How To Avoid Conflict with Your Owners Over Architectural Guidelines

I heard the news story over the weekend - a Tustin woman is embroiled in a battle with her HOA over garage doors she installed...without seeking architectural approval. Her defense? She's made other alterations to the exterior of her home over the years without hearing from the HOA, according to The OC Register.

This story is repeated in HOAs every day, and is an enormous source of conflict and grief for both homeowners and Management alike. Management or the Board gets stuck telling owners they have to remove or replace brand new, often beautiful and costly improvements to their homes, and are always "the bad guys" in this rules enforcement situation. Owners comply grudgingly once they understand the architectural guidelines and approval process, but have a mistrust of the association going forward; or they fight the association, filing a lawsuit which costs the association time and money to resolve.

There HAS to be a better way!

My epiphany over the weekend was simple, and one that I hope communities consider putting into practice. Communicate with your residents frequently about the architectural guidelines and process to get approval for modifications. There are many ways to educate the community, and it can be fun!

1. Host periodic community talks about how to apply for a renovation. Invite the Architectural Committee to host the meeting and if you have one, ask the Architect that reviews submittals on behalf of the association to do a Q&A.
2. Leverage your Board and residents' new love of Zoom and host virtual seminars about the community's architectural guidelines.
3. Have residents who have recently completed an approved project share with their neighbors about the process.
4. Pick a theme each month, such as hard-surface flooring replacements, landscape renovation, painting, garage door replacement (too soon?) and ask local third party vendors who work for HOAs and specialize in those trades give tips to residents interested in doing work on their home.
5. Review your architectural guidelines annually. Ask if they still make sense! Evaluate whether rules are being uniformly applied and enforced. Be sure the guidelines are clear and easy for your residents to understand.

My hope for Boards and Community Managers is the more you educate your residents about the architectural guidelines of your community, the less you will have to fight with them over alterations made without approval. Spare yourself the time and the headache and build a positive rapport with the community!