HOA Articles and Guides

Mello-Roos vs. HOA Dues: What Each One Pays For

Table comparing a Mello-Roos community facilities district special tax with HOA assessments: who levies each, what it funds, how you pay, how it changes, whether it ends, and what happens if you do not pay. Mello-Roos is levied by a public agency on the property tax bill; HOA dues are paid directly to a private association.

Mello-Roos is a government special tax on your property tax bill; HOA dues are private assessments. How they differ and how to look up both.

How to Switch HOA Management Companies

Six steps for switching HOA management companies: read the termination clause, decide as a board, line up the replacement first, send the notice of termination, work the transition checklist, and tell the owners, with a caution to have the association's attorney read an unclear termination clause first.

A step-by-step guide to changing HOA management companies: the termination clause, the board vote, the notice, the transition checklist and the first 90 days.

Short-Term Rental Rules by City: Sacramento to San Jose

Table comparing city short-term rental rules and HOA rules for owners in Sacramento, Roseville, Folsom and San Jose: where to look, what each covers, the common mistake of treating one approval as the other, who enforces, and what a board can do. Both layers apply and the stricter one controls.

Permit, residency, day-cap and tax rules for short-term rentals in Sacramento, Roseville, Folsom and San Jose, and how they stack with HOA rules.

How California Law Protects HOA Money a Manager Handles

Six ways California law protects HOA money handled by a manager: a trust account at an insured California institution, an association account on the board’s written request, no commingling and separate records, board approval for transfers above $5,000 or $10,000, monthly board financial reviews and crime coverage that includes the management company.

How California protects HOA money a manager handles: trust accounts, no commingling, board approval for big transfers, monthly reviews and crime coverage.

Certified HOA Managers in California: What the Title Means

Six facts about certified HOA managers in California: there is no state license, certified common interest development manager is a protected title, it requires at least 30 hours of coursework and an exam, only individuals can be certified, managers disclose their certification every year, and misusing the title is an unfair business practice.

California doesn’t license HOA managers, but it protects the word certified. What the title requires, how to check it and what managers must disclose.

Managing Agent Disclosures in California HOAs

Five disclosures a California HOA management company owes the board: a written statement before the contract, conflicts of interest when bidding, yearly disclosures about certification, office, licenses and fidelity insurance, an acknowledgment that documents belong to the association, and an annual fee statement for the board to review starting in 2027.

What a California HOA management company must disclose to the board before a contract, when bidding and every year, and the new 2027 fee statement.

How to Write an HOA Management RFP

What to put in an HOA management RFP, with a copy-ready outline, scoring table, timeline, interview questions and the California disclosure rules.

Exclusive Use Common Area Explained

Watercolor illustration: condo balcony with planters above an assigned parking space.

Exclusive use common area is common area reserved for one owner, like a balcony or parking space. Here is who maintains, repairs and replaces it.

55+ Community HOA Rules in California: A Board’s Guide

Chart of key numbers for California 55+ communities: a senior 55 or older in each home, the federal 80 percent occupancy minimum, age surveys updated at least every two years, qualified permanent residents 45 or older or a spouse or cohabitant, guest stays of at least 60 days a year, a 90-day rule for caregivers during a senior's medical absence, and the 35-unit threshold.

How California 55+ communities stay legal: the federal 80 percent rule, age verification every two years, and who may live in the home under Civil Code 51.3.

Solar and EV Chargers: What California HOAs Can Restrict

Chart of California HOA limits for solar panels and EV chargers: 45 days to decide a solar application and 60 days for an EV charger, or it is deemed approved; solar restrictions may not add more than $1,000 or cut efficiency more than 10 percent; EV restrictions may not significantly raise cost or lower performance; insurance certificate within 14 days of approval; penalty up to $1,000 for a willful violation.

California HOAs cannot ban solar panels or EV chargers but can set reasonable conditions. The cost limits, approval deadlines and board options.