An HOA board member is a person who devotes a great deal of time and resources to the community. You are not a passive observer destined to pass judgment without doing anything. Being in a position of power involves certain responsibilities. As one of your duties, you are responsible for ensuring your association is run fairly and successfully.
Here is how to access broken or damaged amenities within your HOA. In this article, you’ll learn how to inform homeowners of the needed renovations and repairs quickly. And also how to manage vendors, bids and see the maintenance through to completion.
Responsibilities of an HOA
The HOA is responsible for the maintenance and upkeep of common areas (areas of the community that are accessible to all residents). Home Owner Association Board Members can repair damages, and HOA managers can upgrade amenities to improve safety and aesthetics.
It is not necessary for homeowners to repair the HVAC system in the community’s clubhouse or to fix a broken window in the fitness room. This falls on the shoulders of the HOA to handle.
One of the HOA board members will have to receive bids from contractors to conduct the necessary repairs. Usually, this responsibility falls to the board treasurer since they are responsible for maintaining the finances for the community.
HOAs are also responsible for the maintenance of walkways, sidewalks, and entrances. As well as the community pool, parks, and other communal properties. In addition, they keep up with the landscaping in communal areas. The HOA usually does landscape maintenance if they manage a condo or townhouse complex.
Fixing Boken Amenities
When it comes to regular maintenance and repairs of HOA amenities, such as a pool, the responsibility falls on the HOA. Not only must amenities be fixed and maintained within reasonable time frames, but homeowners need transparency.
The community residents need to know exactly what amenities are in disrepair. They also need to know exactly how much of the budget is allocated to repairs. All repairs and maintenance need to be overseen to completion as well.
Notifying Homeowners
Most HOA managers have homeowner notifications sent by mail. This is still a widely accepted method of letting homeowners know when amenities will be closed for maintenance or repair. It’s also good to send notifications when amenities like the pool or clubhouse are reopened.
Some Homeowners Associations will have social media accounts as other ways of keeping the homeowners informed. This is a great idea to have as a secondary means of notification, as many people don’t expect paper mail much these days.
As well as the notification of amenity closure, HOA Managers should notify homeowners of how much repairs will cost or estimate. Homeowners, of course, have the right to know the numbers involved in the community budget. These are posted for homeowners’ reference and are another place to keep open transparency concerning fixing community amenities.
Managing Vendors & Bids
Choosing the right HOA vendor becomes one of the biggest challenges for associations. By not being careful, HOAs can spend unnecessary funds from their allotted budgets on cheaper expenses elsewhere.
Most HOAs will have a list of vendors for their amenities at the ready. Sometimes, given past experiences, vendors need to be reevaluated. Or new vendors introduced.
Concerning repairs, HOA managers can optimize resources by HOAs if contracts with existing vendors are carefully reviewed. HOA management should also carefully negotiate contracts with new vendors.
Hiring Vendors
It is up to you to get quotes from multiple vendors in order to find the best price for your HOA. To gain an idea of the competitive price in the market, you should obtain prices from three different vendors at least.
Without engaging multiple vendors, you could miss out on a tremendous opportunity to save money. The vendor should be able to balance high quality with an affordable price. Your community’s residents will appreciate your efforts to not waste money.
You should speak with two former clients of any vendor you hire. It is imperative that you determine whether they have experience managing communities of your size and whether their services are of sufficient quality.
Consider it a red flag if a company does not provide you with this information. You can be confident that a vendor with excellent references will provide a high level of service and improve the quality of life in your community.
Verify the credentials, licenses, and insurance of any vendors you are considering based on the services you need. Do not deal with any vendor or vendor-supplier who refuses to provide you with the information required.
Transparency is an essential characteristic of the ideal vendor. Upon finding a vendor who readily provides you with this information, your HOA should consider working with them if their pricing matches yours.
Managing Bids
Most people believe that putting a project out to bid can achieve due diligence by selecting the lowest bidder. Selecting the lowest bid sometimes doesn’t get you the best performance. The Board’s duties include finding reasonable prices on behalf of the HOA, reviewing responses, and comparing qualifications.
Choose not the most cost-effective bid but the best quality bid.
See Repairs Through
The homeowners association owes its homeowners the trust and satisfaction that community issues are dealt with appropriately.
The board, or HOA manager, should keep tabs on projects until they are completed. This means keeping up with contractors and updating the community on results. If there are delays, keep your homeowners informed.
Make sure all vendors and contractors are also paid on time. This instills trust not only in vendors but homeowners as well.
Partner with a reputable HOA management company
It’s tough and time-consuming to manage an HOA on your own. Getting an HOA management company will relieve your board members of their responsibilities and improve the quality of life for everyone. You’ll realize how badly you missed this opportunity when your community starts running smoothly.
To receive a proposal, please get in touch with Silvercreek Association Management today.
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