Category: Organizing Operations

So you need a website for your HOA, but you aren’t sure if your team can manage building one without professional help. This article will help you decide what options are available to your association. 

 Table of contents

• What is a website builder?
  • How it works
• What is a custom website?
  • How it works
• Costs
• Which option is right for me?

What is a website builder?

A website builder is a software program or tool that allows you to design and create a website without having to use code. In theory, you should be able to design the entire website by yourself without requiring assistance from a designer or developer.

Drag-and-drop builder software lets the user upload images and add text to a template provided by the program/company.

How it works

Select a website builder

Start by selecting the website builder. Some website builders will offer free websites, but those plans are not recommended for an HOA community (more on that later).

Both online and offline website builders exist. Offline website builders need to be installed first, making them more secure, but less convenient. You will have to use the same computer in order to get to the program and make updates or changes to the site. Online website builders are used in a web application like Google, meaning you can access it from any computer.

Choose an appropriate template

Next, explore the templates available to you. The template will define the look and feel of your website. HOAs will probably need a membership or community type template, but there may be other options that work for your association.

Make sure there is an option to create a password-protected section. HOAs in Florida (and condominiums in Wisconsin) are legally required to have a password-protected section on their sites, but every community can benefit from having a members-only section to keep sensitive materials inaccessible to the public.  

Look for an example that has a “login” option, usually located on the top right of the homepage.

Plan before you build

Figure out what pages you will need before you get to building. This will make the creative process easier to complete.

Usually, HOAs need a homepage, an about us section, contact information and an amenities page. Some will also have pages for sales and rentals, events, reservations, forms and online payments. Decide what should go in the password-protected section, and what will be available to the public.

Make your website

After you have a plan, it’s time to get to work. Build your HOA website using the template you selected. Drag-and-drop images and enter your text. Ensure the website reflects the tone and personality of your HOA. Your logo and colors should be easy to spot.  

Pick a domain name

Select a domain name that makes sense. Ideally, you want to just use the HOA’s name so that members can find the site right away. However, if the name is already taken, you might have to get creative. 

Many website builder companies offer a free domain name search tool so you can see what names are available. While you don’t have to choose a “.com” ending, that is the most common and easiest to find.    

Once you’ve found the right name, buy it through an official registrar. It’s important to know that if you are publishing your site under a free account, the company may give you a default domain name that may not correspond with the HOA. This won’t be helpful to owners.

Alternatively, you can pay for a custom domain name, or upgrade to a paid plan.

Select a web host provider

Web hosting is like a storage house for your website. A host ensures it is accessible on the internet. There are different types of hosts, including virtual private server, shared hosting, managed hosting and cloud hosting.

You may not need to think about this step though. Many website builders bundle hosting services with security, domain registration, site building, and other tools to simplify the process.

Examples of general website builders

• Wix
• Squarespace
• Jimdo
• WordPress

Examples of HOA-specific website builders

• HOA Sites
• HOA Start
• HOA Express

What is a custom website?

Custom websites are websites that have been designed in a personalized way based on instructions from a client. A designer or developer works with you to find out what you are looking for, and creates something truly unique.

It’s not just design that makes a website different from others. Some clients, including HOA communities, may need specific functionalities that most website builders don’t offer.  

How it works

The person, company or association contacts a developer or designer. You provide information such as what the goal of the website is, what pages are needed, and what the site should look like.

Another great thing about working with a professional is that you can share information about who will be using the website. This allows you to provide your community with an amazing user experience.

 In most cases, the developer will provide a quote.

Since the website is customized, the price range for a custom site can be very big.

If you agree to the price, the developer will get to work. There could be two, three or four rounds of edits depending on the complexity of the site and your expectations.

You will still need to select a domain name, and may need to find a web host provider if the developer doesn’t do that for you.

Costs

Website builders cost much less than custom website services.  

You can technically build a website for free using a website building platform. However, free hosting plans come with several limitations and have very limited storage. You might even see unwanted ads on your website. 

In most cases, you can expect to pay $200 – $1000 to create and publish your HOA website, depending on many variables like storage and feature requirements, level of support, and how many users will need access to the backend of the website.

A custom website can cost anywhere from $500 to $10,000 (or more) depending on the complexity of design, features, and functionality. However, a basic site typically ranges between $2,000 and $5,000 when built by a professional designer or agency. 

Which option is right for me?

Now that you have a clearer understanding of your options, you can make a more informed decision.

There are pros and cons to each option. If your HOA has a tight budget, or you are a small community, then creating your own site with the help of a website builder is recommended.

If you have a large community, need very special functionalities, or want to promote the site to attract buyers, then consider hiring a professional to create the website for your association.

But, there is a third option. You can work with HOA Sites to enjoy the best of both worlds!

Choose the option that combines affordability with customization  

HOA Sites provides clients with a platform that makes it easy for them to build their own sites. But the templates they offer are not mass produced. Instead, the company’s web designers make a custom template for every community. And, the websites are designed specifically with HOAs in mind.

In addition to having standard HOA pages, you will have access to over 60 features including accounting, online payments, email, text messaging, maintenance requests, document storage, and much more.  

From there, clients can add text and photos directly to the pages. If you can use Word or Google Docs, you can use HOA Sites.  

One of the best parts about working with HOA Sites is the Personal Project Manager. Every client gets one. This person offers suggestions and their expertise while you build your web pages. That means that even though you build the web pages yourself, you still have someone to assist you during the process.

They will also make sure you understand how to use your website, ensuring you get the most out of it.

Finally, HOA Sites uses one of North America’s greatest data centers, Rackspace, to host its servers. Rackspace employs best practices to provide a secure and stable hosting environment for all of its sites.

