How Association Boards Should Handle Complaints About HOA Fees

Updated February 8, 2022

When community association boards receive complaints about HOA management fees, what should they do? Homeowners buy properties in your community knowing that they must pay dues to live in the neighborhood. However, complaints about HOA dues are common for most homeowners and condo associations. 

Handling complaints can be one of the more thankless tasks that community board members deal with. Apply these expert tips from our HOA management company team!

What Kind of Complaints Should Boards Expect?

If you've experienced complaints about HOA fees, you know there are various reasons why homeowners complain. While it's important to listen to community members and address concerns responsibly, disagreements about condo property management fees can be without merit (or just another thing a troublesome resident complains about. 

However, sometimes complaints come down to miscommunication or a lack of transparency. You might hear concerns about:

• Fees that are too high
• Confusion about what dues cover (and what they don't)
• When fees are due each year
• The HOA board using funds inappropriately 
• Inconsistent enforcement of fee collection 

To deal with complaints, board members need a plan that starts with how homeowners can submit issues and how the board will address them. 

Define the Process

What's your system for dealing with questions, concerns, or complaints from homeowners? If you don't currently have a process, one of Bellevue's best HOA management companies can help you set one up. A system for homeowners to submit issues and then for the board to review and address them promptly can help build better relationships and keep minor problems from becoming larger issues involving more residents. 

1. Receive Complaints About HOA Management Fees In Writing

Since board members are community residents, they probably hear complaints from neighbors from time to time. However, your association should set a policy that complaints must be submitted formally in writing. Set up an email address or a mailbox to receive written concerns from homeowners. With a document that outlines the concern, board members don't have to rely on word-of-mouth to hear about an issue that needs a resolution. 

2. Categorize Complaints

Create categories to address and review issues, whether it's a complaint about HOA management fees or another issue. Complaints about annual management dues can go into two categories: anticipated vs. unanticipated issues. 

An anticipated complaint could include:

• Why are fees so high?
• Why do we pay fees for management services?
• Why are ongoing management fees needed every year?
• Why are fees due on the same date each year?
• Why did fees increase this year?
• What if I don't want my fees to pay for that community enhancement?

Some of these issues can be simple misunderstandings or recurring complaints. Your board can create standard association responses to common complaints to address each new complaint accurately and timely. 

An unanticipated complaint could be:

• Why does my neighbor get more time to pay their dues? 
• Are board members using my dues for personal expenses instead of the approved budget?
• Why isn't that pool repair completed yet, despite paying my dues on time?

These complaints don't come up as often as routine concerns and could require a board meeting to review and address the issue. If a complaint indicates that a board member is misusing funds or some other inappropriate action involving collected dues and expected expenditures, the board should investigate the complaint, consult their attorney, and work with a professional community association management to handle the situation and introduce new rules or procedures for the community's review and approval. 

3. Board Members Must Respond Professionally

In every community, some residents simply like to complain. In some cases, these residents can harass board members or create controversy among other residents. No matter how a homeowner behaves or the tone in which they deliver a complaining, your board must respond calmly and professionally to avoid a lawsuit. 

With a policy in place to review issues and respond to residents, homeowners can trust that their complaints are heard and handled appropriately. Board members also have some protections in place and the support of the full board to deal with resident frustrations as a unified leadership body. 

If complaints become contentious, a community management company is an excellent resource to put a process in place and help guide residents and your board through effective complaint resolution best practices. 

4. Communicate Well

In many cases, complaints about condo management fees can be avoided with good communication. Remind residents that an ongoing management fee amount can change from time to time, deliver transparency about how funds are used, and respond promptly and clearly to concerns. 

An Association Management Company Helps Mitigate Complaints

If you're experiencing complaints from residents about HOA management fees, don't worry! It's a common issue that comes up with boards for homeowners associations, but it doesn't have to be a thorn in your side or something that creates distrust between your board and community members. The first step is to create a complaint review and resolution process for those who do have concerns. Trestle Community Management offers professional services as an expert association management company to help HOA boards develop this process so they can focus on other aspects of their jobs as volunteers. If we can help you mitigate complaints, let us know! We're here to chat. 

Learn more essential operational tips when you download our free checklist, the "Best Practices for HOA Operations!"