How To Use HOA Fees to Maintain Your Community

Updated March 29, 2022.

You've probably heard from residents within your homeowners association with questions about what their HOA fees pay for. One of the biggest ways more community associations use regular dues is to maintain the community. 

If you're unsure how to apply fees collected from residents or what homeowners like to see from an excellent HOA, our community management experts have pulled some information together for board members. Keeping amenities and buildings in excellent condition is critical for a thriving community, so prioritizing maintenance is one of the best ways to maximize budgets and homeowners association fees.

What Kind of Maintenance Does Your Community Need?

Whether you have a condo association or a neighborhood with single-family homes or townhomes, keeping communal spaces looking nice and in good working order is critical to keep residents happy and attract new homeowners. Depending on the type of property management you also offer to homeowners or condo owners, monthly HOA fees dues could go toward covering the costs of a property management company.

Common Maintenance Uses for HOA Management Fees

Landscaping and trash pick-up are obvious uses for HOA management fees, but there are some other developmental ways to use the fees that can benefit the look and feel of your community. Here are a few ideas:

• Pet waste trash cans and bags. Homeowners or condo owners with pets must follow community rules for picking up after their animals. One way to help them keep communal areas clean is to provide bags and cans for pet waste.  

• Parking spaces and cement paint to renew old spaces. Parking can be a valuable amenity for residents living in your neighborhood or using pools, tennis courts, and other amenities as part of the HOA. Use revenue from fees to create more parking spaces, repave a parking lot, or repaint stripes to show the quality or the features of your buildings or neighborhood. 

• Playground cleaning. Even if community playgrounds are newly-installed, keeping them clean and well-maintained is an excellent use of association dues. As these resources age, homeowners association HOA should also stay up to date with necessary repairs to equipment safe for children and families. 

• Repairs (vandalism or wear-and-tear). In a perfect world, no one would ever intentionally cause damage in your community. However, despite security measures and a positive environment, sometimes vandalism happens. Even without intentional damage, association boards must keep up with repairs for wear-and-tear to buildings, signs, and other aspects of the neighborhood. 

• Utilities. Keeping communal areas well-maintained is only part of keeping up with their ongoing needs. HOA fees should also cover utility costs to keep building and walkways lighted, water flowing to the pool, landscaping sprinkler systems, and facility bathrooms. 

• Insurance. Insuring properties and resources helps reduce costs when something goes wrong. Whether it's an unexpected repair or a liability lawsuit from broken playground equipment, having homeowners association insurance coverage is a critical aspect of maintaining the community.  

• Contingency funds for unforeseen expenses. Repairs can sometimes exceed annual budgeted costs for routine upkeep. When HOA dues are well-planned, associations can build up a reserve fund to cover additional necessary costs as they come up. 

• Staff. From property managers to lifeguards for the swimming pool and other community caretakers, HOA fees fund staffing needs to maintain the neighborhood and buildings. 

For any expenditures or community services mentioned above, condominium association managers must make sure the board has a thorough and transparent system for budgeting and accounting for all expenses.

Keep Homeowners Association Members Informed About Ongoing Management Fees

Keeping HOA members informed about budget items and how their fees maintain the community is an excellent way to prevent frequent questions. Some excellent ways to be transparent and forthcoming with information about the budget and monthly management fees include:

• Publishing monthly, quarterly, or annual reports to a secure website for homeowners to access. 

• Hold regular meetings with homeowners to talk through upcoming projects, maintenance, or new budget items.

• Answer questions promptly.

• Report on maintenance progress and facility repairs while in progress and soon after completion. 

Helping homeowners see how the board puts their dues to work to maintain a safe, thriving community helps reduce the volume of questions or concerns about how fees are spent. 

Partner With a Professional HOA Management Company

HOA and condo association boards don't have to worry about frustrated homeowners or questions about the HOA management fee with professional community management services. Community managers help homeowners association boards set fees at the ideal amount and accurately allocate funds when most needed. With the support of professional managers, communities feel good about the dues they pay and how they're put to work! 

If your board could use financial support or full management services, Trestle Community Management is here! We deliver a range of services to homeowners associations, condo associations, large-scale communities, active-adult communities, and home developers. Whether you're starting a new association or your existing HOA could benefit from expert insights, reach out and learn more about our services!

Learn more about operating a successful HOA! Download our free ebook, "Best Practices for HOA Operations: A Checklist."