust’s communities and you have any questions about pet ownership within your community association, give us a call today for assistance in navigating your neighborhood’s rules and restrictions.

How to Safely Reopen Pool Amenities in Your HOA

/by

The circumstances surrounding the novel coronavirus are constantly fluctuating, and they will likely continue to do so for the remainder of the year as we learn more about the virus. However, states are now beginning to permit the reopening of some businesses and amenities in the next phase of their coronavirus response plans. While shutting everything down was an easy choice that minimized risk, reopening community amenities requires much more planning and consideration. If your HOA is looking to reopen its community pool, here are a few guidelines to take into consideration when deciding how to best approach the process.

Remember that each community is different

Each state, each city, and each community association are going to have entirely unique circumstances that dictate how and when they should reopen their pool amenities. Don’t reopen just because another community did, and don’t blindly follow another HOA’s guidelines. Your community may be made up of an entirely different demographic that necessitates implementing a different reopening plan than your neighboring associations. You may want to hold a community meeting or otherwise consult with the residents of your HOA to gauge their thoughts on how and when you should reopen, since reopening your community pool is ultimately done to serve them and their best interest.

Take the path of least risk

When it comes to safely reopening your pool during a pandemic, you always want to choose the strategy that is the safest for your residents. If a community member contracts COVID-19, this could likely lead to another complete shutdown of shared amenities, which will be a time-consuming and costly effort. Your first priority should always be protecting the health and safety of your community, so only reopen your pool amenities if you are completely confident that it’s safe to do so. Follow all guidelines set forth by the CDC as well as your state, county, and city governments.

Stay up-to-date on developments

Reopening while the pandemic is ongoing means that there will inevitably be changes in local and federal guidelines as time goes on. Make sure that your HOA board members are closely following all directives from the CDC and local governments, so if anything changes, your HOA can implement those changes immediately and remain as safe as possible. It’s always wise to cite the sources of these directives, as well, when explaining them to HOA members. Remaining flexible is key, so be ready to alter your safety protocols and reopening guidelines at a moment’s notice if official recommendations for safety procedures change.

Implement rules for safety

It’s never recommended that you fully reopen your amenities with no additional safety precautions in place. Especially in higher-risk environments such as a swimming pool, it’s imperative that you outline basic guidelines for minimizing risk of transmission, such as requiring swimmers to social distance while in the pool. While enforcement of these rules may be difficult, your board should still create a plan for enforcement and post clear signage stating the new rules. This can help protect you as an HOA board if someone becomes ill, and it can also help protect your community members from contracting COVID-19 in the first place. 

Navigating the nuances of COVID-19 restrictions and reopenings can be extremely difficult given the risk of getting it wrong. While the proper time and procedure for reopening pool amenities will vary widely from community to community, all decisions should be made with the residents’ best interests at heart. Protecting the health and wellbeing of your community association should always be prioritized over financial benefits or pressure from homeowners to access amenities. If you feel that you need assistance in navigating safe amenity reopening plans, contact The Management Trust. As a leading community association management firm, we can help you implement and enforce any COVID-19 safety guidelines that you feel will best protect your community. If you’re a homeowner looking for more information regarding the current status of your pool amenities, please reach out directly to your HOA board for more information regarding your association’s plans for reopening.

How to Rent Your Home in an HOA

/by

If you live in an Aurora Colorado HOA, you know that there are rules and guidelines that you need to follow as a homeowner to live in the community. However, what happens when you decide to rent out your home within an HOA to someone else? Are you even allowed to do so? What is each party responsible for? As a community management firm, we get asked a lot of questions about the logistics of long-term and short-term rentals within a community association. To help you feel as informed and prepared as possible, here’s our go-to guide for renting your home within an HOA.

Am I allowed to rent my property?

Usually, yes. However, this will vary across communities. Read your CC&Rs and speak to your HOA before you list your property for rent. Although most communities permit long-term rentals, it’s always best to double-check whether they’re permitted and what regulations there are when renting. There may be restrictions regarding the lease agreement, payment logistics, or even who is allowed to rent the property.

What is the landlord responsible for?

