Improving Homeowner Satisfaction with HOAs: Communication Matters
A recent survey by Frontdoor (https://frontdoor.com/) found that 70% of American homeowners would prefer living in a community without a Homeowners Association, and 63% wouldn’t recommend buying a home in one. While these numbers seem high to me (see CAI’s comprehensive Homeowner Satisfaction Survey,) the survey itself highlights common frustrations. Many homeowners want the perks of an HOA—like maintained amenities and property standards—but don’t want to pay for it. Shocker, right?
So, what’s the root of the dissatisfaction? It usually comes down to concerns about money, rules enforcement, and communication (or lack thereof). The good news? HOAs can address these issues by focusing on clear, consistent, and transparent communication. Let’s dive into some practical tips for you and your Boards.
1. Money: Transparency Around Dues and Spending
The Challenge: Rising HOA dues and unclear spending are frequent complaints. Homeowners want to know where their money goes and why increases are needed.
How to Build Trust: ? Share the financials: Provide clear breakdowns of where funds are allocated, like maintenance, landscaping, and reserves. Clearly delineate where there have been changes in expenses.
? Explain Reserves: Show why having reserve funds is vital to good financial stewardship by avoiding surprise special assessments in the future.
? Highlight Value: Compare HOA costs to what homeowners would pay individually for services like pool maintenance or landscaping. Most owners don’t think about what they would pay for comparable services/amenities being provided by their HOA.
? Discuss Dues Changes Early: Give plenty of notice and explain the reasons behind increases.
Ways to Communicate:
? Send regular newsletters or emails with financial updates. ? Hold town halls or budget workshops for open discussions. ? Share easy-to-read quarterly or semi-annual financial reports.
2. Rules Enforcement: Fairness and Clarity The Challenge: Many homeowners feel rules are enforced inconsistently or too strictly.
How to Build Understanding:
? Be Consistent: Ensure rules are applied equally (I can’t emphasize this enough: Nothing creates ill-will faster than the Board being perceived as ‘playing favorites’ or simply being unable to apply standards consistently. No bueno).
? Share the “Why”: For instance, “Parking rules ensure emergency vehicles can access homes.”
? Show Flexibility: Discuss exceptions or accommodations for special circumstances.
? Keep Residents Updated: Notify homeowners about new rules or changes. Ways to Communicate:
? Create a clear and friendly “Resident Handbook.”
? Send periodic reminders about common rules and why they matter. ? Host Q&A sessions or surveys to gather feedback.
3. Communication: Timely and Accessible Updates The Challenge: Poor communication leaves homeowners feeling out of the loop.
How to Stay Connected:
? Share decisions made at board meetings, like budgets or project updates.
? Provide details about upcoming projects, including costs and timelines.
? Ensure everyone knows how to contact the board or management team.
Ways to Communicate:
? Use your HOA website or portal with updates and important documents. ? Use email or social media for quick updates.
? Send monthly or quarterly newsletters with key community info.
? Respond promptly to homeowner questions or concerns.
? Always be a community advocate to homeowners. Speak with owners willingly, be open and honest and share as much information as you can. People will be much quicker to come to your side if they feel you’re telling them the truth, face-to-face.
Building a Positive HOA Reputation In addition to tackling frustrations, it’s important to highlight the good things your HOA brings to the community.
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Tips to Build Goodwill:
? Celebrate Wins: Share completed projects or cost-saving efforts.
? Get Residents Involved: Host fun events like block parties or holiday celebrations.
? Ask for Feedback: Use surveys and encourage attendance at board meetings.
? Be Transparent: Show how and why decisions are made to build trust.
? Say “thank you” to volunteers at every turn, in meetings, in the newsletter and on the website. Appreciating your folks, publicly, builds good will and positivity.
When homeowners feel informed, valued, and heard, their perception of the HOA improves.
Tackling Economic Challenges: Rising Costs Inflation, labor shortages, and rising insurance premiums are driving up HOA costs, especially in states like Florida and California, where weather events add extra challenges.
How to Explain These Issues:
? Rising Costs: For example, “Landscaping costs increased by 15% due to labor shortages and fuel prices.”
? Insurance Challenges: Discuss factors like hurricane premiums in Florida or wildfire risks in California.
? Cost Control Efforts: Share how the HOA is working to manage expenses.
? Future Planning: Highlight the importance of reserves and proactive budgeting.
Ways to Communicate:
? Publish an annual “Economic Impact Report.”
? Discuss cost-saving measures at board meetings or town halls.
? Compare HOA costs to similar communities to provide context.
Tailoring Your Approach for Different Communities Different neighborhoods have unique financial pressures, and your communication should reflect that.
For Less Affluent Communities:
? Show empathy for financial concerns. For example, “We understand rising costs are challenging, and we’re working to minimize the impact.”
? Offer payment flexibility, like monthly options. ? Emphasize how HOA efforts protect property values.
For Affluent Communities:
? Frame dues as investments in premium amenities and property values. ? Share detailed updates about how funds are used.
Leveraging Technology to Improve Communication Modern tools can make communication easier and more effective. AI platforms, for example, can help boards quickly create polished newsletters, emails, and updates.
Benefits of AI Tools:
? Save time for busy volunteers. ? Ensure messages are clear and professional. ? Keep communication consistent.
How to Use AI:
? Turn key points into homeowner-friendly updates. ? Generate articles, FAQs, or summaries. ? Review and customize outputs for accuracy and tone.
The Bottom Line:
Homeowners are more likely to support their HOA when they understand its value and feel informed. By addressing economic challenges and dissatisfaction through proactive, transparent communication, HOA boards can foster a stronger, more connected community.
c. 2025 Julie Adamen Adamen Inc. all rights reserved
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President/Community Manager at Portland Metro Community Management LLC
1 个月Great article, Julie. I think that much of the time, it comes down to having a good board and good management. Unfortunately, there's a lot of negative press for HOA's and condos on social media, and most of the stories are the horror stories and people comment negatively. On the other hand... I have a community where the bank foreclosed on a home, an investor purchased it (the mortgage wasn't all that big relative to the home values - about 1/3; so the price was bid up sufficiently for the HOA to recover all their funds. The investor cleaned things up and did repairs and is selling at the market price. The listing information includes: "Straightforward and reasonable HOA." Overall, it's a success story.
Using my legal and business experience to help management company owners get to their next chapter.
1 个月Great article with good practical suggestions.