HOA & Community Information Sheet for Rental Properties
An HOA or community information sheet gives a landlord or property manager one current operating summary of the rules and contacts that come from a condominium association, homeowners association, planned community, or building management organization. It should not replace the declaration, CC&Rs, bylaws, rules, budget, master insurance, or official notices. It should help the manager find and apply them correctly.
Community rules are highly property- and jurisdiction-specific. Federal housing sources such as HUD condominium guidance illustrate the types of governing, financial, insurance, and project documents that may matter in condominium management, but they are not universal HOA law. Always use the association’s current governing documents and applicable state/local law.
Quick answer: what should the sheet contain?
- Association/community name
- Management company and contacts
- Board or service contacts
- Dues and payment schedule
- Special assessment notices
- Governing-document location
- Rental or leasing restrictions
- Parking and vehicle rules
- Gate/fob/access procedures
- Amenity rules and hours
- Move-in/move-out procedures
- Master insurance reference
1. Start with the current governing-document set
Record where the declaration or CC&Rs, bylaws, rules, amendments, resolutions, and architectural guidelines are stored. HUD’s condominium project documentation lists governing documents, budgets, insurance, and other project records among the materials used in FHA project review, illustrating why owners should keep an organized current set.
2. Record management and board contacts
Include management company, community manager, general service line, after-hours emergency contact where provided, board contact method, maintenance request channel, and website or resident portal. Avoid listing personal contact information that the association has not authorized for distribution.
3. Track dues and special assessments
Record regular assessment amount, frequency, due date, payment method, late-fee source document, and any current special assessment. Keep official notices and budgets in the source file. Do not rely on a handwritten amount after a new budget or assessment is adopted.
4. Record rental and leasing restrictions carefully
Communities may regulate lease terms, tenant registration, move-in deposits, waiting periods, caps, short-term rentals, screening procedures, or required forms, subject to governing documents and law. Record the exact source section and current process instead of summarizing a rule from memory.
5. Track parking and vehicle rules
Record assigned spaces, guest parking, permits, towing rules, commercial vehicle restrictions, garage access, EV charging, and any registration process. Connect guest-facing or tenant-facing parking instructions to the official community rule.
6. Record move-in and move-out procedures
Some communities require elevator reservations, deposits, certificates of insurance from movers, restricted move hours, loading-zone rules, or building-staff coordination. Put lead time and contact details on the master sheet so a tenant turnover does not become a last-minute compliance problem.
7. Keep amenity and common-area rules current
Record pool, gym, clubhouse, storage, bicycle, trash, pet, balcony, grilling, package, and common-area rules that affect the rental. Use a reference to the official rule rather than rewriting a complex policy in ways that can become outdated.
8. Keep master insurance information with the property insurance file
HUD and Freddie Mac condominium guidance both recognize that association-level insurance and individual unit-owner insurance can interact. Record where the HOA master policy or certificate is stored and what the governing documents say about unit-owner responsibility. Use the Property Insurance Record Sheet for the owner’s policy information.
9. Record access devices and community credentials
Track gate fobs, garage remotes, elevator keys, pool cards, mailbox keys, or digital credentials by custody and status. Do not print reusable master access codes on a broadly shared community sheet. Keep secure credentials in the appropriate access-control system.
10. Create a notice-change workflow
When the association changes parking, move rules, amenities, dues, gate access, pet policies, or other operating requirements, update the source record first, then update tenant instructions, calendar tasks, and property procedures. Add an effective date and archive the superseded notice.
11. Review HOA/community information before lease renewal or turnover
Use the Property Management Calendar to schedule an annual or pre-turnover review of current dues, contacts, rental requirements, move procedures, insurance certificates, and access rules.
12. Keep disputes and enforcement notices separate
If the property receives a violation or enforcement notice, create a case-specific record with date, rule cited, photos or evidence, response, hearing information, fine or correction status, and final resolution. Do not bury an active violation inside the general community-information sheet.
A practical HOA/community sheet structure
- Association identity.
- Management contacts.
- Governing documents.
- Dues and assessments.
- Rental restrictions.
- Parking/access.
- Move procedures.
- Amenities.
- Master insurance.
- Notices and last-reviewed date.
How this fits into the PropertyBinder system
The Property Management Binder can keep the community-information sheet beside leases, parking records, access devices, insurance, notices, move-in/move-out procedures, and property calendars. For a multi-property portfolio, use the Multi-Property Management Checklist to preserve each community’s unique rules.
FAQ
Is an HOA information sheet a substitute for the governing documents?
No. It is an operating summary. The current official governing documents and applicable law control.
Should I list HOA dues on the sheet?
Yes, along with the effective period and official source, so the amount can be updated when the association changes it.
What if the HOA changes rental rules?
Review the official notice and governing authority, update the property record, and obtain legal advice when interpretation or enforceability is uncertain.
Should community access codes be printed?
Avoid broadly sharing permanent or master credentials. Track custody and store sensitive access data securely.
Track community financial changes that affect ownership
Record annual dues changes, special assessments, major reserve projects, and any owner obligations tied to those changes. Keep the official budget or assessment notice with the source documents. For a rental property, these items can affect cash flow, insurance planning, tenant communication, or capital timing even when the tenant does not pay the association directly.
Maintain a rental-compliance section
Where the governing documents regulate leasing, keep the current rental registration process, minimum lease term, tenant-information forms, move fees, occupancy rules, and required notices in one section. Cite the controlling document and effective date so staff can distinguish a current requirement from an old practice.
Track insurance responsibility between association and owner
Condominium governing documents and master policies can divide responsibility between the association and individual owner. Keep the current master-policy certificate or reference, owner policy, deductible information where relevant, and the governing-document section that explains unit responsibility. Review this with an insurance professional when coverage boundaries are unclear.
Create an HOA notice log
Use a simple log for notices that affect the rental: rule changes, construction, special assessments, parking changes, amenity closures, insurance updates, meetings, or violations. Record date received, effective date, action required, owner, and completion status. This prevents important community changes from disappearing into email.
Review community records before tenant turnover
Before a new tenant moves in, confirm current parking permits, gate credentials, move reservations, elevator rules, pet procedures, rental registration, and any deposits or forms required by the association. This prevents the property manager from discovering an outdated rule after movers or tenants are already on site.
After turnover, record issued fobs, permits, or passes so they can be accounted for at move-out.
Keep it current.
Recheck the sheet whenever community rules, contacts, fees, or access procedures change.