Now for the cost. You’re going to be surprised. HOAs can get a unique website from HOA Sites for as little as $600 a year. You’d be hard pressed to find another HOA website company that offers so much at such an affordable price.

Conclusion

Every HOA should have a website. Websites make it easier to communicate with residents, free up time for staff, and can even reduce delinquent payments. If you feel uncertain about building a community website on your own, but aren’t in a position to spend thousands of dollars, consider HOA Sites. Enjoy a custom HOA website at a fraction of the cost.   

Time is money. Often, self-managed HOAs need to be careful with both, as they are limited commodities when managing their communities.

Self-managed HOAs typically have 200 units or less in a single community and are run by a volunteer Board of Directors without the help of a professional property manager or property management company.

As a result, the volunteer Board and the community it manages must rely on their knowledge to best manage their time and community finances.

Let’s look at some of the ways self-managed HOAs are successful at saving time and money starting with how they operate.

Requirements to operate a self-managed HOA

A self-managed HOA has unique needs for it to run optimally.

As noted earlier self-managed HOAs don’t use a paid property manager, so all the tasks a property manager would usually take on are performed by the Board. These tasks include:

1. Collecting fees
   Self-managed associations need to ensure
2. Managing fees
3. Enforcing rules and regulations
4. Sending out communications to members
5. Administrative tasks
6. Ensuring maintenance requests are addressed
7. Connecting with members for feedback and inquiries

As you can imagine, all of these tasks consume a lot of time, often spilling over into evenings and weekends. Also, keep in mind that they are repetitive. So, it’s a revolving door of ongoing tasks.     

Saving time and money is the goal that self-managed HOAs want to reach.

Let’s explore some of the ways they can achieve both.  

Useful time-savers for self-managed HOAs

As a volunteer Board, with no support from a property management company, consider the following time-saving tactics.

Use technology
Technology is becoming a preferred choice for self-managed HOAs to save them time. Both offer similar time-saving features, but depending on the size and complexities of your HOA self-managed community, you can choose between HOA management software or an HOA website.

Here are some features they have in common that will save you time.

1. Online document filing
   The ability to file numerous documents online means efficient record-keeping. You’ll save time with quick and easy access to documents, maintenance files, and reports.
2. Online payments
   You can collect fees online. No more waiting for checks to be mailed in or dropped off. You’ll get your accounting done much faster.
3. Speedy communication
   Send as many mass emails and text messages as required, in mere minutes, to keep residents informed.  You’ll save time by avoiding printing and hand-delivering communications or sending communications through the mail.
4. Member amenity booking
   Members can book community amenities themselves online, instead of using the Board’s valuable time to reserve dates.   
5. Post announcements
   Posting community updates online, as they happen, will keep residents informed and save the Board a lot of time answering questions repeatedly.
   
   

Call out for volunteers
The self-managed HOA Board can’t do it all themselves. It’s fine to share responsibilities with other community members via committees to help save time managing various tasks.

For example, you can have a garden committee or an events committee. These and other committees can save Board members a lot of time as the committees conduct research and create proposals for the Board to review and approve.

You can also have one-off volunteer days where residents come together to do small projects around the community like putting a fresh coat of paint on fences, cleaning up litter, or making small repairs.

These are some great starting points to save your self-managed HOA time. Let’s look at some strategies to save you money.

Useful money-savers for self-managed HOAs

Often, time and money are connected. If you are managing one well, you’ll find that the other is following suit. So, you won’t be surprised that some of the strategies used to save time will also save self-managed HOAs money as well.

Use technology
When you use HOA management software and/or an HOA website they will provide you with features that will save you money.  

Technology helps self-managed HOAs save money in the following ways.

1. Paper, printing, and mailing costs
   Self-managed HOAs can save thousands of dollars on communications when they are distributed digitally. Think of all the money your HOA can save by making newsletters, announcements, notices, and voting materials available online, instead of printing them on paper and sending them through the mail.
   
2. Built-in accounting
   Using accounting software built into your HOA website or HOA management software keeps your financials accurate and coordinated in one place. This ensures accuracy and timely updates to ledgers. Accuracy is an important aspect of tracking and saving money. 
   
3. Automatic reminders
   You can set automatic invoicing reminders to be sent to residents; ensuring fees are collected on time and your community finances are not lacking.

Prevention is best
Save your self-managed community a lot of effort and money by conducting regular inspections on major equipment and amenities. By doing regular maintenance, you’ll avoid downtime for these assets.

Budgeting
A well-planned budget is necessary for self-managed HOAs. Having a budget and adhering to it is like having a road map that leads you to where you want to be financially.

Energy saving items
Try implementing energy-saving models of things your HOA community uses like light fixtures and light bulbs. Solar panels may be supplemented with government funding to save energy too.

These are excellent ideas for saving your self-managed HOA money.

Self-managed HOAs can save time and money

A well-managed HOA is always conscious of saving time and money in addition to managing the community effectively.

There are many ways you can do this, starting with using technology, which will free up both time for the Board and help to reduce costs.

You can also get more help via establishing volunteer committees and individuals to lend a hand when necessary. Doing regular maintenance for common elements and amenities is a must. Adhering to a strong budget plan will help when surprise repairs arise and using energy saving features in common areas will save you bundles by the end of the year.

Self-managed homeowner associations (HOAs) operate without a property management company. Instead, they are operated by a Board of Directors who are members of the communities and volunteer to be elected to the Board.

Of the estimated 370,000 homeowner associations in the U.S., between 30% and 40% are self-managed; that’s between 11,100 and 14,800 communities with millions of people managed by volunteer Boards.

With so many self-managed communities, volunteer Board members must have the tools they need to operate their communities as effectively and efficiently as possible.

Several tools can be invaluable, but first, let’s explore some of the challenges self-managed HOAs experience to determine how certain tools can provide solutions.

