For homeowners in HOAs and condos
Your HOA, in plain English.
Fines, special assessments, records, board meetings, and the rules in your state, explained calmly. Plus letters you can send today.
Tools
Letters and calculators for HOA homeowners
HOA records request letter
Ask for budgets, minutes, contracts, and reserve studies in writing, with the right statute cited for Florida, California, Texas, or Arizona.
Open →Fine or violation appeal letter
Respond to a violation notice or fine: request a hearing, explain what happened, and show any cure, calmly and on the record.
Open →Dispute or complaint letter
Raise a problem with the board, such as a repair, a neighbor issue, or a rule being applied unevenly, and ask for a meeting or dispute resolution.
Open →Special assessment calculator
See your share of a special assessment by equal split or ownership percentage, and what a payment plan would cost per month.
Open →Before-you-buy HOA checklist
The documents to get, the numbers to check, and the questions to ask before you buy into a community association.
Open →Americans living in about 373,000 community associations: HOAs, condos, and co-ops.
Foundation for Community Association ResearchHow long Florida and Arizona HOAs have to make records available after a written request.
A.R.S. § 33-1805Florida’s default cap on HOA fines ($1,000 aggregate) unless the governing documents say otherwise.
Fla. Stat. § 720.305The short version
Four habits of homeowners who don’t get steamrolled
- Read the declaration once, before you need it. Most “the HOA can’t do that” arguments are settled by one paragraph. See how to read your HOA documents.
- Put things in writing. Requests, disputes, and responses to violation notices all go better on paper, with dates. Our letter builders help.
- Follow the money. The budget, reserve study, and minutes show where your dues go and what’s coming. Request them.
- Know your state’s law. It often sets deadlines, hearing rights, and fine limits your board must follow. Start with our state law pointers.
Guides
How HOAs work, explained
What is an HOA, and what can it actually do?
How homeowners associations are created, what powers they get from the declaration and state law, and where those powers stop.
Read →How to read your HOA documents
Declaration, bylaws, articles, and rules: what each document does, which one wins when they conflict, and the sections worth reading first.
Read →How to request HOA records (and what to do if they stall)
Which HOA records owners can see, deadlines in Florida, California, Texas, and Arizona, what can be withheld, and how to follow up.
Read →How to fight an HOA fine
Read the notice, check the rule and your state's hearing requirements, respond in writing, and prepare for the hearing. With Florida, California, and Texas rules.
Read →HOA special assessments, explained
Why associations levy special assessments, how your share is calculated, what approval may be required, and how to plan for one.
Read →HOA reserve studies: what they are and how to read one
What a reserve study measures, how often California requires one, what 'percent funded' means, and the warning signs to look for.
Read →Buying a home in an HOA: what to check first
The documents, finances, and rules to review before you buy into a homeowners or condo association, and the red flags that deserve a closer look.
Read →HOA board meetings and elections: how owners can take part
How HOA boards are elected, what happens at meetings, how to get on the agenda, and how to run for the board, with pointers to state rules.
Read →HOA dues, late fees, and liens: what happens if you fall behind
How HOA assessments are collected, what late fees and liens mean, state limits in Florida and California, and what to do if you can't pay.
Read →Not legal advice, and not anti-HOA
We explain how associations work and what the law says, with sources, so conversations with your board are clearer and calmer. We’re not a law firm, and we can’t advise on your specific situation. For liens, foreclosure threats, or lawsuits, talk to a lawyer licensed in your state. Read our editorial standards.