Building a good relationship with your community manager does a lot to let your neighborhood thrive. However, not all managers are the same, and some may even cause your community to fail. Here are tell-tale signs you should change HOA manager right away.
What is an HOA Manager?
Your community’s HOA manager is the expert or professional from an HOA management company who is assigned to help your HOA’s day-to-day operations. This person is also your HOA board’s main point of contact for service providers and vendors.
HOA managers don’t replace the board, nor do they have the same authority. They only offer support by taking on the bulk of the tasks that should otherwise be handled by the board. These tasks usually include administrative responsibilities, financial monitoring, resident communications, and meeting preparations, among other things.
Since this role is connected to many different moving parts of the community, having a bad one can create many problems. If your HOA board still needs to oversee basic tasks, the HOA manager may be failing in their duties.
9 Signs That You Should Change HOA Manager
While not all issues can be traced back to a lousy manager, there are telltale signs that they are the root cause.
Here are signs that you should change the HOA manager:
1. Poor Communication
An HOA manager who doesn’t communicate properly with your association is one of the biggest signs to watch for. HOA board members shouldn’t really wait too long to get a response from them. If they do, that means decisions are being delayed, and small issues can evolve into something bigger.
On the residents’ side, many feel frustrated that none of their inquiries are being answered.
At the very least, an HOA manager should provide on-time updates.
2. Lack of Transparency
Since they remain in charge of all operations, association boards should still know what the manager is doing. They need to be informed whether contractors are being paid or if there are issues that need attention.
One sign that you need to change the HOA manager is the lack of transparency with these matters. When this happens, the board of directors is left guessing. You may have missing records and inaccurate reports, which may all negatively impact the HOA.
Watching out for this lack of transparency is especially crucial when it comes to your HOA finances. Your managers should always provide clear and accurate updates about the state of your association’s funding and reserves.
3, Neglected Maintenance
Landscaping is one of the most visible signs of HOA management quality. When lawns, trees, irrigation, or common areas are neglected, homeowners will quickly notice.
The manager may not perform the landscaping work directly, but they should help monitor the vendor’s performance and report any problems. If the same landscaping complaints keep coming up, the issue may be poor oversight rather than the vendor alone.
Resident Complaints Going Up
Every HOA receives complaints from time to time. However, a steady increase in resident complaints can show that the manager is not handling concerns effectively.
Complaints may involve slow responses, confusing notices, billing problems, maintenance delays, or poor customer service. The board should look for patterns. If the same issues appear month after month, it may be time to request a change of HOA manager.
Lack of Guidance
An HOA manager should help guide the board through routine procedures and common community issues. This does not mean giving legal advice, but the manager should understand basic HOA operations and know when the board should consult an attorney, accountant, or other professional.
A lack of guidance can leave the board unsure about meetings, rule enforcement, elections, budgets, contracts, and owner communications. This can be especially difficult for new board members who rely on management support.
Compliance Issues
Compliance issues can pose risks to the association. These may include missed meeting notices, inconsistent enforcement of rules, poor recordkeeping, late budget preparation, or failure to follow the governing documents.
The board remains responsible for final decisions, but the manager should help the association stay organized. If mistakes keep happening, the board should take the issue seriously.
Board Becomes Overwhelmed
One reason boards hire professional management is to reduce the workload on volunteer directors. If board members are still chasing vendors, answering routine owner questions, and tracking unresolved tasks themselves, the manager may not be providing enough value.
A good manager helps the board focus on policy, planning, and oversight. If directors feel like they are managing the manager, the arrangement may no longer be working.
Financial Losses
Financial problems are a major warning sign. These may include missed collections, duplicate payments, budget errors, late fees, weak vendor oversight, or failure to report problems early.
The manager should help the board understand the association’s financial position. If poor management has cost the HOA money, the board should document the issue and decide whether a change is needed.
Delayed or Unfinished Projects
HOA projects often require coordination between the board, vendors, homeowners, and sometimes outside professionals. A manager should help keep approved projects moving.
Some delays are unavoidable. However, the manager should still provide updates, explain obstacles, and track next steps. If projects are repeatedly delayed, forgotten, or left unfinished, the board may need stronger support.
Changing HOA Managers
Can you change the HOA manager without changing HOA management companies?
Yes, in many cases, you can change the HOA manager without changing HOA management companies. This may be the best option when the board is satisfied with the company overall but unhappy with the individual manager assigned to the community.
This approach can preserve the same accounting systems, contracts, vendor contacts, and company resources. It can also be less disruptive than changing companies completely.
Before making the request, the board should review the management agreement. Some contracts may include procedures for staffing changes, service concerns, termination, or notice requirements.
If the company refuses to address the problem, or if the same issues continue with a new manager, the board may need to consider changing management companies. At that point, the problem may be larger than one person.
Finding a Better Fit
The board should not ignore repeated management problems just because requesting a change feels uncomfortable. When communication, transparency, maintenance, compliance, and financial oversight begin to suffer, changing the manager can help protect the association and restore homeowner confidence.
The Forth Group provides HOA management services to communities in Chicago and the surrounding areas. Call us today at (312) 379-0400 or contact us online to get started!
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