Although you may no longer live in the community association, you’ll still ultimately be responsible for most of the same things as when you were living there. Since you still own the property, you’ll need to ensure that you’re paying your annual fees and maintaining the home as required by your HOA. When it comes to paying HOA fees, the lease will specify who is responsible for paying them directly. Some homeowners may prefer to have the tenant pay the HOA directly, while others may prefer to handle the payment themselves and will add the cost into the rent. Ultimately, however, ensuring payments are made is up to the property owner, since they can be foreclosed upon if they fail to pay their required dues. You’ll also need to ensure that you’re following all home maintenance requirements, whether that’s painting your home annually or receiving routine lawn maintenance. This cost can be built into the rent, depending on how the lease is structured by each homeowner. Finally, you’ll need to ensure that you provide your tenants with a copy of the CC&Rs and rules for renters. You should also provide your HOA board with a copy of the lease agreement for their records.

Which benefits extend to the renter?

When you rent your property in an HOA, some of the benefits you receive may be extended to your tenant since they will be paying for the right to live there. These can include access to shared amenities, entry to common areas, and the ability to keep pets. There are also rights which are rarely extended to renters, including voting rights and the ability to attend HOA meetings. Again, this varies according to each specific HOA. Your community management firm can give you a better idea of what privileges apply to renters in your particular community association.

If you’re an Aurora homeowner looking to rent out your property within an HOA, consult your CC&Rs and speak to your community management firm about whether you’re allowed to do so. As long as you and your tenants follow all community guidelines, most homeowners find that they have no issues with long-term rentals in their community association. If you’re an HOA that needs assistance enforcing these rules and regulations, trust an industry expert such as The Management Trust. For more than 30 years, we’ve assisted HOA boards with managing their communities to spend more time enjoying it and making the crucial decisions needed to improve it for every resident. To find out more about our community management services, give us a call at (303) 750-0994.

How to Conduct an HOA Board Meeting via Zoom

/by

Although COVID-19 restrictions are slowly lifting for the time being in Tacoma, officials still strongly advise against meetings where people are within close proximity and cannot properly social distance. Therefore, you may find yourself needing to conduct your HOA board meetings via phone or video chat. Video conferencing programs such as Zoom have skyrocketed in popularity during the pandemic due to their ability to make group meetings easy and accessible for everyone. However, it will likely take some coordinating and ground rules in order to make sure that your first HOA e-meeting goes smoothly. Here are a few things you should consider in order to successfully conduct a community association management meeting via Zoom.

Make Sure Everyone Has the Ability to Log On

This may seem obvious, but the first step toward a successful HOA board meeting is to ensure that everyone is present and can hear one another. Some states have laws surrounding virtual meeting requirements, meeting notices, and board members being able to see and hear every other board member.  Take a roll call at the start of the meeting. Verifying the participant’s audio and visual is working will help the meeting to run smoothly.  It will also help prevent any later claims that a participant was not aware of an issue discussed in the meeting.

Establish Clear Etiquette & Rules

Once everyone has joined the meeting, it’s best to set out clear Zoom meeting etiquette so that the meeting can flow with minimal confusion and interruption. One way to minimize this risk is to establish a schedule beforehand of when each board member will present. This gives everyone equal and ample time to be heard, with the possibility for follow-up questions afterward. Zoom also includes nonverbal feedback features such as Raise Hand, which allow board members to silently indicate that they’d like to speak without interrupting the flow of the meeting. Zoom was created for business meetings of this nature, so taking advantage of all of its built-in functionalities during your HOA board meeting will improve its chance of success.

Prioritize Meeting Security

One of the biggest concerns for board members is “Zoombombing”. Zoombombing is the intrusion into a conference call by an individual who was not intended to be in the meeting. This disruptive act is not only annoying, but it could also put sensitive community association information at risk. In order to make sure your meeting is private and secure, lock the meeting once all the board members have arrived. This prevents anyone else from joining the room. Meetings can also be secured with a password, so only those with the required password can join the room whether it’s locked or not. Image and audio watermarks can also be added to help protect the privacy of any information shared in the meeting. Whether you’re meeting with your community association management firm, homeowners, or other board members, security should always be a top priority for your Zoom meetings.

Even with life slowly returning back to normal in Tacoma, many HOAs are choosing to conduct their meetings via Zoom in order to protect the health and safety of their fellow residents. Whether you need to meet with your community association management firm, your fellow board members, or homeowners in your community, video chat solutions such as Zoom are a great way to meet safely and ensure that everything is operating as usual within your company. 

