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Rental restrictions, like many other association policies, have their ups and downs and can be a hot topic of conversation for homeowners association (HOA) boards. While governing documents sometimes address this issue, more often the intricacies of individual communities and the specific character of residents can make this a more subjective matter. If your community is considering implementing or updating its community rental policy, here are a few things you should consider.

No matter what kind of vendor your HOA needs – a caterer for your onsite party, a roofer to repair post-hurricane damage or a painter to spiff up your lobby – your board should never take a casual approach to the hiring process.

After partnering with thousands of board members like you, we've identified 5 tips to help you be successful this year.

Do your residents have the 411? See how board members can create an effective communications strategy that gets everyone talking!

Online access to user-friendly host platforms like Airbnb & HomeAway have contributed to skyrocketing numbers of short-term rentals. While a vast majority of rental stays are uneventful, the sheer number of travelers who use these services mean that accidental or even fatal injuries can occur. Take action to make sure that your homeowners' association is educated on insurance risks and coverage for the unexpected.

How much do you know about community association insurance? Although your bylaws and declarations include requirements to provide community association insurance coverage, most board members don’t know as much about it as they should.

You may be unaware that you are opening up all of your emails to scrutiny. When using a personal or work email address to conduct association business, there is a potential liability involved.

You may be unaware that you are opening up all of your emails to scrutiny. When using a personal or work email address to conduct association business, there is a potential liability involved.

Creating your condominium corporation’s annual budget is one of the most important responsibilities your board has. It takes a lot of hard work and may require spending decisions that won’t be popular with unit owners. Consequently, owners may voice strong objections or even question the board’s ability to manage the corporation’s money.

When people live in close quarters, it is inevitable that they will hear sounds from neighbouring condos from time to time. Noise between units can be minimized in many ways. One of the most effective tools for a condominium board to implement is a flooring policy that guides owners when they want to replace their floor coverings. Choosing the right products makes a big difference when it comes to the transfer of noise between condominium units.

Everyone brings their own assumptions and methods of completing tasks to each group to which they belong. Condominium board members are no different. While the diversity of the group can be its greatest strength, it also can create difficulties between the individual members. It is important to structure condo board meetings in a way that creates a professional and positive working relationship. Here are some tips to help boards achieve this.

Like it or not, we have become very dependent on our technology. Whether it’s a cell phone, tablet or computer, our devices enable us to stay connected, conduct business and access information anywhere, anytime. Yet as convenient as these devices may be, cyber security is simply not a priority for the majority of tech users—despite the increased prevalence of cyber attacks. One recent attack even occurred in our own backyard at the University of Alberta. In part one of our two-part series, we look at why cyber security is so important to condo associations. We also provide important steps that residents in your condo community can take to protect their technology so that sensitive information doesn’t fall into the wrong hands.

In part one of this two-part series, we discussed the importance of cyber security to your condo association and the steps that residents can take to protect themselves and their association. In this article, we look at your board’s responsibility in preventing cyber attacks.

When your condominium board members (and your property management team, if you are working with a professional management company) have a thorough understanding of their rights and responsibilities, it helps to create a more inviting community. Your community is more likely to be effectively managed and well-maintained, which leads to happier residents.

Humans are social creatures. Since the dawn of time, we’ve had a deep-seated yearning for connection and community. This is particularly evident in a condo corporation, where a strong sense of community can be the difference between long-standing residency and high turnover.

We all know that “organizing paperwork” is not at the top of most people’s list of things-to-do. Most likely we also know that it suddenly achieves high importance when we have to ask ourselves “now where did I see/put that?” When speaking of the documents of a condominium corporation, it is imperative that these be accessible and up-to-date when they are needed. These six guidelines will help you get it organized.

To communicate effectively, the community manager and board members should first determine whether the discussion is most effectively handled electronically, or by phone or teleconferencing. For example, owners have the right to observe board meetings; thus, hosting one via e-mail is not appropriate. Almost everyone has a phone, but some people don’t feel comfortable with new technology.

If you’re like many board members, one of your most challenging jobs is running your condominium corporation’s board meetings. Keeping everyone on task and addressing board member disagreements is not always easy. So what can you do to manage your meetings more effectively?

Determining the annual budget is an important responsibility that condominium board members know is important to the financial success of their community. This article discusses things to consider when making the important budget line-item decisions.

Summer vacation is an exciting time-it’s great to get away! There’s no end to the adventures that await us all. At the end of the journey, though, you want to come home to a home that is safe and well looked after in your absence.

Are residents in your condominium corporation always aware of upcoming events, construction projects and board meetings? Do they understand their responsibilities and the policies they need to comply with?

You want your condo community to be successful. All board members do. You know that means watching the finances carefully and maintaining the property. But do you think about effective board communication as an ingredient in your recipe for success? It is!

Rules are essential in a multi-family community. They layout expectations for the residents and promote a spirit of co-operation amongst the group. When the board-set policies are violated, a defined set of steps should occur to encourage compliance. It is important for a condo board to craft their policies thoughtfully, looking at the rules from all angles to determine the balance between the need, property values and homeowner freedom. Here are eight steps to consider when developing policies for your condominium.

As a condominium or HOA board member, how do you deal with contentious issues? This article discusses five steps to take to foster a spirit of cooperation among board members and diffuse difficult situations.