Part 5 in the HOA Compliance Series. View part 4, Dog Poop Compliance here.

Exterior painting can be an expensive and daunting task, especially if many homes in your community are in need of fresh coat. Unfortunately when a community reaches 7-10 years old, most of the homes likely need new paint, and every 7-10 years after that. If homeowners don’t deal with it, homes starts to look run down and sad. Not only do they become an eyesore, but it can also start to take a toll on property values…something that no homeowner likes to see happen.

To keep your community looking fresh and sharp, try working with homeowners in these ways:

  • Keep all community structures freshly painted. It doesn’t do any good to harp on homeowners about their deteriorating paint if the HOA isn’t following the rules either. You don’t want to be accused of “the pot calling the kettle black”!
  • Make sure your CC&Rs clearly list expectations and guidelines as they relate to exterior paint, especially in terms of condition and color. If they aren’t clear, then make some updates. When rules are clear and understandable, it makes enforcing them much easier.
  • Better yet, point out examples to the community of homes that are in full compliance of proper paint condition and color schemes. When homeowners can actually see what’s expected, they’ll be more likely to follow the rules.
  • Send out a community letter reminding folks it’s time to paint. Once a few people start painting, it’s a good bet other will follow suit. There is a lot of truth in the saying “keeping up with the Joneses”, and in this case it may work to your advantage!
  • Make the project request process simple, and don’t require homeowners to jump through too many hoops just to get their paint color and project approved. Be sure to provide clear, simple instructions for homeowners about how they can submit and get a request approved for their paint project.
  • Work with a great contractor. Consider arranging a discount if use the recommended painter. A price break is a huge help on a big project like exterior panting!
  • If all else fails and you still have a few homeowners who aren’t in compliance, then it’s time to send them an official notice. This is when having a property management company can be super helpful.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed and are unsure about how to handle difficult homeowners, contact Spectrum. We would love to help you navigate the tricky waters of compliance issues and exterior painting!