One particular stereotype about HOA management arguably discourages incoming residents more than others: HOAs are tyrannical and fussy.
As a board, then, you’re probably working hard to prove this stereotype wrong, even if it’s a false generalization in the first place. You want residents to feel unfettered, happy, and relaxed in your neighborhood, which may have led your board to be a tad lenient on rule enforcement. As long as the community is happy, you’re doing a great job in your position, right? You can handle some late dues.
We at Gassen are totally on board with you when it comes to boosting resident satisfaction. Creating a happy place to live is the point of an HOA, after all! However, we also know that sticking to your rules is an integral part of what creates genuine HOA happiness in the first place, and that an HOA sans regulations is a recipe for disorganized, anarchic disaster.
How HOA Rules Better Your Community
Community members depend on the board and property management services to create that aforementioned happy environment through concrete, decisive action. Letting things be unconditionally is doing a disservice to your neighborhood.
Be Firm, Yet Willing to Negotiate Special Cases
Rules encourage everyone in your community to behave in a way that’s respectful and courteous. If they don’t, rules ensure that there will be consequences for disrupting the contentment your community has worked so hard to create. However, too-harsh regulations also disrupt that contentment for obvious reasons.
Walking the middle ground between the two approaches is the best way to ensure your community’s long-term happiness because...
It helps to maintain your HOA’s financial situation.
While practicing understanding is, of course, important, letting items such as dues slide for too long means that your HOA no longer can count on having the funds it needs to provide residents with a high quality of life.
It keeps property values high.
HOAs work to protect property values in many ways, but one of those is standardizing a neighborhood appearance. Letting residents break those rules can ruin this safety net and lead to plummeting home values.
It keeps the neighborhood clean and tidy.
If residents could just throw trash wherever they wanted or grossly neglect their landscaping, your community would certainly turn ugly. (And living in a poorly cared-for environment, of course, will tank resident satisfaction.)
Contact Gassen Today for Smart HOA Help!
Having trouble walking the line between firm and controlling? Need tools with which to run your HOA? Gassen can help. No matter if you need full management, online property management, or even accounting property management, our Eden Prairie team can provide.
Give us a call today at 952-922-5575!