May 31, 2018
What Makes a Good HOA Board Member?
What Makes a Good HOA Board Member?
By LLCR Staff

The People Behind the Scenes

Condo living has its advantages over single-family homes. Less maintenance, hassle-free living, access to great community amenities and common areas, and more. Yet while you’re enjoying those benefits as a resident, there’s another group of people working behind the scenes to ensure you and other residents can continue to enjoy those amenities. It’s the condo HOA board.

Oftentimes, board members aren’t compensated for their hard work. If they are, laws state that they can’t receive a discount on things like assessments, so the association must have a line item that specifies the amount of compensation. However, most board members don’t receive compensation.

Why Consider Being a Board Member?

While serving on an association board might seem like a thankless task, you actually get something more valuable in exchange for your service: the ability to make a difference for fellow residents as well as for yourself. But what makes a good HOA board member?

As a board member, your role will be very similar to a business leader. Depending on how responsibilities are assigned, you may be involved in financial duties — managing a budget, maintaining the association’s fund, making sure the building and its interiors are properly insured, and managing assessments. You may also be involved in legal tasks such as selecting an attorney for the association, analyzing association rules against local laws, enforcing rules, and ensuring that other board members with financial responsibilities are protected.

It’s a Responsibility and a Reward

That all might sound like work (and you already have a job), but there’s more. Being a board member means you also have a say in the future of the condo. You’ll have an opportunity to provide input on future renovations, improvements, and even expansion of amenities and services. And as a resident, you’ll be able to benefit from those as well.

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