    

Challenges self-managed HOAs experience

There are thousands of self-managed HOAs, which suggests that they can be successful. However, managing a community is never simple.   

Some of the challenges self-managed HOAs experience include:

    

Professionalism and branding
Self-managed HOAs may not appear professional and efficient to members and visitors without a professional property manager. The community may not have an image that members can connect with. This could make members and prospects think the community is not well operated, even though it is.   

    

Poor maintenance upkeep
Connected to volunteerism, many Board members in a self-managed HOA also have jobs elsewhere. So, their time is limited. They don’t always have the time and commitment required to ensure maintenance requests are addressed promptly, leading to ongoing neglect. 

    

Communication
Self-managed HOAs can sometimes struggle to get community announcements out to members promptly. Announcements and meeting dates are printed on paper and then hand-delivered or mailed to homes. It works, but it’s not an effective use of time or resources.  

    

Money management
If a self-managed HOA is lucky, they may have someone on the Board who is excellent at accounting on behalf of the community. However, that’s uncommon, and even if they do have some experience, that particular Board member can’t be on the Board forever. When that person leaves, the Board and community may fall into a vulnerable position.

 

Maintaining files
Administration may not seem complicated but it’s very involved, especially when it comes to legal requirements of filing documents and keeping accurate and accessible records of Board and community meetings and governing documents. Too often, hard-copy files are misfiled, lost, or buried in a filing cabinet.  

    

Community engagement
Engaging members in a self-managed HOA can be problematic. Organizers need to devote time and raise awareness about community announcements and events. Many times, paper notices get ignored, or members forget about them. Additionally, if there is usually a low turnout, members just don’t bother to attend events or get involved. 

    

Reserving amenities
No Board member wants to spend their time booking amenities for homeowners. Their volunteer time is valuable, and reserving community amenities is not the best use of it. Yet, it’s an important administrative task as members pay monthly for amenities in their fees. It needs to be done, and done fairly.

These are just some of the ongoing challenges self-managed HOAs face. Now after considering these challenges, you might be wondering why self-managed HOAs even exist. Well, there is a good side to self-managed HOAs too. Let’s explore what they are.

    

Benefits of self-managed HOAs

There are benefits to self-managed HOAs that might not be obvious. Let’s highlight them now.

    

Affordability  
When an HOA is self-managed, the members and the community save money. Fees tend to be lower because they don’t have to pay a property manager’s salary or annual fees to a property management company. This results in saving thousands of dollars that homeowners would otherwise have to cover.

    

Genuine care
Because Board members of a self-managed HOA volunteer their time and live in the community, they really want to see their community do well and care about small details that keep their community vibrant.

Quick decision-making
Self-managed HOAs tend to make decisions quicker because they are invested in their community. They also know community members as neighbors, so it can create an environment where Board members feel and act on a greater sense of responsibility to address issues and/or developments in a time-sensitive manner.

As you can see, there are both challenges and benefits to a self-managed HOA. If you want to keep the benefits, then you have to explore ways to help self-managed HOA communities address challenges.

Let’s examine the ways to improve self-managed HOAs.

    

Tools that improve community management for self-managed HOAs

The reality is that tools are necessary to improve self-managed HOA communities. Tools offer:

• Increased efficiency
• Time savings
• Money savings
• Support to enhance the Board’s skills and abilities

Let’s look at some of the top tools self-managed HOAs use to maximize community management.

    

1. HOA community website

The primary tool a self-managed HOA should have is an HOA community website. Why? Once you have an HOA community website, you’ll have the foundation for all the other tools you’ll need to address your top challenges.

Right off the bat, your HOA community website will give your community a polished and professional image to members and visitors as you select an appealing design. You can promote your community with ideal images and its amenities on your website image gallery. Your community image will immediately improve.  

Your HOA community website acts as a hub for all kinds of important information the Board can share, and where members can access it 24/7. It’s a foundation you can build on to foster trust and transparency in your community.

Let’s consider other tools you can include within your HOA website to improve self-managed HOAs.

    

2. Maintenance services
Maintenance response time will improve greatly with a maintenance and repair online tool. Using this tool through your community website allows you to keep on top of service and repair requests from members and track their status with maintenance tickets and email notifications.

This process ensures maintenance requests don’t fall through the cracks and are dealt with sooner rather than later.

    

3. Mass emails and text messages
Talk about a time saver. If you add a tool that allows you to send mass emails and text messages to your entire community all at once, you’ll save an enormous amount of time. Members will be informed as you reach your entire community in mere minutes. This tool, combined with the ability to post important announcements on the home page of your HOA website ensures information is available to members promptly.

    

4. Accounting software
Accounting skills are not always readily available from Board members. However, having access to easy-to-use accounting software can serve as an asset to self-managed HOAs who need to keep the books accurate and current.

With accounting software, you can invoice all homeowner units at once and avoid time-consuming individual invoices. You’ll be able to track and monitor your HOA community expenses in real-time, as they occur, for improved record keeping.

You can automate repetitive accounting tasks. If you include it as a feature in your HOA website, it can be used as an online accounting tool to access and manage financial documents in one platform for better organization.

    

5. Online calendar
Missing an HOA meeting will be far less likely when members can check your HOA online calendar for upcoming meetings and events. This tool is perfect for giving members a heads-up about important community meetings so they can plan to be there after glancing at the online calendar on your HOA website.

6. Online document filing
As time goes by and new HOA Board members join, paperwork can get misplaced, destroyed, and lost. With an online document filing tool you can file documents in chronological order, in folders, for easy access to the Board and members (with permissions).

Documents can be divided into categories on a documents page and/or added to any other pages you choose to have on your HOA website. It is completely flexible.  

Additionally, you’ll save money on copies, postage, and administrative time as members view online documents at their leisure.
    

