Community associations across the country are coming alive with festive lights and holiday decorations. As residents gather to celebrate the season, it also means an influx of cars, guests, noise, and packages. To ensure a cheerful and festive holiday season, communities should plan, adopt, and communicate reasonable guidelines.
Parking
The holiday season brings many people together, and that means extra cars will need to be parked around the community.
Can the association regulate guest or visitor parking? The community’s governing documents usually give the board the authority to control unassigned parking spaces and to make rules and regulations related to temporary, short-term parking. Often, the board can prohibit parking on a lawn, in an emergency zone, in front of a fire hydrant, or anywhere that blocks a sidewalk, another driver’s view, or an emergency vehicle’s access.
Can the association charge a fee for guest or visitor parking? The right to charge a fee would be in the community’s governing documents. The association attorney should ensure whether such a fee is allowed by state law. Before adopting parking rules and fees, analyze the situation carefully. Are the rules and fees worth the effort? Are the problems caused by an increasing number of cars widespread, long-lasting, and creating dangerous situations? Or are the effects limited, temporary, and with minimal disruption?
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
Noise is inevitable when residents welcome friends, family, neighbors, or colleagues for parties. 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.
Package Theft
It wouldn’t be the holiday season without an increasing number of deliveries. If residents in your community association have been frequent targets of package theft, share some tips to deter thieves and ensure packages are kept safe:
- Schedule deliveries. When purchasing expensive items such as electronics, arrange for deliveries to be made when you are home.
- Notify a relative or a neighbor when you are expecting a package. If you can’t be home when a package is delivered, have a family member or a trusted neighbor be on the lookout. You also may want to give them permission to grab your package and hold it until you arrive.
- Install doorbell cameras or other security systems. Recording devices can provide evidence of package theft to bring to your association’s board and notify police. Check your association’s rules and regulations on these devices before installing them.
- Opt for package pickup. Many delivery companies have lockers and pickup points in numerous retail locations that have extended hours, allowing you to collect your package at your convenience.
Community association board members and managers should keep in mind that there are a wide variety of holidays throughout the winter and new year. Community associations should remind residents of their rules on decorations, parking, noise, and guests regularly so that no one is caught off guard. Reasonable rules can help avoid disputes. Share them, but don’t forget to share the holiday spirit too.
