The Top 5 Reasons You Need HOA Management Software

Running a self-managed homeowner association can be a daunting task, especially if you’re still using spreadsheets, or worse, pen and paper. In today’s fast-paced world, it’s crucial to utilize technology to create efficiencies, giving you more time to focus on what only you can do.There are countless reasons why using a reliable and easy-to-use HOA management software is essential to self-managing a homeowner association. Here are our top five:

1. Collect HOA Dues Online

It’s common for the treasurer of an HOA to spend hours creating and printing invoices for HOA dues, stuffing them into envelopes, mailing or self-delivering them, and eventually collecting checks. After that comes depositing the checks as well as keeping track of who has paid and who has not. This entire process can take days, weeks, or even months to complete.

With HOA management software like Communitrak, this entire workflow can be completed in a single afternoon.

Community leaders can quickly assess a new charge to all residents or a group of residents in just a few clicks or taps.

Once the new charge has been created, residents are sent an email notification about the charge. Payments can be made securely using any debit or credit card as well as ACH. Once submitted, payments typically take two business days to appear in the HOA’s bank account.

You may be interested: The Benefits of Collecting HOA Dues Online

2. Manage Amenities and Reservations

Whether it’s a pool, tennis court, fitness center, or golf course, many HOAs have amenities for residents to enjoy. Sometimes residents want to reserve an amenity for exclusive access. Or, as we learned during the pandemic, sometimes residents enjoy amenities to a greater degree when they are less crowded. Having HOA management software can help you manage the amenities in your community while allowing residents to reserve access for specific time windows, in turn enriching the resident experience.

With Communitrak’s amenity management system, residents can select a time window to utilize an amenity for exclusive access or with reduced occupancy, depending upon how the amenity has been configured by the HOA.

And when a resident reserves an amenity, any applicable reservation fees and/or deposits are automatically assessed and collected. Talk about efficiency!

3. Secure File & Document Sharing

Transparency is fundamental when running a successful HOA. Residents must stay informed on what’s happening in the community. While you can print and deliver important documents to each household within your community, HOA management software allows you to easily share and control access to important files such as board meeting minutes and agendas, community covenants, or committee presentations. And keeping these files and documents in a secure online location ensures they remain confidential.

The Files module within Communitrak provides secure online storage exclusively accessible to active members of your HOA. As seen below, folders can be used to keep files organized and easy to find.

4. Track HOA Violations

Every week, board members spend hours creating, documenting, and notifying residents of covenant violations. A mundane and generally unpleasant task with lots of paperwork, good management software can make tracking HOA violations easy and more efficient. Instead of keeping paper records and clogging your personal camera roll with photos of neighbors’ overgrown yards or lawn ornaments, HOA software can store and track everything in a central, online location.

With Communitrak’s violation tracking feature, leaders can quickly create new violations including photographic and textual documentation to expedite a resolution. And residents have the ability to respond and provide additional information, keeping everyone informed.

In some cases, violations can create an escalated dispute. That’s why we designed Communitrak to keep track of every update, comment, and file upload with timestamps and associated user information, simplifying conflict resolution.

5. Maintain Accurate Resident Information

Managing a directory of resident contacts and ensuring all the information is accurate is nearly impossible. Phone numbers and email addresses can change due to unforeseen circumstances which may result in missing an important communication. With HOA management software that includes a resident portal, maintaining accurate contact information is a breeze. Because residents are able to access and update their information in their online resident portal, the process of updating an email or phone number is quick and easy.

With a platform like Communitrak, resident information is easily accessible and can be used for communication via email and text message. And built with privacy in mind, residents can opt to hide their contact information from non-leaders.

There are so many reasons why self-managed HOAs should use management software. We hope this quick list helped highlight some of the top features and benefits of a good software suite.

As you continue your journey of managing a homeowner association, please feel free to reach out to our team for support. We’d love to partner with you to learn more about your community and see if a platform like Communitrak could be beneficial for you and the residents of your HOA.