There’s nothing that will make your residents consider moving quite like waking up to the grating sound of construction on a Saturday morning. What may initially seem like a simple home renovation can easily turn into a months-long project that’s an ear and eyesore. Homeowners associations (HOAs) must have a plan in place when their residents request permission to renovate or go through with a renovation without permission. If your HOA has yet to nail down a process for dealing with homeowner renovations, consult a St. Petersburg HOA management company.
Plans and Permits
It is more than reasonable for your association to require plans and permits to be presented before allowing any renovations to take place. You never know when a small project may turn out to be outlandish or structurally unsound when given a closer look. These precautions are to the benefit of the homeowner as well. It is not uncommon for fraudulent contractors to take advantage of homeowners. However, as long as the plans do not violate association rules, you cannot restrict homeowners from performing their own work.
Quiet Time
Neighbors have just as much a right to peace and quiet as an owner has a right to renovations. Decisions made regarding renovations shouldn’t come at the expense of other residents. For this reason, your association should enforce strict times in which construction is permitted, and construction should be restricted to weekdays to limit its impact on the community.
Right to Entry
For renovations, your association should have rules in place that allows entry onto an owner’s property in the event of renovations. This is the only way to ensure that debris and litter are being removed and that improvements are progressing on schedule. When you’ve spent months looking at a half-completed residence, you’ll be glad you incorporated these provisions into your rules.
Worst Case Scenario
In the event that an owner is unwilling to address violations or cooperate with board members, you must be willing to implement fines. In the State of Florida, you can implement fines of up to $100 a day for ongoing violations. However, this should be a last resort. The last thing you want to do is to subject your HOA to a drawn-out legal dispute. In order to navigate through difficult situations like these, you need the assistance of a management company that can competently and consistently address community issues, a St. Petersburg HOA management company like Wise Property Management.
Are you ready to work with a St. Petersburg HOA community management company that makes life easier for you and your board members and improves the value of your property? If so, submit our proposal request form today!