Home Owners' Association, or HOA, management is critical to any property management where there are several homes or apartments owned or rented in the same area. Usually, the board or the property manager is selected by the homeowners, but they can also be chosen by the person who owns the multi-unit buildings or most of the unsold properties in a gated community. If your gated community is fortunate enough to be able to select your own board members and property managers, here is what you need to look for in your potential candidates.  

The Candidate Owns a Home in the Community

The primary requirement for any HOA management candidate is that he or she has to own a home within the gated community. The reason why this is so important is that only a fellow property owner would understand the specific needs of your community and respond to any problems in a timely fashion. For example, the occasional weekend party is one thing, but a homeowner that frequently has loud and long, drunken and disorderly parties is interfering with neighbors' ability to enjoy their homes. Only another homeowner in the community can understand what a hassle this is and be willing to address the problem.

The Candidate is Unafraid to Enforce the Rules of the Community

Gated communities and their associated HOAs have set rules for everyone to live by so that every homeowner can live comfortably and safely within his or her home. Violations of those rules, such as grass that has become a very tall bed of weeds or ignoring noise ordinances, takes away from every other homeowner's comfort and property values. Your board of members and property managers cannot be mousy or afraid to address these problems head on. They have to be bold and be willing to enforce the rules with whatever it takes, including eviction and/or police action.

The Candidate Is Willing to Promote the Community and Encourage New Residents and Growth

To make the community an exceptional place to live, an HOA management candidate has to be willing to seek out growth opportunities and promote the community as the ideal place to live. When you and other home owners are trying to pick someone for this important job, you need a real go-getter, someone who will dedicate their time and energy to the task. He or she should have some solid ideas or a platform of progress that he or she wants to pursue and be able to present that to all of the homeowners in a matter-of-fact way. Then you know you have a worthwhile candidate for the job.