Pet Rules, Parking Fines, and Pool Hours: The HOA Info You Need at Your Fingertips

Key Takeaways

• A managed condo’s CC&Rs bring structure to the community by defining rules, policies, and violation procedures. 
• Condo HOAs cut down on disputes by providing transparency around community rules and making CC&Rs easily accessible to everyone. 
• Condo management software makes it easy for COAs to communicate changes to CC&Rs so residents understand their responsibilities. 
• Automated violation management supports easy fine rectification and record keeping. 

Community rules set the foundation for high-quality living in managed condominiums. All residents have a shared responsibility to abide by these rules and accept the consequences if they break them. For this to work, the COA must execute effective condo management that unifies all residents in their understanding of what’s acceptable and what results in violations. 

Providing access to the condo’s rules and regulations sounds easy enough. However, if part of your COA’s process includes storing documents on the office computer and sending out hard copies, it’s likely some residents won’t have a solid grasp of the rules. Misunderstandings and disputes are soon to follow. 

If you’re a COA volunteer, consider swapping the board’s outdated methods with condo management software can bring clarity to the community. 

The Importance of Transparent Community Rules 

Community amenities, free maintenance, a consistent aesthetic, and a built-in social atmosphere appeal to residents of all life stages—professionals, young families, and retirees alike. 

Covenants, Conditions, and Restrictions (CC&Rs) are the governing documents that establish living standards in a managed community and help establish their personality. They define rules, policies, and enforcement procedures. Self managed condo associations use CC&Rs as the framework by which they employ equitable governance over the community. 

There’s one catch—CC&Rs only work if all residents understand them and boards consistently enforce them. The COA needs to keep them up-to-date and ensure residents and the board have easy access to them at all times. 

This level of transparency comes with plenty of benefits.

• Adherence to rules on parking, pets, shared amenities, and noise restrictions fosters respect and trust in the community. 
• Setting and enforcing standards for the appearance and maintenance of the community helps maintain or increase property values. 
• CC&Rs support quick dispute resolution while bringing fairness and consistency to the enforcement process.  
• Residents understand their financial responsibilities upfront, reducing the chance of surprise and frustration over violation fees. 
• Rules support the daily upkeep of shared spaces and amenities, improving the quality of life in the community. 

If your COA receives a constant stream of questions regarding your CC&Rs or you notice frequent violations, there’s a good chance your residents need more guidance. The right condo management software helps you provide easy access to the CC&Rs without adding to your workload. 

A Single Source of Truth

Residents of managed communities typically review CC&Rs before they sign a lease or buy a condo (or at least skim it). They receive a copy when they move in as well. Too often, these copies end up in the digital graveyard of residents’ emails or in a drawer with other “important” documents. 

CC&Rs are exhaustive. In addition to condo rules, they include due dates for monthly fees, maintenance request procedures, and architectural standards. There’s no way residents can (or should) commit them to memory. The COA needs to support the community by maintaining an updated, easy-to-read, and easy-to-access version of the rules.

The right condo management software offers flexible document storage and file-sharing capabilities. This lets you house and control the master version of the CC&Rs. If a resident has a question about the rules, the answer is a few clicks away. 

Consolidated Community Communication

If a resident receives a violation for breaking a rule they didn’t know existed, the COA can expect a dispute. The best way to avoid this is by immediately updating the community when a change to the CC&Rs goes into effect. 

If your COA still makes announcements using physical notices, some of them may end up in the trash or a junk drawer. Announcing the changes via newsletters and emails is better, but you still risk some level of oversight. 

Many COAs now use condo management software to support multi-channel communication. These tools promote full transparency by allowing you to reach residents in several ways while reducing your workload. 

• Trackable emails: Software made specifically for COAs allows you to send bulk emails to the whole community or specific groups. Tracking features let you know who opened them and if they clicked any links. 
• Text alerts: Sending mass texts is quick and easy with condo management software. Notify residents of changes and encourage them to review the new CC&Rs right away. 
• Phone call automation: Schedule automated phone calls to residents instead of spending hours manually dialing numbers.  
• Community message boards: Creating a message board lets you send announcements about rule changes in real-time. This allows residents to ask questions and get feedback from the board or their neighbors. 
• Resident portals: Share changes to the CC&Rs to each resident’s online portal in seconds. 

The right software allows you to conduct community surveys to determine which methods of communication residents prefer. Use the results to fine-tune your communication strategy so you reach each resident on the channel that’s most convenient for them. 

Efficient Violation Management 

Sending violation notices isn’t the most attractive part of volunteering for the COA, but it’s essential. Enforcing condo rules helps maintain the aesthetic of the community, keeps the property safe, and shows that the HOA holds everyone to the same quality standards. 

Your condo’s CC&Rs should clearly outline violation fines, how they’re administered, and due dates. The board also needs a reliable system for managing violations and collecting fees. This reduces the chance of confusion and supports timely payment by residents. 

Condo management software automates this process by allowing you to create templated violation notices with status-tracking capabilities. Board members can review violations via a system dashboard, and residents can access their violations through their online portal. 

COA software also keeps a record of every violation. Detailed violation records support dispute resolution, help the COA maintain legal compliance, and allow the board to pinpoint issues with the CC&Rs. Detailed reporting can help communities decide when rules need to be added or amended. 

When condo rules and violations are simple and transparent, residents are more likely to pay fines without complaints, or avoid them altogether. This makes for a more amicable community environment. 

Modernize Your Process With Condo Management Software 

The less time the COA and residents have to deal with condo rules, the better. CC&Rs exist for a reason, but they shouldn’t hang like a dark cloud over the community. 

If your HOA board spends much of its time answering questions about community rules, handling disputes, and tracking violations, it’s time for an upgrade. Implement condo management software that supports full transparency with user-friendly automation. Your residents will enjoy quick access to the CC&Rs, and your COA board will have more time to spend on improving life in the community. 

---

PayHOA offers an HOA management software solution for HOAs of any size or managerial priorities. To find out if PayHOA fits all your HOA management needs, try our software free for 30 days.