Contributed by Holly Lull, CMCA, AMS
Developing and implementing well-crafted policies is a cornerstone of successful community association governance. Thoughtful policies protect the association and enhance the overall quality of life for residents. Boards should have clear policies and procedures for governing operations, decision-making processes, rules enforcement, and financial management.
Well-crafted policies provide consistency, fairness, and clarity, and help manage expectations. Well-defined guidelines can help protect property values by ensuring everyone understands and follows agreed-upon community-wide standards. There are several important areas to develop strong policies:
- Membership meetings. These policies should aim to define how community meetings are conducted, covering topics such as scheduling, quorum requirements, voting procedures, and transparency. Consideration can be given to setting agendas and rules for speaking during open forums.
- Elections and voting. The board should consider a separate policy for nominating candidates, running fair elections, and recording results. It can include specifics on voting eligibility, ballot formats, and how to handle contested elections.
- Board meetings. These policies cover the frequency, format, and conduct of board meetings and would detail how members can add to the agenda, rules for speaking, voting procedures, and transparency.
- Committees. These include procedures for forming and managing committees, identifying committee purpose and authority, member selection, meeting protocols, and reporting requirements to the board.
- Communication. Establish communication protocols through newsletters, emails, websites, or physical mail. This may include guidelines for emergency notifications and routine updates. The board also can consider creating a social media policy to maintain a positive and respectful digital environment.
- Document retention and member access. These include guidelines for how long various association documents must be kept, stored, and discarded. These also should include how members can submit official requests for reviewing documents.
- Privacy and data security. These policies protect the personal information of homeowners and ensure compliance with privacy laws.
Writing policies is typically a collaborative effort involving the association board, committees, management, and an attorney. When differing views emerge, consensus-building is crucial. Seek homeowner input before finalizing a policy. Conducting surveys, holding open forums, or forming advisory committees are constructive ways to gather feedback. Community involvement fosters transparency and trust.
Policies should be specific to provide clear guidance yet flexible to accommodate unforeseen circumstances. Key elements include purpose, scope, procedures, consequences, and review mechanisms. Policies should be realistic, enforceable, and aligned with the community’s needs. All guidelines must comply with fair housing laws, respect homeowners’ rights, and avoid calling out specific groups of people.
Policies are not static. Regular reviews determine if they remain relevant and effective. They also should be easily accessible to all homeowners on the community website, in welcome packets distributed to new homeowners, or on file at community centers.
Holly Lull is with Associa in Youngsville, N.C.
>> Read more about policy crafting in Common Ground September/October 2025.
