Healthy communications between you, the homeowner, and your HOA management company is vital to well-being of your home, the building facility and your community of neighbors. Not only does regular, open and honest updates between HOA management and condo owners ensure accountability and that issues are being addressed, but it also works in everyone’s best interests by enhancing the safety and security of the community.
The two key factors to improving communication betweet HOA Management and homeowners are transparency and consistency. Promptly responding to requests and holding open meetings are a great way to build and maintain trust while routine updates can be a proactive way to resolve situations before they come to a head.
Just like any working relationship, regular communication between homeowners and their HOA management company helps to keep everyone on the same page, eliminate confusion and minimize conflict. But, it’s not just the property manager or condo board’s responsibility to act as the go-between for all communications, it’s up to you too!
How Homeowners & Condo Boards Can Improve Communications with HOA Management
As a homeowner in a condo community or building, it’s your duty to keep open channels of communication with your HOA management company. If you want your voice to be heard when there’s a problem, it’s in your best interest to develop this relationship and treat your HOA manager with respect.
A few of the different ways that you, and your condo board, can improve communications with your HOA management company and ensure that your requests are taken seriously and prioritized accordingly include:
- Promptly reporting unit and building maintenance issues and especially emergency requests in a timely manner
- Using the preferred communications methods as suggested by your HOA management team. By using such tools you can help streamline efforts and more easily get in touch with the correct person about your particular inquiry or concern.
- Putting together an agenda for meetings and prioritizing your list of to-do’s and concerns. Such efforts will help your HOA manager handle the most pressing issues first and can help everyone align their expectations as far as prioritization of maintenance requests and other work is concerned.
- Providing as much detail as possible about existing dilemmas or desires. Without a solid understanding of your requests, there is more room for misunderstandings. When you want to make something happen, the more information you can share, the more likely your expectations will be met.
- Understanding the responsibilities of your HOA management company. Not all responsibilities relating to the condo community are the responsibility of your HOA manager, so better understanding when to reach out to specific vendors or managers can improve communications efficiencies.
How HOA Management Can Improve Communications with Homeowners & Condo Boards
Just like you, HOA management companies are also responsible for timely responses to inquiries. In addition, they must work to make numerous parties happy, even when not everyone is not in agreement about a particular project, disturbance or expenditure tied to the property.
A few of the different methods that HOA managers can use to listen and share information with condo boards and individual homeowners more effectively include:
- Providing straightforward methods for getting in touch. A directory outlining who to call for what and when, along with various methods of contact, including a decision tree for how to handle certain problems, can empower the homeowner to quickly and efficiently handle requests.
- Responding to tenant inquiries and requests with urgency. This shows the condo community that their requests are valid and important. When communications are ignored or take a long time, tensions can rise and can develop into distrust and disrespect over time.
- Keeping homeowners in the know about scheduled work in common areas so they are aware of an inconveniences, additional noise or debris. These updates are also important to remind the community about how their dues are being spent, whether that includes updates to the laundry facilities, pool, parking lot, hallways, security, etc.
- Making sure that any disruption to utilities is alerted to the community as far in advance as possible so that people have time to make alternate arrangements and do not feel caught off guard.
- Truly listening to tenants, following through on requests and working to solve issues that are in the best interest of homeowners and the entire condo community.
At GNP Realty we value direct and timely correspondence with the homeowners living in our managed condos. Through this ongoing relationship we endeavor to provide services that exceed your expectations and work effectively to enhance the livelihood of the community you live in.
