With the novel Coronavirus still being at large, HOA management teams everywhere have needed to change how they do things, and this may involve temporarily shutting down beloved amenities that, unfortunately, could foster transmission. As your community adjusts to the board’s new MO, though, you’re still left with the task of maintaining those amenities while they’re closed, which can be almost as big a job as keeping them open if you don’t know what you’re doing.
Contact Your Vendors for Situation-Specific Help
If, say, you’re working to keep a pool closed for the season, schedule a phone call with your preferred pool management company. If you’ve forged a good relationship with them, they should be more than happy to let you know how to go about keeping your amenities in tip-top shape during an extended offseason.
If they don’t, it’s time to find a new business partner, and fast! Check out Gassen’s list of preferred vendors for some inspiration.
What If the Vendor Is Too Expensive?
Nobody planned for the virus to stick around this long, so if you’re unable to maintain your amenities on your current budget, try not to beat yourself or your vendor up too much. In this case, you have a few options:
● Allocate community volunteers to do the maintenance
● Move money around and hope for the best
● Hire an accounting property management company to help you manage your maintenance funds
Overall, though all of these can fix the problem in the short-term, only the final item can stop it from happening again. Accounting property management services help to keep your finances light on their feet so that your HOA is ready for anything. Online property management services can help in this situation, too, by giving residents an easy way to pay amenity-saving dues.
Before Closing Amenities, Always Check Regulations
If worst comes to worst and you must remove a community amenity, don’t assume the board has absolute authority. In some HOAs, there are rules written into the bylaws that require residents to approve of the decision or that otherwise dictate how the process should play out. Stay out of legal trouble and be smart about your closure decisions! Contact property management services if your board needs advice on how to proceed.
Gassen Is Here to Help!
As your HOA management board strives to stay the course, don’t be afraid to reach out for help if you need it. Gassen, your local Eden Prairie provider of property management services, has got your back. Give us a call at 952-922-5575.