Who's Responsible for Inside Maintenance in your HOA?
Outside maintenance such as landscaping, lighting, and facilities maintenance is the responsibility of condominium, homeowners associations, or cooperative board members. Therefore, homeowners should focus their efforts on the overall health and safety of the community by maintaining these systems.
How can Board Members effectively make sure everyone in the community is doing their part on the upkeep of the inside of their homes? We are here to answer your questions about inside maintenance responsibilities.
Maintenance Responsibilities
Whether the community is a condominium, homeowners association, or cooperative, the owner or shareholder will always be responsible for certain maintenance items within the home. In some instances, the Board can exercise control over such responsibilities. Still, there are many areas where the ability to influence owner behavior is limited.
Device Safety
Take the case of a central fire/smoke/sprinkler system wired throughout a building. By its governing documents, the Board must maintain the system even if the location of some detectors is within a unit. Conduct an annual inspection to make sure these systems are operating correctly.
Other systems, such as dryer vents, can be a mixed responsibility. For instance, the conduit may originate within the unit. Still, it may enter a common area on its way to a roof or other exterior vent. In this case, the Board could adopt the position that cleaning the conduit is a typical expense, and it could hire a contractor to perform the work. Unfortunately, there is much gray area with this issue.
Appliance Safety
Appliances located within the unit are the clear responsibility of the owner. This responsibility can cause safety concerns if owners choose not to maintain their machines. Nevertheless, a board can identify potential problems and conduct a campaign to urge accountability among residents. Notices on bulletin boards, newsletters, or the website for annual inspections of water heaters can help mitigate issues. Another idea is to have the Board designate a "safety month" to encourage residents to address a list of safety issues in their homes.
Boards should also invite their insurance brokers or representative to the annual meeting or other community events. Having these people there to explain the steps owners could take to protect themselves, the building, and their neighbors are beneficial.
Another option is to amend the bylaws to regularly require owners to perform certain maintenance functions in their units. However, obtaining sufficient support for such an amendment may be difficult; as a rule, it may be enforced if adopted.
Contact Us
Do you need your property manager to help you establish expectations for your homeowners? Do not hesitate to contact our leadership team for assistance. We are here to provide administrative support. We help our Board Members feel comfortable confronting their community's concerns. We want you to know that we are an approachable bunch that enjoys our jobs and working with you on the day-to-day requirements of your association.
