Homeowners associations are generally established to maintain the community; ensuring that all homeowner-members follow the CC&Rs and other regulations and by-laws to maintain community standards and protect property value. And as the gatekeeper of the community, homeowners associations must ensure that all common areas and public spaces and facilities are properly maintained at all times, not only for functionality or aesthetic purposes, but also for the homeowners’ safety. To maintain these areas, an HOA’s maintenance checklist usually has these four items on top of the list: 1. Exteriors and interiors of structures It’s important to check the integrity of the... Read more »

A lot of homeowners are in the dark with regard to their HOA’s responsibility in ensuring their safety and security in the community. In general, homeowners associations aren’t entirely responsible for their members’ safety and security; however, they are indeed responsible for keeping public spaces and common areas safe. If you’ve recently moved and it’s your first time to live in an HOA-regulated community, it would help to know at least the general safety measures that your HOA has taken to ensure that you can sleep soundly at night without worrying about your safety in your own home. For your... Read more »

Every homeowner’s association has its own set of CC&Rs and rules and regulations, and each one was designed to ensure that community standards will be strictly upheld and that homeowners can co-exist harmoniously. Additionally, HOA management guidelines are included in these rules and by-laws to help the HOA Board perform its duties. Within these CC&Rs and rules are regulations on home maintenance that every homeowner must follow, which also covers home improvements and renovation. If you are a homeowner looking to renovate your home, it is strongly advised that you seek prior approval from your HOA to ensure that work... Read more »

Properties in a developed community, whether a multi-family building or a gated community with single-family units are usually governed by a homeowners association; that is, these properties must be managed and maintained by their respective homeowners based on the guidelines and regulations mandated by the HOA’s CC&Rs and by-laws. But just as each homeowner is expected to maintain both the interior and exterior of their property, the HOA also has a responsibility to maintain the exteriors of the community. Doing so not only ensures that community standards are upheld but also to make the community more appealing to potential home... Read more »

If you’re considering a rental property that belongs to an HOA-regulated community, you should take the time to go over the HOA’s Covenant, Conditions, and Restrictions (CC&Rs) before signing the lease because there might be a couple of stipulations or regulations that you won’t feel comfortable living with. You should also read the fine print on the lease contract regarding HOA dues because you could be paying annual membership that your landlord already covers. In any case, it pays to go over the lease contract and HOA regulations as this ensure a smooth moving-in process and an even smoother residency... Read more »