As a homeowners association manager, you must be able to wear many hats to become successful. You often have to serve as the pillar of the HOA while offering assistance to the board. To be efficient, it’s important to know what is or isn’t part of your responsibilities.

What kind of manager are you?

Before anything else, you must determine what type of manager you are, be it an onsite manager or a portfolio manager.

Onsite managers

You serve at the pleasure of the board so they have control over you and other employees. You are much more involved in the decision-making process and the rest of the operations. Typically, you work for larger associations that have bigger budgets as well as have human resource responsibilities.

Generally, you will go out and look at everything related to the community. Then, you make suggestions on what the board may do next. It’s also your job to ensure there is progress in every project they tackle.

Portfolio managers

This is when you manage a portfolio thereby handling more than one association at a time. You are usually paid for your time so you have to identify all that needs to be done on the property yourself. You’ll have to take the initiative about making the recommended changes too.

The main difference is that the HOA is paying for only a percentage of your time. You aren’t dedicated to one community nor their issues so there has to be some collaboration happening.

What can they expect from you?

Regardless of the arrangement, managers are expected to run the operations as efficiently and profitably as possible. They have to stick to the guidelines established by the board or association too. You may be wondering if it’s also reasonable for people to expect the following from you:

• Being proactive in the operation of the community while suggesting to the board better ways to operate
• Sharing to the board the operational improvements and experiences you have with other communities
• Guiding the board to ensure they comply with all of the legal requirements, including tax laws
• Overseeing and making transparent the financing and budgeting so every dollar is spent wisely
• Understanding the goals and objectives of the board so plans are aligned with their vision
• Providing suggestions and best practices that is based on experience rather than just theories
• Considering policies that you’ve seen other boards adopt, such as parking, smoking, and pet policies

All of the above are part of the basic job description of a properly or community association manager. The degree to which you may lead and assist the HOA in their operations is influenced by your professional drive, management contract, work load, and experience.

What is outside of your duties?

While it’s admirable when you make an effort to go beyond your job description, there are also dangers to taking on too much responsibility. Here is an example of when you’re doing too much:

Let’s say you are working with a homeowners association that has a landscaping project. They are thinking to add aesthetic enhancements like flowers and signs around the clubhouse. Also, they want to plant a number of mature trees over the span of three years.

Some boards expect the manager to oversee every detail of the project. However, this isn’t possible when you’re a portfolio manager as you won’t have the time nor the expertise. In this instance, it’s better for the HOA to hire a professional that specialises in landscaping projects.

There is a popular misconception about property managers, which is that they’re technical experts about roofing or electrical work. While it’s true that they have to know about a wide range of property-related things, they are supposed to only relay information from the experts to the board.

They may also work with the board to find and hire the experts that the community needs to turn projects into a reality. Still, this doesn’t mean that you have to handle issues that are outside of the association’s control. These include problems like vandalism on streets not owned by the HOA.

Security is another concern that has to be addressed properly but within bounds. The HOA isn’t responsible for creating a safe haven for every resident or member of the association. Leave that kind of job to the police and other authorities.

How to avoid too much responsibility

Whatever level of service you’re providing, make it clear how much you’re willing to give to your client or employer. Think about the scope you want to handle before you enter into any kind of agreement with a community.

Get everything in writing, including how much may be delegated to you, how much authority you may exercise, and what times you are available to tackle concerns.

Get help for HOA management work

Being an HOA manager, you are responsible for the management and support of communities, including but not limited to regular interaction with vendors/homeowners/members, daily operations, support of the board of directors, budget preparation, neighbourhood meeting attendance, and overall community business management.

If you think you’re up for that kind of job, we at Remote Workmate can help you find a spot with a good employer. We are a staffing agency connected to all kinds of clients, including homeowners associations, condo associations, and property management companies.