5 Quick & Easy Ways to Lower Your Utility Bills

/by

With financial security at the forefront of every Aurora homeowner’s mind, you may be looking for ways that you can cut down on costs. From controlling your online shopping to eating home-cooked meals on a budget, there are many easy ways to make sure that your dollar goes further and lasts longer. One easy way to cut costs is to make small lifestyle changes that could lower your utility bills. Having lower bills each month will help you save more money and give you some additional peace of mind. Here are five quick and easy ways that you can lower your home’s utility bills, from the HOA community management experts at The Management Trust.

  1. Replace your light bulbs

One of the first steps many homeowners take toward being more energy efficient is replacing their light bulbs. Exchanging traditional light bulbs for compact fluorescent or LED bulbs will decrease your energy use, making your home more environmentally friendly and saving you hundreds of dollars every year. Compact fluorescent bulbs use 75% less energy than traditional incandescent bulbs, and they last up to 10 times longer. It’s estimated that this difference can save you anywhere from $75 to $200 per year, depending on the size of your home.

  1. Seal off any drafts

Another way to lower your utility bills is to make your heater’s job as easy as possible. The more efficiently your HVAC system functions, the less you will spend on your utility bills. By sealing off any exterior drafts from doors, windows, and outlets, you can keep the temperature in your home more regulated and your HVAC system won’t need to work as hard to maintain it. This translates to significant savings on your utility bill at the end of the month, so it’s worth the investment in a bottle of caulk.

  1. Replace your air filter regularly

Similarly, your HVAC system can also be kept more efficient if you replace the air filter regularly. Most homes should replace their air filter every month, but this can vary depending on the size of your unit and the conditions of your home. Keep an eye on your air filter, and replace it whenever you notice it getting visibly dirty and clogged. Keeping a dirty air filter for too long is another way to force your HVAC system to run inefficiently, which will increase your energy bill as a result.

  1. Use a programmable thermostat

Heating and cooling is often the largest expense of any home, and you’ll likely notice the biggest fluctuations in your utility bill as the seasons change and you use your AC or heater significantly more. One way to keep your energy use under control and under budget is to invest in a programmable thermostat. With a programmable thermostat, you can set the temperature to automatically change depending on the time of day. This means that you can turn your system off or set it to a more relaxed temperature when the house is empty or everyone is asleep. It will also help to prevent you from making manual changes that may disrupt your system’s efficiency and cause it to work harder. Setting your thermostat to more cost-effective levels will save you money and help make your time at home more comfortable. 

  1. Fix any leaks

Another source of utility bill spikes is plumbing leaks. A single leaky faucet that drips once per second can cost you an additional $54 per year, on average. A burst pipe can cost you $230 a day! In order to ensure that you’re not flushing any money down the drain, have a plumber inspect your home’s plumbing system and repair any leaks. Leaks can be as obvious as a dripping faucet, but they can also be hidden in pipes under sinks or behind walls. Having your home checked for plumbing issues and fixing any sources of leaks will help you save significant money on your utility bills each year.

If your Aurora neighborhood has HOA community management from The Management Trust, you can get your home running efficiently and cost-effectively with the help of our Trust 360 program. This program serves to lessen the frustrations that come with being a homeowner by assisting you with the nagging to-do list of maintenance and repair services that are so regularly needed. Whether you need plumbing assistance, AC maintenance, or a general handyman, our Trust 360 program will help you get the job done and show you what excellent HOA community management is all about. For more information about our community association management services or the Trust 360 program, give us a call today at (303) 750-0994.

What to Do Before Moving Out of an HOA

/by

Moving is never an easy process, no matter where you live. From finding the right buyer and enduring escrow to packing up your belongings and coordinating move times, it can be an arduous process that leaves even professional movers unconfident. If you’ve decided to move to a different neighborhood or you’re planning to leave Tacoma altogether, there are some additional steps that will need to be taken before selling your home if you live within an HOA. Luckily, as an HOA community management firm with more than 30 years of industry expertise, we’re here to help you figure out exactly what you need to do before moving out of your HOA.

Inform Your HOA

Before you begin the process of listing your house for sale and searching for buyers, you’ll need to inform your HOA that you’re planning to move. Each HOA will likely have a unique procedural requirement for officially informing them, so it’s best to check your governing documents for any guidance on how to do this. Once they are informed, your HOA board can provide you with information about moving out that is specific to your community association. If you have any questions about moving out of your HOA, this is a great time to ask them before diving into the process.

