{"id":16947,"date":"2020-05-29T11:46:07","date_gmt":"2020-05-29T18:46:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/?p=16947"},"modified":"2025-11-12T01:43:07","modified_gmt":"2025-11-12T09:43:07","slug":"buyer-hoa-responsibilities-to-homeowners","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/buyer-hoa-responsibilities-to-homeowners\/","title":{"rendered":"10 Things to Know about HOA Responsibilities to Homeowners"},"content":{"rendered":"

In the United States, there are more than 347,000 <\/b>communities with a homeowner association<\/a> (HOA). Some of these HOAs are managed by large management companies, but the vast majority (70%) are handled by community volunteers. In 2018, more than 73 million<\/i> Americans<\/a> called these communities home and collectively paid HOAs<\/a> more than $95.6 billion<\/i> in association fees<\/a> \u2014 also referred to as assessments.<\/p>\n

Pretty crazy, right?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Whether or not you\u2019ve lived in one of these communities, you probably already know that homeowners have responsibilities when they live in an HOA. However, what about the HOA\u2019s responsibilities to homeowners? Let\u2019s dig into the <\/span>purpose of an HOA<\/span><\/a>, the duties of the board members, and where all that money goes.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Source: (topseller \/ ShutterStock)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

What is the purpose of a homeowner\u2019s association?<\/h2>\n

An HOA is a group of community residents (or a management company)<\/a> that enforces the rules and regulations that fellow residents must follow. You\u2019ll usually find HOAs in planned developments like a condo complex, townhome communities, and in both many newly developed and established neighborhoods with single-family homes.<\/p>\n

Mary Stewart<\/a>, a seasoned real estate agent in Texas<\/a> who\u2019s been in the business for more than 40 years, elaborates: \u201cThey make sure that a lot of the rules aren\u2019t being broken. They patrol the neighborhood to see if the yard is mowed, Christmas lights have been taken down, and if things need to be repaired.<\/p>\n

\u201cOnce, I had a listing that had a loose gutter. An HOA board member called me and requested I have the seller repair the gutter,\u201d she adds.<\/p>\n

What kind of rules and regulations can a HOA make?<\/h3>\n

Each community has its own set of covenants, conditions, and restrictions (CC&Rs)<\/a>, and it is in your best interest to request a current copy of the governing documents for your specific HOA. The documents<\/a> will give you detailed information and guidelines regarding what you can and cannot do in the community.<\/p>\n

Most HOA communities have regulations and guidelines regarding the following:<\/p>\n