It's not just families who argue over where to place baubles on the tree and who gets to add the angel to the top. If a homeowner's unusual Christmas light display is disputed, entire housing communities can fall into disarray.
That's why HOA holiday decorating rules are crucial. They are there to keep the peace. Here are some quick tips on creating guidelines that are easy for everyone to follow.
Publish Your San Antonio TX HOA Rules
The biggest complaint residents have about HOA rules is that they weren't clear, and the residents were not aware of them.
That can cause trouble during the holiday season if a homeowner has spent time and money decorating their house and subsequently gets a request from an HOA board to take it down.
You can avoid this by publishing your rules and guidelines. Make these available in your official documentation and on your website. Include pictures to illustrate any dos and don'ts in your rulebook.
Set Timescales for Festive HOA Decorations
One rule many HOAs forget to mention is the dates when residents can install their decorations and when they must come down.
Yet this is important because if decorations go up at the wrong time of year or stay up for weeks after the holiday season finishes, you will start getting complaints from residents.
It's common practice to set an installation date a few weeks before the big day, whether Thanksgiving, Christmas, or the 4th of July. You should specify to residents that they must remove them shortly after, which, for most HOAs, will take one to two weeks.
Consider Safety Issues
Rules are not only there for esthetics. They are also there for safety reasons.
You must ensure you understand the health and safety risks of putting up decorations and mitigate these by outlining some San Antonio community rules to protect residents.
For example, decorations shouldn't be a hazard and shouldn't block people's paths when walking through the community. Residents must use outdoor lights with excellent safety ratings to prevent a potential fire hazard.
List Any Prohibited Items
There may be some decorations that are inappropriate or a hazard.
List examples and categories in your rules to make residents aware of this. Some, such as large light inflatables and loud sound systems, may not be in keeping with your neighborhood's style.
Noisy decorations may also disturb neighbors, so it's often best to keep these on the prohibited list. If lights are used, explain any brightness limits to residents.
Outline Your Enforcement Process
Setting rules means following them up. There are two aspects to this. First, you'll need to set aside time to inspect decorations to ensure they follow the rules, especially on aspects like safety.
Second, you'll need to demonstrate enforcement for residents who repeatedly break the rules. That might include fines.
HOA Holiday Decorating: Creating a Beautiful Community
There is nothing quite like community decorations to get everyone into the festive spirit. But make sure those HOA holiday decorating rules are up to date. It will save you problems and complaints.
PMI BrightStar is a female-owned, veteran-owned real estate team with extensive experience in association management. To discover more about how we can support your HOA in San Antonio, TX, head here.