Learn About Any Selling Requirements & Fees

Virtually every HOA has requirements or fees associated with selling your home. Selling requirements can range from a home inspection to a transfer document submission. There may also be special moving hours that you need to be aware of and/or schedule ahead of time. Additionally, there will likely be a fee for transferring ownership of your home. This can be a flat fee or an amount based on the selling price of the property, so be sure to find out all of this information in advance to be well prepared for what to expect.

Arrange for a Compliance Inspection

Although it is between the buyer and seller to arrange a home inspection, many HOAs require the seller to arrange for a compliance inspection as well. A compliance inspection is often conducted by the HOA’s architectural review board or management company, and they will assess the home to ensure that it is in compliance with the community’s CC&Rs. If there are any parts of the home that do not comply with community guidelines, such as a paint color or landscaping choice that isn’t permitted, this will need to be rectified before the seller can transfer ownership.

Disclose Your HOA to Potential Buyers

In order to ensure that you find the right buyer for your home and that escrow goes smoothly, it’s strongly recommended (and often required) that you disclose your HOA to any potential buyers. Concealing this information could result in the failure to sell due to issues with the HOA’s sale terms, the buyer’s bank loan, or other factors. Although being part of an HOA may turn away some buyers, it will attract many more and will help make sure that everyone is on the same page. Your sale needs to be completed according to your community association’s terms, and the buyer’s bank will likely need to know the cost of monthly dues before approving their mortgage loan.

If you’re ready to move out of your current Tacoma community, make sure that you know exactly what you need to do to make the move as smooth and painless as possible for everyone. If you have any questions, your HOA community management firm will be able to answer any and all questions relating to rules, regulations, and fees associated with moving out. To get in touch with The Management Trust regarding your Tacoma HOA, give us a call at (243) 472-0825. We have become an industry-leading HOA community management firm over the past 30 years because we consistently put our community members at the forefront of everything we do.

5 Security Measures to Keep Your Community Safer

/by

Residents’ safety and wellbeing is the top priority of any HOA and community association management firm. Tacoma homeowners want to feel secure inside their own homes, and there are steps that both residents and HOAs can take in order to ensure that the neighborhood stays as safe as possible. Here are five simple security measures that HOAs & HOA community management services can implement to keep their community safer. 

  1. Install Gates, Cameras, & Other Small Security Measures

One step that many HOAs implement from initial development is the inclusion of exclusive gated access. Having gated entrances with secure codes helps minimize the risk of unwanted intruders in the neighborhood. However, this is not a foolproof way to keep out trouble, so additional security measures such as motion lights and 24/7 security cameras can help thwart attacks and catch any crimes that are committed.

  1. Encourage Homeowners to Take Precautions

Security isn’t just achieved at the HOA level. Individual homeowners need to do their part to deter criminals as well. Have your community association management firm or HOA board members send out an email with tips for protecting their home. Make sure residents check that all windows are locked, all doors (including the garage door) are closed and locked, and all car windows are rolled up. Intruders look for easy access, so making your home as inaccessible and challenging to enter as possible will help keep away any trouble. You should also advise homeowners in your neighborhood to install video doorbells, such as Ring. These devices are affordable and easy to install, and they’ll help keep the whole neighborhood safer by making it easy to catch and report suspicious activity.

  1. Coordinate a Neighborhood Watch

Another way to get homeowners involved in protecting the community is by organizing a neighborhood watch. This can mean anything from organizing nightly patrols to simply having homeowners be more alert of suspicious activity. If residents know who their neighbors are, what cars they drive, and usual traffic patterns, then they’ll be able to report anything that may raise a red flag. Being able to identify and report suspicious activity quickly will help to deter potential criminals more effectively.

  1. Hire a Private Security Company

If it’s within your HOA’s budget, speak to your community association management firm about hiring a private security company. Private security will help better protect your residents by cataloging and restricting who has access to your community through gate attendance or catching criminals in the act through routine patrols. What level of security your HOA has the funds for will vary greatly, but any kind of dedicated security force will go a long way in keeping your community safer.

  1. Build a Strong Relationship with Local Law Enforcement

Despite your best efforts, it is still possible that a home in your community may be breached. If this occurs, it’s important to have a good relationship with local law enforcement. Cultivating a personal relationship with your local police chief or sheriff and supporting police events will establish goodwill and earn you appreciation that you can utilize for any emergencies later down the line. Having a clear line of communication already established will also help save time and confusion in the event that you do need emergency assistance from local police.