7. Self-serve amenity booking
An online amenity reservation tool, accessible through your HOA website, is an efficient way for your community to book specific time slots for various amenities. Members can book amenities themselves, and mini calendars appear on an amenity reservation page. The calendars also display color-coded dates which reflect availability.

This tool will give your community flexibility and relieve the Board of unnecessary administrative work so they can use their time more effectively.    

    

Self-managed HOAs benefit from online tools

There are thousands of self-managed HOAs doing a great job and software tools greatly enhance their efforts. It makes sense to use software tools to improve community management operations and help Board members fulfill their roles more effectively and efficiently.

Remember that starting with an HOA website is the foundation that helps to bring operations together into a central hub. Then, you can add any additional tools you may need that act as solutions to current challenges your self-managed HOA faces.  

We all may have heard the term resolution, usually in context of New Year’s Eve. It signals a change, clarity or decision made going forward. HOA resolutions facilitated by Boards can be thought of in a similar way.

HOA resolutions are a common practice and applied in the areas of:

• Rules and regulations
• Laws (Federal, state and local)
• Conflicts
• Operations

Let’s take a deeper dive into HOA resolutions and the role they play in your HOA.

What is an HOA resolution?
An HOA resolution is a decision or guideline agreed upon by the Board to help clarify, provide direction and/or make a decision pertaining to contents that appear in your HOA Governing Documents.

The hierarchy of HOA Governing Documents are noted in the diagram below.

HOA Governing Documents Hierarchy

Why would an HOA resolution be necessary?

At times an HOA resolution is needed because HOA governing documents can be:

• Vague
• Open to interpretation
• In need of parameters

When this is the case, the Board comes together to create a resolution to address an issue in the governing document.

HOA resolution example

In this example, your HOA has a policy that the exterior pillars of your home must be painted creme. Seems pretty straightforward. All homes must have cream pillars. Members might think they are abiding by the policy even though you start to notice that the pillars are beige, off white or white.   

In this case, in order to bring clarity and provide added guidance to members the Board can put forward a new HOA resolution whereby members must choose a paint color from a Board-approved color palette. If a member does not comply, they may incur a fine.

This example shows that even though members think they are complying, the policy was too ambiguous and needed a resolution to add some useful parameters to the policy.

Let’s see how an HOA resolution is implemented.

How an HOA resolution is accepted

HOA resolutions can’t just be implemented however the Board chooses. There is a process it must go through to be accepted. In general, it goes like this:

1. The draft
   The Board prepares a draft document indicating why the resolution is needed and how the resolution will make an impact.
   
   
2. The review
   Once the draft is complete the entire Board reviews it, makes any suggested edits and agrees this resolution is something they want to put forward as a Board.
   
   
3. The members
   The resolutions may or may not require feedback from members. If it does, then the draft resolution can be raised at member meeting included in, surveys and other communications, online or in print.
   
   
4. The vote
   Once the content is reviewed and discussed. The Board votes, and if necessary, members vote. If it is a majority vote in favor of the new resolution, the resolution is passed.

5. The implementation
Once the vote is passed, the resolution is formally adopted and put into action.

6. The records
Once adopted and implanted the HOA resolution must be added to official records, so it can be found and referred to.

These steps keep HOA resolutions orderly. There can be many resolutions that take place depending on changes to state laws, by-laws, rules and regulations and so on. So, the question arises then, how can an HOA keep track of all of them.

File and keep track of HOA resolutions on your HOA website

Filing tons of paper resolutions is an antiquated way of processing administrative tasks for the Board and property managers. However, if you have an HOA website, you will be more efficient and ensure HOA resolutions and can be found and referred to by date and topic.

With an HOA website you can:

File and post documents online, ensuring members and the Board always have access to the most current resources and information at their fingertips. There is no need to request information to be mailed or emailed to them.  

HOA resolution documents can be divided into categories on a documents page and/or added to any other pages you choose to have on the website. It is completely flexible to make sure everyone gets the documents they are looking for without hassle.

In case documents are not in Adobe PDF format, free PDF tools convert documents to full color PDF on-the-fly.

Multiple files can be selected and uploaded together to the website. A progress bar shows the upload status of each file. Images are automatically resized to be web friendly during the upload process.

Is an HOA resolution the same as an amendment?

No, an HOA resolution and HOA amendment are not the same thing. Some may mistakenly interchange resolutions and amendments in speaking about them, but they are not the same.

Here are two distinct differences between an HOA resolution and an HOA amendment.

• HOA resolutions are created to provide guidelines and parameters to existing HOA  Governing Documents.
• HOA amendments directly change the contents of the Governing Documents.

Both HOA resolutions and HOA amendments require votes of approval. However, HOA resolutions require Board votes and members votes can be optional; whereas HOA amendments require majority votes by both the Board and members for them to be passed and adopted.

HOA amendments supersede HOA resolutions because amendments change the contents of Governing Documents directly.

Now that we understand the difference between an HOA resolution and amendment, we can explore types of HOA resolutions.

Types of HOA resolutions Boards facilitate

HOA resolutions typically fall into three categories.

Governing Documents
As noted earlier, HOA resolutions are implemented to bring clarification to documents that are open to interpretation and may be too vague. They may revolve around clarifying rules about amenities, community aesthetics, enforcing rules etc.

Procedures
Administering processes in an HOA community often requires a lot of steps. You can’t just go from step 1 to step 10. So, procedural resolutions are implemented to create a more detailed step-by-step process so it can provide consistency and fairness.

For example, in the case of community voting, it may be that the procedure suggests homeowners can cast their votes. However, a procedural resolution may be created to indicate that homeowners must cast their votes before a certain time, they can only have one vote, and votes sent in online through the HOA community website will be counted as a legitimate vote.

