Homeowners Associations and Impacts of COVID

Homeowners Association Rules and Impacts of COVID

Do you live in a community that is under a Homeowner Association (HOA)? If so, you’re part of approximately 25% of the US population.

Whatever the reason you ended up in a community with an HOA, you expect that they fulfill their fiduciary duties even in times of emergencies. In the case of the newest coronavirus, some HOAs were granted emergency powers to make decisions that are in the best interest of the residents of the community.

Keep reading to learn more about how homeowner’s association rules have changed since the COVID-19 pandemic.

Community Response

Homeowners association bylaws lay out the rules of the HOA in regards to regular operations such as meetings, duties, member voting rights, and how the community operates.

In response to COVID-19, the HOA board members have had to look to the surrounding areas when developing the community response to the virus.

Factors to Consider

What are the factors HOA board members need to consider making new rules to prevent the community spread of COVID?

• How many common areas are in the community?
• How many at-risk residents live in the community?
• How prevalent is the virus in the surrounding town or county?

When an emergency develops, new rules go into effect but should be flexible enough to change as the threat of the disease changes.

Changes to the Rules and Policies

When an illness becomes widespread, HOAs react by doing what they can to keep the disease from spreading. Let’s take a look at some of the changes to the community.

• Stepping up cleaning procedures to include disinfecting common areas and surfaces.
• Temporarily closing gyms, pools, playgrounds, clubhouses, and HOA offices.
• Postponing or canceling community events like concerts or markets that are normally held in common areas.
• Holding board meetings over zoom rather than in-person.
• Placing hand sanitizer stations around the community.

In addition to these changes, the HOA should remind homeowners to take the steps the CDC deems necessary to keep themselves healthy.

Communication with Residents

Because it is unwise to hold meetings in which residents and board members normally attend, it is imperative to keep the residents informed of any changes.

Emails, letters, phone calls, and special announcements on social media pages are all effective ways to keep the community informed of any changes in the community. The only way to expect compliance is to make sure everyone is aware of the new emergency policies.

Check Your Homeowner’s Association Website

Now that you know the reason behind the latest homeowner’s association rules due to the COVID-19 pandemic, you will better understand the new policies in the neighborhood.

If you have questions about HOA management or the responsibilities of being a homeowner in one of our communities, please contact us.

We pride ourselves on providing our Arizona HOA communities with excellent customer service and the resources they need. We are here to assist with delinquent assessments due to COVID. Our collections team is on standby to help.