HOAs are booming, but many of these communities struggle with communication. What’s the problem, you might be thinking. It can’t be that hard to let people know about the next member meeting. The answer is often more complex than we realize.

Smaller self-managed communities might rely on verbal forms of communication since the people in these associations tend to know each other better. But messages can get distorted as they are passed from one neighbour to another.

To make matters worse, board members, who are responsible for managing the entire community, don’t always have time to respond to requests.

Larger communities that work with a manager experience their own challenges. It becomes difficult to reach thousands of members at once. Not everyone reads paper letters, and some people miss important mail altogether because they don’t live in the association full-time.

Management works overtime to keep up with mounting requests from owners, but it’s still not enough to get their inbox to zero.

Table of contents

• Why does good communication matter?
• What is a resident portal?
• What can a resident portal do?
• Isn’t a website better for communication?
• Enhancing communication with an HOA portal

Why does good communication matter in an HOA?

So, why does HOA communication matter? Well, good communication is the foundation of any successful HOA. The more owners know about their association, the more likely they are to participate in meetings, follow rules, and consider others.

But the opposite is also true. If people feel disgruntled, resentful or invisible, they are much more likely to act without considering others.

Failing or forgetting to respond to questions, and keeping owners in the dark creates a negative experience for them, which ultimately means more work for the board or manager.

The solution: An HOA resident portal?

So, what can HOAs do to fix a communication issue? Start with a portal.

An HOA portal is an online space or platform for board members, owners and residents. Usually, a portal is included in an HOA management software platform.

Portals are generally accessible through computers and smartphones, making them convenient and cost-effective communication solutions.                                                                                                                                     

                                                                         

What can a resident portal do? 

HOA resident portals have two core objectives:

1) To equip owners with information and self-serve tools

2)  To reduce manual work and streamline operations for management or the board

Portals help to improve communication within HOAs in the following ways:

• Creates a designated place for official announcements to be posted
• Allows owners to submit and track service requests and architectural change requests
• Allows owners to make online payments for dues and other fees
• Hosts HOA documents, including bylaws, policies, minutes, budgets, etc.

More advanced portals may offer:

• A chat functionality that allows you to send questions directly to the management team
• Amenity booking
• Classified ads

Guest pass reservations  

Isn’t a website better for communication?

A website isn’t necessarily better, but depending on demographics, some owners may be more comfortable with the idea of a website. But we can assure you that using a portal is just as easy as using a website.  

Websites and portals are similar; HOAs can use both platforms to share information and events with owners. The key difference is that a portal is a password-protected platform. Only people with an authorized login and password can get into the portal. Anyone can view a public website. But you don’t necessarily want everyone to see the HOA’s records, contracts or budgets.

The other difference is that websites are extremely customizable. In theory, an HOA could spend $10,000 on a professional website, but most communities will spend between $2,000 – $5,000 for a site designed by a professional.

Portals are less concerned with aesthetics and more focused on functionality. However, because of their simple layout, they can also be easier to maintain.

A portal can be integrated with a website, which is something many communities choose to do. The website acts as the homepage, which anyone can view. Owners then click on the login button, often placed at the top right-hand side of the website, to get into the portal.  

Florida law actually requires HOAs with 100 or more parcels to maintain a website or application, and post several of the community’s records on the site, too. Furthermore, the website or application must contain a subpage, web portal or other protected electronic location that cannot be accessed by the general public. So, if you are in Florida, having both a website and portal is the easiest way to stay compliant.    

Enhancing communication with an HOA portal

Now that you know what an HOA portal does, let’s explore how communities can use them for communicative purposes.

Centralized messaging and information

This is the most popular portal feature, and is generally the reason HOAs elect to use portals in the first place. 

Portals organize messages and notices so that owners can get that information at any time, on their own.

Depending on the portal’s functionalities, notices are usually emailed to owners in addition to being posted on the message page, and in the event of an emergency, there could even be an option to send messages via text or voice message.

Owners are far more likely to see your message when they can find it online and in their inboxes. As a result, they remain up to date with the latest changes, events and requests.

Easy access to forms and documents

In addition to announcements, HOAs should select a portal that has a storage library. By creating a safe place to share budgets, contracts, forms and governing documents, you empower owners to proactively seek the items they need, and you reduce the workload for your team.

HOA Central even allows you to control access to files. That means you can maintain files just for the board and management in addition to files for the whole community.   

Streamlined issue resolution

Owners can submit service/maintenance requests from their accounts, providing them with a very convenient way to notify management of a problem.

They can send a request through the mobile app on their way to work instead of having to try to remember to report the issue directly to the manager after they return home.  

When a request has been updated or resolved, the reporter can see the update automatically, giving them peace of mind and closure.

Not only does this create more transparency, but small issues can be addressed before they develop into bigger, more expensive problems.

Improved resident engagement

Chats and forums give owners an opportunity to speak. Communication shouldn’t be unidirectional, and this allows owners to share ideas and concerns in a safe, private space. 

Chats and forums can be particularly appealing because not everyone can speak during member meetings. These tools give owners an additional opportunity to make suggestions or follow up on community issues.

Admins may decide to approve post submissions before they are added to a forum in order to keep conversations productive and free of harmful or hateful language.   

Getting started

Getting started with an HOA portal is probably the hardest part. It’s not the activation part, rather, it’s getting owners to use the portal. They will need to create an account and receive authorization from the HOA in order to access the portal since it is a password-protected platform.

The signup process is not complicated though, so do your best to provide step-by-step signup instructions to each owner.

Make it clear that owners simply need to download an app and fill in a few fields to complete the registration process. Don’t forget to highlight all of the benefits owners will enjoy once they’re on the portal. Create excitement around this simple yet effective communication technology.