Special
In unique situations a new HOA resolution may be proposed as it relates to an individual case, or outlier situations that are not common. In this case, a special HOA resolution is created but it must still align with the HOA Governing Documents. It cannot be contrary to HOA Governing Documents.

These are usually the types of HOA resolutions a Board will need to create. It’s a good idea now to look at how a Board creates HOA resolutions.

Your steps to creating new HOA resolutions

To be clear, HOA resolutions are in fact legal documents. Therefore, there is a process that must be followed to ensure HOA resolutions can be accepted and adopted.

Let’s take a look at that process now.

To begin, the Board needs to identify that the HOA bylaws and CC&Rs gives the Board permission to create HOA resolutions.

Then, the HOA Board should make sure the newly drafted resolution does not conflict with any government laws (federal, state, local).

Research and buy-in from the community, when necessary, is also important when creating new HOA resolutions. The reason(s) for creating a new HOA resolution must be clearly laid out so the Board and members understand the details and the impact it will make.

Once the HOA resolution gets enough Board votes (and member votes if required) the Board president and secretary are required to sign it and to indicate the full date.

The only thing left to do then, is to implement the new HOA resolution.

Again, for transparency and easy access, you can file your HOA resolution documents online on your members-only portal of your HOA website.  

Some of these steps may not always follow the same sequence, but this is a good framework of how you can start your HOA resolution and bring it to completion.

Creating HOA resolutions for better community management in 2025

HOA resolutions are legal documents that support your HOA Governing Documents by providing clarity, detail and parameters.

In the hierarchy of HOA documents resolutions, HOA resolutions are superseded by all other HOA Governing Documents, but they still play an important role when managing your HOA community as they are applied to those documents, procedures and unique situations.

HOA resolutions are also easier and quicker to implement than HOA amendments because amendments make changes to the actual Governing Documents which always require member votes and can take longer.

Remember to follow the process for creating a new HOA resolution for legal reasons and make sure they can be filed and accessed in an orderly and timely manner. The best way to do that is by filing them on your members-only HOA website, where members and the Board can easily refer to them.  

If your HOA still doesn’t have its own website, now is the time to invest. The first website ever was developed over 34 years ago. Since then, websites have evolved immensely. They are a must have for every single industry, including HOAs (homeowner associations).

The chart below shows the growth of the number of internet users in the U.S. from 2015 to 2024. The number continues to rise with the use of laptops, mobile phones, smart watches and other devices.

Basically, if you don’t have an HOA website, it’s like your HOA doesn’t exist. That’s because 75% of people judge a business’s credibility based on their website; and HOAs are essentially a business.

Yet, some HOAs, especially self-managed ones, still don’t have their own websites. If this is your HOA, we’ll share all the reasons why your HOA needs one, the benefits of having one and how you can go about creating a website for your HOA that delivers value to the Board, property managers and residents alike.

Let’s start at the beginning.

What is an HOA website?

An HOA website is essentially a collection of digital (online) pages, populated with information that addresses one or more topics relevant to community living and HOA operations. It is managed by a person(s) or an organization. All digital pages are accessed through a single website address/domain name.

Basically, an HOA website is an online hub where HOAs can upload and manage all kinds of information that impact members and operations such as:

• Announcements
• Event dates
• Governing documents
• Accounting management
• Maintenance requests
• Mass communications
• Member engagement
•  and more

Members will see information available to the public as well as access information that is only available to them through a member-only area on the website. The public, on the other hand, would have restricted access and would be unable to see member-only information.

The impact of not having an HOA website

You may be thinking that you’ve done without a website all this time, why should our HOA get one now?

First let’s look at what is usually taking place in HOAs that do not have their own websites.

1. Fragmented community
   Inadequate and poor communication are common complaints in HOAs that don’t have their own websites. Communication to homeowners is often on paper that gets tossed into a pile. It’s sent in the mail, which delays the information, and is generally forgotten about because there is no quick way to look up information.
   
   
2. Overworked Board  
   With no single place to make information accessible to members, the Board and property managers end up answering the same questions repeatedly. They also end up doing extra administrative work by booking amenities, receiving and tracking maintenance calls and collecting and processing fees manually. As volunteers, the Board can be overwhelmed with all the manual tasks.

3. Lack of community
Members can feel cut off from their community by not knowing what developments are taking place or suspect some members know about developments, while others don’t. They are seeking clarity and want increased transparency.


4. Unorganized documentation
With Board members coming and going every two years, it’s very easy to misplace paper files or even store them in cabinets that no one has extra keys to. Poorly organized documents make running an HOA more difficult than it needs to be.

5. Legal compliance
HOA laws and requirements change state by state at different times. Members and HOAs can fall behind in compliance when new laws or amendments are not made available quickly or homeowners aren’t aware of updates.  

These are just a few of the challenges self-managed HOAs face without an HOA website. The answer to these challenges is to have their own HOA websites. Let’s explore all the benefits.

Top 10 ways HOA websites improve community living   

The question is, can an HOA website help with all the above challenges? It certainly can, and in many ways. Here’s how.  

1. Enhance communication
   When community announcements and news need to be circulated, they can be posted to your website immediately. Your HOA website acts as an information hub where members can get information as it becomes available. You can even include an online event calendar so members can see what meetings and events are coming up so they can plan to attend. This keeps everyone current and engaged.
   
   
2. Free up the Board’s time for better community management
   With an HOA website, many of the manual tasks, such as placing a maintenance request call, or printing and mailing out documents, are replaced with members using the website to place their maintenance calls online. They can also easily access the documents they need online, with the ability to download them. The Board will have more time to focus on community management and decision making.
   