If you’re looking to implement additional security measures for your Tacoma HOA, The Management Trust’s community management services can help you. Turn to our trusted vendors list to find a private security service that will go the extra mile, or speak to our team about recommendations for common and effective HOA security measures. As the HOA community management experts, we have a wealth of knowledge that your board can utilize in order to optimize your community’s security plan. Give us a call today at (253) 472-0825 to find out more.

How Can My HOA Help to Prevent COVID-19?

/by

The new age of social distancing is presenting unique challenges for community associations and their residents each day in Aurora. Living in a close proximity and sharing common amenities can bring up worries surrounding the spread of COVID-19 that HOAs couldn’t have anticipated just a few months ago. All around the country, HOAs and their community management services are working together to figure out the best practices for protecting residents from COVID-19 and flattening the curve in their area. Here are a few ways that your community association can do its part to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in your neighborhood.

Emphasize Social Distancing for Residents

It’s important that everyone stays in their homes as much as possible in order to remain safe. While many homeowners are taking this seriously, there will likely be a select few who prefer to venture out. In order to keep everyone as safe as possible, cancel or postpone all organized events in your community. Encouraging people to stay at home and not giving them an opportunity to mingle will help set a good example and prevent the spread of COVID-19 within your neighborhood. 

Close Common Areas

Along those same lines of encouraging self-isolation, it’s advised that you close all common areas possible during this time. If your HOA has a pool, gym, basketball court, playground, or any other amenities that encourage group activity, close these down in order to deter any residents from violating stay at home orders. It may be an unpopular step, but it’s one that needs to be taken if you want to keep everyone in your community association safe. If your HOA has a large park or field, it’s up to you to decide whether or not to close it. You may restrict hours or assign someone to supervise the area. If the area is big enough that people won’t be in close proximity to one another, it will likely be okay to keep amenities like these open.

Clean Common Areas More Frequently

If you do decide to keep your facilities open, it’s crucial that you regularly disinfect high traffic areas. Clean each facility more extensively at the end of each day than you normally would, and wipe down common areas such as desks, door handles, and public restroom surfaces every hour. The more frequently and the more thoroughly you clean an area, the safer it will be for other residents. 

Install Disinfecting Stations

Similarly, make sure that residents have access to disinfecting materials by installing hand sanitizer and hand wipe dispensers wherever possible. Posting this by the entrance to common areas that remain open will help ensure that everyone in your community is doing their part to keep things safe and sanitary. 

Hold Virtual Meetings

It’s likely that you’ll still need to hold just as many HOA meetings during this time, if not more of them. In order to comply with social distancing measures and keep everyone safe, take things digital and switch to video conferencing for your board meetings. Apps like Zoom, Skype, and Google Hangouts are perfect for professional conferencing purposes. It’s important to lead by example, so remaining at home and conducting business over the phone or computer will be in everyone’s best interest while still allowing you to get the job done.

Before taking any drastic steps, be sure to have your HOA board consult with medical, legal, and insurance professionals. The Management Trust’s community management services can help you establish appropriate objectives and execute them as efficiently as possible. We manage more than 1,500 communities nationwide, including in Aurora, so we have the expertise to proactively implement any precautions you feel are necessary to best protect your community association. 

Signs That Your Property Needs to Be Touched Up

/by

One of the biggest reasons that homeowners choose to live in an HOA is because of the consistent, high property values. When you purchase property in a community association, you can be confident that your property value will be stable for years to come. However, this is largely due to the rules put in place that require all property owners to keep their homes in pristine condition. If you own or manage a property in a Tacoma HOA, you’ll need to call a handyman or trusted vendor if you notice any of the following signs that your property needs to be touched up.

  1. Faded or Peeling Paint

Over the course of several years, the power of the sun’s UV rays can cause your home’s exterior paint to fade. This unevenness in paint color can affect your home’s curb appeal, warranting either a touch-up or a completely new paint job. Areas with a lot of rain or moisture can also cause homes to suffer from peeling paint over time. If these issues arise in your property, it’s likely time to call a professional painter. Touching up your property’s paint job is a relatively small task that can make a major difference in the overall appearance of the home.

  1. Cracked Bricks or Concrete

Cracked bricks or cracked concrete are inevitable signs of wear for any building. However, most HOAs will require you to repair or replace cracked bricks as soon as they’re noticed. Letting the number of cracked or chipped bricks pile up as you put off repairs will decrease your home’s curb appeal and, eventually, its property value. The same goes for extensive cracks in concrete or stone pathways outside the home. If you notice any of these issues, it’s best to fix them before they become noticeable or significant. 

