Residents of Harvest, a large-scale community in Argyle, Texas, participate in a turkey trot. Photo courtesy of Harvest by Hillwood.
Many community association residents are welcoming back family and friends to their homes this holiday season as some restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic begin to ease and people feel more comfortable traveling. With Thanksgiving a few days away, it’s a good time to revisit community rules on parking, noise, and extended stays to ensure hosts are happy and guests feel welcomed.
Parking
The holiday season brings many people together, and that means extra cars will need to be parked around a community. Associations usually have broad authority to make rules and regulations related to temporary, short-term parking. The board can prohibit parking on lawns, in front of a fire hydrant, or anywhere that blocks a sidewalk, an emergency vehicle’s access, or another driver’s view.
Resident’s hosting guests should check the rules on visitor parking, including where they can park (such as an overflow lot, if the association has one) and the kind of parking passes they may need.
Noise
Celebrating the holiday season means that noise is inevitable, especially for residents in a condominium. It can become a nuisance if it stretches past midnight or if it makes the walls and floors in neighbors’ homes reverberate continuously.
If you’re hosting a holiday party, give neighbors a heads up of how many guests you expect and how long you anticipate the celebration to last. Be considerate of the amount of noise being generated by music, television, or pets. The association’s governing documents can provide guidelines for hosting parties and when quiet hours begin and end.
Overnight Guests
It wouldn’t be the holidays without some close friends or relatives staying overnight or a few days longer. Depending on how long guests are staying, the association may need to be informed. The governing documents typically have rules for both short-term and long-term guests.
>> Find more tips for the holiday season in “The Ultimate Guide to the Best Holiday Ever,” from the November/December 2021 issue of CAI’s Common Ground magazine.