   
3. Increase community participation
   Members can’t get involved if they don’t know what is happening in their community or where to find information. Your HOA website is the ideal place for members and visitors to find out news about their community and how they can participate in meetings and events. Your HOA website can include a community marketplace and member-only message boards.

4. Organize important documents for quick access
An HOA website lets you organize and file documents online. Documents are easily found, and the Board and members can have quick access to them.

5. Collect fees early and on time
No need for members to drop off checks to the HOA office. Instead, they can pay fees online from the convenience of their home. You can also send automatic reminder emails from your HOA website before and after due dates to make sure fees come in as soon as possible, keeping your bottom line in the black.  

6. Community promotion
Don’t let homes for rent and for sale in your community sit on the market indefinitely because no one knows about them. An HOA website helps you promote and showcase the best of your community online. You can display your community amenities and attractive property, so rentals and sales happen quicker. Your community remains vibrant with interested renters and buyers.

7. Save money and time
Don’t throw away HOA funds on unnecessary costs on paper, mailing and administrative costs. These things consume money as well as precious volunteer Board time. Your HOA website makes information available to members and visitors in a single platform.

8. Escape rigid office hours
Operating within standard office hours no longer apply with an HOA website.  Homeowners and visitors can access the information they need anytime of the day or night.

9. Improved maintenance response
There are always maintenance requests that need to be addressed immediately, like a broken laneway light needed for safety or flooding in a common area. It can be overwhelming managing maintenance calls, getting all the details, and then following up to make sure problems are being addressed. Through your HOA website, residents easily submit maintenance requests online.

10. Immediate updates
Timing is everything. When an emergency occurs, like a power outage or weather that damages property, you can use your HOA website to post your most important announcements as they happen. So, it’s the first thing members and visitors see.

These are the most popular reasons HOAs get their own website, and the optional features you can include make it operate exactly as you like.

Let’s take a look at some of the best features to make HOA operations and community living better.

Why certain features are must-haves for your HOA website  

HOAs have both common and unique requirements to make their communities operate at their best. You can choose from the many features available to best suit your HOA.

Here are some must-have features you’ll want to include on your HOA website and why.  

• Document distribution and downloads
  When you send documents via email through your website or allow members to download certain documents themselves, like Rules and Regulations and other Governing Documents, your Board saves a ton of time and money by avoiding paper and mailing costs.
  
  
• Amenity booking
  Is your time taken up with booking party rooms and community assets for members? Members will be able to book amenities themselves through your website. They’ll have transparency to see when dates are available with an online calendar and feel like the amenities are more accessible to them.

Maintenance calls
No more taking phone calls about maintenance requests and manually tracking them. You can keep on top of service and repair requests through your website and track their status with maintenance tickets and email notifications.

Online voting
If you live in a state that allows online voting, you’ll reach quorum quickly due to the convenience of members casting their ballots online. Plus, as Website Administrator, you’ll view results in real time.

Online payments
Collecting fees can be a challenge. Sometimes checks come in late or not at all, and you have to chase the money. Members can pay their fees conveniently online through your website, and you don’t have to change the HOA bank account.

Community marketplace
This feature is excellent for promoting items for sale in the community. Through the online classified ads members can post their items they’d like to sell.

Directories
Having a Member Directory as well as a Pet Directory included in your HOA website, is the perfect way to create familiarity among members. They’ll know who their neighbors are, and who their furry pet friends are too.

Automatic invoicing
Manually sending out invoices after every transaction is a time waster. Through your website, homeowners can pay online with debit or credit cards and receive automatic invoices.

Financial reports
With all the financial accounting that takes place in an HOA, your HOA website keeps track of your HOA finances in a single platform. You can download reports, track sales, see profits and make real-time Income Statement adjustments.

• Mass communication
  You can reach your entire community in minutes through your HOA website by sending mass emails and text messages.

All of these features used in your HOA website makes managing your HOA and engaging members much more effective.

So, now that you know the features your HOA website could include, let’s consider its design.

What HOA website design best suits your HOA?

Your HOA website design is important because it’s the face you will show to the online world.

As indicated earlier, websites have greatly evolved over the years. Just as in fashion, you don’t want an HOA website design that looks outdated.

You want a design that puts your best image and brand forward to members and visitors.

 

Responsiveness
Did you know that more than half the people that visit websites use their cell phones, 67.56 percent in fact. This means the content on your website needs to appear and operate properly, whether someone is looking at your website from their laptop, phone or tablet.

Clean
You don’t want a cluttered HOA website with tons of information posted on every page. Think about the essential content you want on each page and what images might complement the information. Less is more as long as you include what is important.

Fonts
Fonts are either “serif” or “sans serif.” This means that the letters either have little lines attached or not. For example, “A” or “A”. Today’s modern websites typically use sans serif. No little lines attached.

Images
Images speak louder than words. Make sure you have high-quality, clear photos of your community and amenities to use on your website. Consider having professional photos taken. It’s worth the investment to make your HOA look its best.

Ultimately, your HOA website should be visually appealing and represent your HOA community at its best.

Now that you know some the elements that would make your HOA stand out online, you might be thinking how do I actually get an HOA website created. Good news, you don’t have to create one on your own.

Ways to have your HOA website created

You have options when it comes to creating your HOA website. You can:

1. Hire a website designer
   This would be ok, but if you don’t know what will make your HOA website really stand out, chances are your every-day website designer will not either. HOAs have their unique needs and wants.
   
   
2. HOA website designers
   If you are going to do it, you may as well do it right from the start by using website designers who specialize in creating websites for HOAs. An operation of this kind often has years of experience designing HOA websites, so they know what works and what doesn’t. You won’t need any technical experience, and some providers have Personal Project Managers to walk you through the process from start to finish.   

You have a choice of which option you’ll take to create a website for your HOA. It’s a best practice in any industry however, to use specialists in the field.