  1. Overgrown or Dead Plant Life

If you have tall grass or dead plants, you’ll want to call in a landscaper as soon as possible. Many HOAs have restrictions dictating how tall your grass can grow or how your plants must look. If you fail to maintain these regulations, you may be charged additional fees on top of still needing to call a landscaper to rectify the issue. 

  1. Mildew

If you notice any mildew around the perimeter of your home or in the basement, you’ll need to have it power-washed as soon as you can. Mildew is caused by the accumulation of water, so plumbing issues or even just the wet weather itself can cause this. In order to thoroughly eliminate any mildew and associated health hazards, powerwash and repaint the area. 

  1. Consistent Plumbing Issues

Not all issues are merely external. Your building’s plumbing, HVAC, and other systems should also be serviced regularly to ensure that they are operating at peak performance. If constant plumbing issues seem to be a problem, you may want to have a trusted plumbing service come out and check the entire building for any issues, big or small. Even small things that appear negligible could grow to become major safety hazards if they’re left unrepaired.

If you’re part of a Tacoma community association, it’s of the utmost importance to have a list of local vendors that you can trust to do great work. Here at The Management Trust, we elevate HOA community management by offering our Trust 360 program. This program serves to lessen the frustrations that come with being a homeowner by assisting you with the nagging to-do list of maintenance and repair services that are so regularly needed. No matter what part of your home needs touching up, our Trust 360 program can help you get the job done quickly and to your full satisfaction. For more information about our community association management services or Trust 360, give us a call today at (253) 472-0825.

Qualities Every Great HOA Board Member Should Have

/by

Every Aurora homeowners association is unique, and so, too, are the board members representing it. Having a diverse range of personalities and backgrounds enables your board to best represent such a diverse group of homeowners. However, there are several qualities that all strong HOA board members will have in common.

  1. Leadership Skills

As a community association board member, you’re a leader of your community. To be entrusted with this responsibility, you must display clear leadership skills such as positivity, responsibility, and the ability to clearly and effectively communicate. A strong leader also knows that they don’t know everything. An HOA board is composed of several different community members that must all work together, so being able to graciously defer or delegate to others who may have more relevant skills is a sign of a good leader and a great HOA board member.

  1. Love of Community

Being an HOA board member means dedicating a substantial amount of time and hard work to improving your neighborhood. This kind of commitment is no small task, so any homeowners association board member should love their community and want to attend every meeting and community event that they can. 

  1. People Skills

One of the biggest aspects of being a board member is growing relationships with your neighbors. Whether it’s providing answers to a community member’s HOA-related question or just chatting with the family next door, consistently providing positive interactions will build trust and personalize your community’s leadership. If residents know and like their HOA board on a personal level, disputes will be easier to resolve and your community will be a more enjoyable place to live overall.

  1. Honesty & Integrity

As an elected official, HOA board members are being trusted by their community members to represent their best interests. However, you also need to be able to abide by local laws and restrictions, even if you don’t agree with them. Balancing these responsibilities requires someone who is always honest and fair. Strong personal integrity will help you to navigate the difficult decisions that sometimes need to be made as an HOA board member. 

  1. Ability to See the Big Picture

The HOA board is constantly working to improve their community for the future, and this often includes making long-term plans for the neighborhood. As a board member, you should be able to visualize the growth of your community and the hypothetical plans needed in the coming years to make this happen. It’s always important to focus on the present-day issues, but working to bring future goals to fruition is just as important for community success.

  1. Ability to Ask for Help

All good leaders, no matter how knowledgeable, should be able to ask for help when they need it. No one can do everything themselves, and sometimes even the full HOA board can be limited in what they can accomplish without assistance. Utilizing HOA community management services is a great way to reach your community’s full potential. Consulting an expert on any matter⁠—whether it’s legal, financial, or managerial⁠—will give you a unique perspective from a trained professional and help your community operate more successfully in the long run.

If your Aurora community association is in need of community management services, consider The Management Trust. As the only 100% employee-owned HOA community management firm in the country, we offer a unique perspective that puts individual community members at the forefront of everything we do. Your community’s success is our top priority, and we’ll always do everything in our power to help your Aurora neighborhood grow. If you’d like to find out more about our community management services, give us a call today at (303) 750-0994.