Frequently Asked Questions About HOA Common Areas
One of the biggest advantages of having a home within a community association is the common areas and shared amenities. Walking trails, sports fields, swimming pools, playgrounds, parks, and barbecue pits are just some of the many amenities popular in HOA neighborhoods. If you live in a homeowners association, part of your HOA dues go toward the operation and upkeep of these facilities, and you have access to them as a community member.
While common areas and amenities can be a major draw of living in an HOA, there can also often be confusion around what exactly qualifies as a common area as well as who has access to them, when they can be accessed, and whose responsibility it is to maintain specific areas. Here are just a few of the most frequently asked questions we receive about HOA common areas.
What Is Considered a Common Area?
Common areas refer to any portion of a community that is shared and enjoyed by all residents. These can vary depending on the community, but they typically include amenities such as parks, playgrounds, swimming pools, tennis courts, and clubhouses.
Common areas don’t exclusively refer to amenities, however. They can also include sidewalks, streets, parking lots, shared building hallways, and elevators. The areas that definitively aren’t considered common areas are properties owned by individual residents.
What Are the Common Area Rules?
Just like any other aspect of HOA living, common areas have rules and regulations in place to maintain their appearance, functionality, and safety. The specific rules will vary depending on the community, but they can all be found in your community association’s CC&Rs.
The most common rules for common areas include rules around hours of operation, smoking, guest policies, noise levels, and safety. There may also be general guidelines around the respectful use of common areas. Residents are expected to use common areas in a responsible and respectful manner, ensuring they are not damaged or defaced and remain safe and pleasant to use for all other residents.
Who Owns the Common Areas?
Common areas are owned by the HOA and, therefore, are equally owned by all homeowners within the community association. The dues that each homeowner pays go toward the maintenance and operation of common areas, so each homeowner has a stake in their community’s common areas.
Since homeowners equally own all common areas, they can vote on how the amenities and shared areas are used and cared for. If an individual homeowner has an issue regarding a common area, they should bring it up to their HOA board. The board can act on behalf of the community as a whole to rectify the situation or put it to a vote.
Who Is Responsible for Common Area Maintenance?
Although all homeowners equally own the common areas, maintenance and care of these areas is typically the responsibility of the HOA board. The board is responsible for creating a community maintenance calendar, completing routine inspections, scheduling upkeep and maintenance, hiring vendors to perform all upkeep, and ensuring enough reserve funds are set aside for the work.
An HOA board may take on all of these tasks themselves, or they may outsource to a professional HOA management company. Depending on the size of your community association, maintaining all common areas year-round can be a tall order, so having a partner that you can trust to handle it all is often a worthwhile investment for community associations.
Communities that utilize HOA management companies will often be better equipped to handle any common area issues and improve residents’ quality of life. For more information about community association management services, contact The Management Trust today. We serve more than 1,500 communities nationwide and have been an industry leader for more than 30 years.