Building your HOA online presence through your website

Your HOA greatly benefits from having a website specific to your community’s wants and needs. An HOA website offers digital pages for you to promote your community as well as engage members.  The features you’ll choose for your website increase productivity and efficiency while saving you time and money in the areas of: 

• Communication
• Accounting
• Operations

Additionally, the design you choose for your HOA website is your opportunity to present a professional, attractive image to members as well as to visitors to your website.

Finally, you don’t have to build your website from scratch by yourself. It’s recommended that you get professional assistance to build your website, preferably a company that has expertise developing websites specifically for HOAs.

These days having an HOA website is an expectation that all HOAs should meet for the benefit of the Board, the community and visitors.

Learn more by downloading Essential Tips for Your HOA Website: Operating, Engaging and Promoting Your Community

Kim Brown • December 22, 2024January 30, 2025 • 13 min. read

Florida’s HOA website requirement 2025 – Everything you need to know

Florida has passed a law that requires HOAs to have and maintain a website. So, if you belong to an HOA with 100 or more homes, you’ll want to keep reading to find out if your community has met all of the requirements.

Table of contents

Does my HOA really need a website?

I thought this requirement was just for condos

Why were HOAs exempt from having a website before HB1203?

What official records need to go on the HOA’s website?

We need a website asap – what should we do?

HOA Sites: A top choice for associations

We already have a website. Do we need to do anything else?

Does my HOA really need a website?

Yes! Most HOAs are legally required to have a website. That’s because in 2024, the state of Florida passed House Bill 1203. This bill was designed to promote transparency and accountability across homeowners associations. The bill consisted of several new requirements, including conditions related to record keeping:

• associations with 100 or more parcels, must maintain a digital copy of specified official records for download on the association’s website or through an application on a mobile device
• they must provide a copy of records or otherwise make the records available that are subpoenaed by a law enforcement agency within 5 days of receiving a subpoena
• they must maintain official records for at least 7 years, unless the governing documents of the association require a longer period of time

The deadline for HOAs to set up a website and make documents available to owners is January 1, 2025.

If your HOA has less than 100 homes, it would not be legally required to have a website at this time. However, the law could be amended to include smaller communities in the future. Small HOAs still benefit from using a community website, even if they are not required to maintain one.

I thought this requirement was just for condos

That used to be the case. HOAs were not mentioned in the first website law (House Bill 1237) directed at condominiums.

As of January 1, 2019, all condo associations with 150 or more units (excluding timeshare units) were legally required to have a website, or application that could be accessed through mobile device, that complied with specific requirements.

Then, HB 1021 was passed in 2024, lowering threshold requirements from 150 units to 25 units. Small condo communities have until January 1, 2026, to establish a website where owners can access records.

Additional changes were made in 2024 to address small condo communities. Now, condos with 25 or more units must also have a community website and make documents available to owners through the website.

Why were HOAs exempt from having a website before HB1203?

HOAs were never specifically mentioned in HB 1237, but back in 2017, Senate Bill 398 did state that “each association shall designate on its website” certain items.

The language in this bill simply wasn’t strong enough to compel HOAs to get a website if they had no motivation to do so.  

Furthermore, since condominiums are so densely populated, lawmakers may have felt that website requirements targeted at these communities would be more impactful.   

 Nevertheless, HB 1203 makes it clear that HOAs need a website, just like condominium communities.

What official records need to go on the HOA’s website?

Documents that are considered “HOA records” should be posted on the website. This does not mean that the general public will have access to these items.

Documents must be shared on a private, password-protected section of the website. Only members and staff of the association would have access to the password, ensuring sensitive information is guarded.

Below are the key items that HOAs must post on their website. To see the requirements in their entirety, click here:  

• The articles of incorporation of the association, and each amendment thereto
• The bylaws of the association, and each amendment thereto
• The declaration of covenants, and a copy of each amendment thereto
• The current rules
• A list of all current executory contracts or documents to which the association is a party or under which the association or the parcel owners have an obligation or responsibility and, after bidding for the related materials, equipment, or services has closed, a list of bids received by the association within the past year
• The annual budget, and any proposed budget to be considered at the annual meeting
• The financial report and any monthly income or expense statements to be considered at a meeting
• The association’s current insurance policies
• The certification of each director as required by s. 720.3033(1)(a)
• Any contract or document regarding a conflict of interest or possible conflict of interest as provided in ss. 468.436(2)(b)6. and 720.3033(2)
• Notice of any scheduled meeting of members and the agenda for the meeting, as required by s. 720.306, at least 14 days before the meeting occurs. The notice must be posted in plain view on the homepage of the website or application, or on a separate subpage of the website or application labeled “Notices” which is conspicuously visible and linked from the homepage
• Notice of any board meeting, the agenda, and any other document required for such meeting as required by subsection (3), which must be posted on the website or application no later than the date required for notice under subsection (3)

Additional requirements

1. In addition to posting all of the required documents, an HOA must ensure that the website or application is accessible through the internet. 

• It must contain a subpage, web portal, or other protected electronic location that is inaccessible to the general public and accessible only to owners and employees of the association

2. When requested in writing, an association must provide an owner with a username and password and access to the protected sections of the association’s website or application.

3. The association shall ensure that the information and records that cannot be shared with owners are not posted on the website or application. It must redact private information if it appears in an HOA document before it is posted on the website. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the association or its authorized agent is not liable for disclosing information that is protected or restricted under paragraph (5)(g) unless such disclosure was made with a knowing or intentional disregard of the protected or restricted nature of such information.

4. Finally, the association shall adopt written rules governing the method or policy by which official records are to be retained, and the time period such records must be retained. This information must be made available to owners through the association’s website or application.

We need a website asap – what should we do?

