HOA communities are exclusive to their homeowners, but it's not uncommon to find renters living there. Most HOAs in Roswell, GA, allow a certain number of homes to be rented out at any given time.
Rentals in an HOA present some challenges for the management of the community. Unlike homeowners, tenants are more likely to violate the HOA's rules and may not be keen to maintain the property they have rented. This is why rental property inspections in HOAs are essential.
An HOA needs to develop rental home guidelines and rules for conducting these inspections. In this article, we're sharing a few tips on how to go about it.
Guidelines for Tenant Responsibilities
Generally, every homeowner in an HOA is responsible for maintaining their properties, whether they live there or not. However, when a property is being used as a long-term rental, the owner may not be in a position to do routine inspections and maintenance. If the tenant is negligent and fails to inform the owner of any issues, the property's condition can worsen.
To prevent such situations, it's prudent for an HOA to develop tenant responsibilities as regards property inspection and maintenance. For example, you can make it mandatory for a tenant to report to their landlord about the condition of the property every four or six months. This will go a long way in ensuring owners are well-informed about their properties.
Engagement of Professional Inspection Services
Home inspection requires professional expertise. Although anyone can catch visible signs of property damage or weakness, some issues require someone who's properly trained and has the right tools.
For this reason, it's unreasonable to expect tenants or property owners to do a good job even when they have the best property inspection tips. A smart approach is to engage a professional inspection service that will be at the disposal of the homeowners. The service provider can be tasked with inspecting all the homes at periodic intervals and making a report that will be forwarded to the owners.
HOA Maintenance Standards
Why should an HOA care about the conditions of the homes in the community? Shouldn't it just worry about keeping communal assets, such as driveways and clubhouses, in good condition?
Well, the homes form a big part of the community's architectural style and landscape. If the homes start wearing down and nothing is done, the overall state of the community will deteriorate. This will lead to declining property values.
To ensure uniformity, HOAs must create maintenance standards. Left to their own devices, some homeowners will take shortcuts when it comes to property maintenance. But where there are standards that every home needs to meet, the owners will have no choice but to ensure their properties are inspected and maintained properly.
Rental Property Inspections Are Crucial in an HOA Community
Rental property inspections are key to preserving the attractiveness and value of an HOA community. HOA boards and management must develop guidelines or rules for these inspections; otherwise, everybody will pull in different directions.
If your Roswell HOA needs help developing these guidelines, PMI Roswell can help. As a full-service association management company that's part of a national franchise with decades of experience, you can bank on us to guide your community in the right direction.
Schedule a consultation with us today.
