Helping Homeowners Follow the Rules in Your HOA
March 15, 2020
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It can be difficult to strike a balance between making sure homeowners follow the rules, and breeding ill will in the community because the board is seen as controlling and harsh. Whenever you have a problem with homeowners consistently breaking the association rules and regulations, it may be time to examine yourself and see what you could be doing better to help homeowners follow the rules in your HOA. Here are a few things that mem property management can suggest to improve in your community to make it as easy as possible for everyone to follow the rules. 

Keep the Rules Consistent

If the rules in your association have been changing on a regular basis lately, this may be the reason that residents are having a hard time following them. If changes to the rules are necessary, it is best to make the changes slowly to give everyone the chance to adjust.

Keep the Rules Simple

Rules that are too complex will be hard for the community to follow. Try looking through the rules and regulations to see if there are any that are especially complicated and see if you can simplify them to help out the homeowners.

Improve Enforcement

If you have been lax with the rules in the past, it is too much to expect everyone in the community to start following the rules. The change will have to start with the board. Focus on consistently enforcing the rules. After a time, your consistency will cause greater compliance. Making sure everyone’s house is up to date, including their decor. You can find affordable shades here if a homeowner is making the neighborhood looks bad.

Practice Good Communication

Homeowners who do not know the rules will have a hard time following them. Be sure to communicate effectively by sending emails, posting notices, and sending out the newsletter. The governing documents should also be made easily available through the website, and you can keep a copy of them in the office.

Enforce Impartially

Nothing is more frustrating to a community than rules that are irregularly or unfairly enforced. If one person experiences consequences for breaking a community rule, then everyone should be treated likewise. Treat everyone in the community the same, and you will see a rise in overall compliance.

Reexamine Problem Rules

It may be that a particular rule is unreasonable, written poorly in the governing documents, or altogether unnecessary. If you find that one of your rules is consistently broken by multiple residents, it may be time to examine the rule and either change it or get rid of it.

Although some infractions may be the result of unruly residents, most breaches of the governing documents can be solved by first looking at the behavior of the board. It is the board’s responsibility to set a good example for the rest of the community, and to ensure that it is encouraging correct actions through the way that it enforces rules, the way that it communicates with homeowners, and the way the rules are written. If you are having problems with dissenters, it is time to take a closer look at the board!

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