DIY vs professional

You’ve got a few options when it comes to adopting an HOA website. First, you need to determine if the association is comfortable developing and maintaining the website on its own, or if the board requires help from a professional.

There may be a group of volunteers willing to take on the responsibilities of running the website. Wix is a great program for beginners, while WordPress is more appropriate for people who have some experience building websites.

Don’t forget that you will need a website host, too. In some cases, web hosting is offered with website building, but you can get these services separately.

If this all sounds overwhelming, then your board should create a shortlist of website companies they would like to work with.

Determine the HOA’s needs before hiring a design team

Before making a hiring decision, the board must have an understanding of what it requires (types of website pages, level of customer support, access to the backend of the site, hosting, costs, etc.). Companies will generally have multiple packages to choose from, and a basic option that makes sense for a smaller HOA may not meet the needs of a large HOA.

Evaluate cost, functionality and attractiveness  

A design company will happily answer your questions and tell you why they are qualified to build you a website, but the best ones will be able to show you what they are capable of doing.

Take some time to explore the “examples” or past projects” page. If you get access to a live site, assess how easy it is to navigate. Functionality and user experience will often be the key reasons behind a website’s success or failure.

Looks also matter when it comes to websites. Clean, simple designs have been proven to stand the test of time.

Not only does an aesthetically pleasing website draw owners in, but it also makes a good first impression on prospective buyers.

Finally, ensure the cost fits with the association’s budget. While the cheapest option isn’t usually the best one, your community doesn’t need to pay top dollar, either. The goal is to receive value in return for the money the association pays. On average, HOAs can expect to pay between $800 to $3,000 annually for a functional, professional site.

HOA Sites: A top choice for associations

Your board won’t have too much difficulty finding qualified website development teams. The bigger challenge will be making a final decision.   

Though we encourage you to consider multiple options, we also recommend adding HOA Sites to your list of candidates.

There are several reasons why HOA Sites is the preferred choice of small and large HOA communities, but the main reason is that we create custom websites specifically for homeowners associations.  

HOA website experts

HOA Sites has a keen understanding of what HOA communities want and need for their websites. We have worked with hundreds of board members and property managers, and have successfully met the needs of our clients. 

We have over 2 million active users, and have created over 6,000 websites for HOA communities.  

If you are in a hurry to launch your site, we can help you do it right, and do it relatively quickly.

Refreshingly easy to use

Our clients do not need any prior website experience to use HOA Sites. We know that most people don’t have coding experience, which is why we create templates that anyone can work with. Simply add text to a textbox, upload as many documents as you need, click save, and you’re done. If you can use email, you can use HOA Sites.

Unwavering customer support

Customers can’t say enough positive things about the support they receive from us.

We assign a personal project manager to every client so that they aren’t left to figure things out on their own. When building their website, this person helps the customer every step of the way.

On top of that, our response time for customer support is the best in the industry. During business hours, we respond to support tickets in under 3 minutes, on average, and post our response times as a way to keep ourselves accountable.

24/7 access to your website

One of the best parts of having an HOA website is the barrier-free access to information. That is the main reason Florida passed the website law for HOAs. Residents can view community documents, check announcements, and download forms on their own at any time.

With information always at their fingertips, they can better understand the challenges that their community is facing, and make strategic decisions that will benefit them now and in the future.     

But a website doesn’t help just residents. Staff and board members can work more efficiently when HOA information is consolidated and organized.

Additional features to simplify HOA management

In addition to making it easy for HOAs to upload and update documents and send communications, HOA Sites has several features that HOAs approve of. For example, communities can take advantage of accounting to collect payments online or track expenses. By managing finances through the website, associations improve financial accuracy and transparency.

HOAs can also handle maintenance requests, event registration, classified ads, and much more with HOA Sites.

HOA Sites has the experience and skills to help your association comply with legal mandates, and streamline manual processes. As a result, you can reduce the time that staff and board members spend completing tedious admin work, and empower them to take on the challenges that really matter.

We already have a website. Do we need to do anything else? 

If your HOA already has a website, you may not need to do anything more. However, just having a website is not enough to meet legal requirements.

Your website must have a password-protected space that only residents and staff can access. This space is where official records should be posted.

Check to make sure the HOA has posted all records required by HB 1203 (there are a lot of them). Records need to be updated when they are amended.

Be prudent when it comes to redacting any information that should not be viewed by residents and staff.

Ensure every resident has the password or code required to access the private area of the website.

Finally, share the method or policy by which official records are retained, and the length of time these records are retained, on the HOA website.

If a third party, such as your management company, is taking care of your website, now is a good time to review the content to ensure it complies with HB 1203.

In addition to that, find out or confirm who owns the website. Having ownership is important because if the relationship between parties suddenly ends, you won’t lose access to your site. Conversely, if the site is owned by the management company, the HOA would need to quickly build a new site or find someone to do it on behalf of the association.  

Conclusion

Florida’s new HOA website law aims to improve transparency and accountability within governed associations.

By requiring HOAs to post current community records, owners can check bylaws and rules, financial statements, insurance policies, meeting agendas, and more, without asking a manager or staff member for assistance.

The improved access to information allows members to stay informed and can assist with engagement and rule compliance, too. This convenience is especially helpful to members who don’t live in the community full-time. They stay connected to the HOA, even if they are not physically there.  

Even if a report doesn’t look good, it’s better to let owners see the numbers and prepare for a tough resolution than take them by surprise. 

While uploading documents to a website may require a bit of extra work, staff and board members will find that they actually spend less time fulfilling individual requests.

As a bonus, HOAs that share documents online also use less paper since not all items will need to be distributed to every owner.

If your community still wants to know more about HB 1203, your attorney is your best resource. And, if you would like to inquire about an HOA website, please contact us!