Articles
HOA guides and templates for boards and owners
Plain-language information about how associations work and what to do when they don't. Every article shows its sources and the date it was last checked. This is general information, not legal advice.
31 guides so far, starting in Florida — more states and topics are added every week.
Running the board
- State guide
Florida HOA and Condo Director Certification: What Is Required
Florida HOA directors file an education certificate within 90 days of election; condo directors follow a different rule. What changed in 2024.
Last checked - Template
HOA Board Candidate Statement: Examples and How to Write One
How to write a short HOA board candidate statement, with three fictional examples in different tones, a fill-in outline, and simple do's and don'ts.
Last checked - Template
HOA Meeting Minutes: Template and Sample
A copy-and-adapt HOA board meeting minutes template, a short fictional sample, and what a few states say about keeping minutes.
Last checked - Guide
HOA President, Treasurer and Secretary: What Each Role Does
What an HOA president, secretary and treasurer commonly do, plus the officer-related rules we verified in seven states. Your bylaws have the final say.
Last checked - Guide
New HOA Board Handover Checklist
A practical checklist for a new HOA board's first weeks: documents, records, bank access, insurance, contracts, open matters, logins and minutes.
Last checked - Guide
What Does an HOA Board Member Do?
What an HOA board member does, what the board does not do, where the time goes in the first year, and where state law sets the standard.
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Governing documents
- State guide
California HOA Governing Documents: Which One Controls?
Does California law supersede HOA rules? Civil Code 4205 ranks the law, declaration, articles, bylaws and operating rules. The order and rule limits.
Last checked - State guide
Florida HOA Governing Documents: Which One Controls?
Do HOA bylaws override Florida statutes? What chapters 720, 718, 719 and 617 say about the law, the declaration, bylaws and rules.
Last checked - State guide
Texas HOA Governing Documents: Which One Controls?
Does Texas law supersede HOA rules? What Property Code chapters 209, 202, 82 and 215 and the nonprofit code say about declarations, bylaws and rules.
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State guides
- State guide
Colorado HOA Laws: An Owner's Guide
What the Colorado Common Interest Ownership Act says about records, meetings, board removal, fines and foreclosure, as of September 23, 2026.
Last checked - State guide
Florida Condo Association Laws: An Owner's Guide
A plain-language guide to Florida condo law (Chapter 718): records, meetings, elections, reserves, fines, DBPR arbitration and websites, as of September 2026.
Last checked - State guide
Florida HOA Annual Meeting and Election Rules
Florida HOA member meeting notice, quorum, proxies, ballots, who can run, term limits and the 60-day election challenge deadline, with condo differences.
Last checked - State guide
Florida HOA Laws: An Owner's Guide
What Florida's HOA statute (Chapter 720) says about records, meetings, fines, recall, liens and complaints, with a note on condos, as of September 2026.
Last checked - State guide
Florida HOA Liens and Foreclosure Process
How Florida HOA and condo assessment collection works: the 30-day and 45-day notices, fines and liens, condo lien lapse, suspensions and payments.
Last checked - State guide
Florida HOA Records Requests: Deadlines, Fees and Penalties
What Florida's HOA statute says about records requests: the 10-business-day deadline, copy fees, what may be withheld, penalties and what to do if refused.
Last checked - State guide
How to Recall a Florida HOA Board Member
How Florida HOA recall works under Chapter 720: who can recall, the majority threshold, the board's 5-business-day duty, DBPR arbitration and calmer options.
Last checked - State guide
Texas HOA Laws: An Owner's Guide
What Texas Property Code Chapter 209 says about HOA records, meetings, fines, elections, liens and complaints, as of September 2026.
Last checked - State guide
Unenforceable HOA Rules in Colorado
What the Colorado Common Interest Ownership Act says an HOA may not do on fines, records, meetings and certain home uses, as of September 23, 2026.
Last checked - State guide
Unenforceable HOA Rules in Texas
How an HOA rule or fine can be challenged under Texas Property Code Chapters 202 and 209: filing, board-vote, notice and hearing limits, as of September 2026.
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Templates and checklists
- Template
HOA Annual Budget Planning Checklist
A step-by-step HOA budget planning checklist to copy: gather last year's spending, list contracts, estimate income, draft, review and share with owners.
Last checked - Template
HOA Board Code of Conduct and Conflict of Interest Policy: Sample
A sample HOA board code of conduct and conflict of interest policy to copy and adapt, with notes on how to tailor it and have it reviewed before adoption.
Last checked - Template
HOA Board Meeting Agenda Template
A plain-text HOA board meeting agenda you can copy and adapt, with notes on how to use it and a short fictional sample.
Last checked - Template
HOA Board Resignation Letter Template
A short, neutral HOA board resignation letter you can copy, fictional samples in different tones, and a handover note for records, passwords and keys.
Last checked - Template
HOA Newsletter Templates and Ideas
Copyable plain-text HOA newsletter layouts: a short update, a meeting recap and a seasonal reminder, with section ideas and a few cautions.
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More guides
- State guideCondo
Florida Condo Structural Integrity Reserve Study (SIRS) Rule
What Florida's structural integrity reserve study (SIRS) rule says about which buildings, deadlines, who prepares it and what boards must share.
Last checked - State guideMember rights
Florida HOA and Condo Website Requirements: What Must Be Posted
Florida HOAs with 100 or more parcels and condos with 25 or more units must post documents online. What goes up, the 30-day rule and the owner-only area.
Last checked - State guideRules, fines and violations
Florida HOA Fines: Caps, Notice and the Hearing Committee
Florida HOA fines are capped at $100 per violation unless the governing documents say otherwise, with notice and a committee hearing. Condos differ.
Last checked - GuideWhen you disagree with the board
HOA Selective Enforcement and Harassment: How to Document It
What selective enforcement and harassment mean, how to document your situation calmly, and the fine-hearing steps in FL, TX, CA, GA, AZ, CO and WA.
Last checked - GuideMember rights
How to Request Your HOA's Records
How to ask your HOA for its records in writing, what happens next, and what seven states say about deadlines, fees and what may be withheld.
Last checked - ExplainerMoney and assessments
What Do HOA Fees Cover? What Is and Is Not Included
What HOA fees commonly pay for, what they usually do not, and how to find out what your own fees include by reading the budget.
Last checked - ExplainerBasics
What Is an HOA? Meaning, How It Works and What It Costs
HOA means homeowners association. What it does, where its authority comes from, and which documents to check before you buy.
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