Making decisions about budgets, property updates, and covenants can be a lot for any HOA board to handle. When you don’t have the right tools to execute these responsibilities, the job only becomes more challenging.
Fortunately, today’s self-managed HOA software systems alleviate much of the burden placed on HOA boards. These tools streamline processes so you have more time and resources to invest in what really matters — your community.
Seeking the best task management solutions for your HOA board? Check out this list of essential tools you can find through a property management system.
1. Virtual Board Meetings
Virtual board meeting tools allow you to host annual meetings from anywhere. Unit owners can vote from anywhere in the world, making it easier to manage votes and shares.
Here are some of the ways virtual board meeting tools help you run your HOA board more smoothly:
- Streamline meeting agendas: Manage candidates, proxies, units, voting, and documents more quickly
- Improve communication: Import, add, and remove units and owners for each building
- Import units with ease: Manage unit owners automatically by importing units via spreadsheet
- Reach quorum quickly: Vote online, and allow property management to watch the tally live
- Audit results: Export results after a meeting for a fully auditable spreadsheet
- Email invites and check-ins: Send meeting notices via email, and let owners set their own proxy, check-in, view documents, and vote from their own device
2. Communications
Whether you’re looking for better ways to enforce covenants or poll residents, efficient communication tools are essential. Features like email broadcasting and SMS alerts allow you to send messages and documents without wondering if everyone got the message.
You’ll save time and money using HOA software program features such as:
- SMS and voice broadcasting: Send time-sensitive messages to residents by categories based on location, occupant type, and other custom groups
- Email broadcasting: Use design templates to improve the professionalism and readability of your emails, which will increase open/read rates
- Surveys: Create polls for residents to help you establish event dates and make decisions about building updates
- Announcements: Post community events or scheduled maintenance announcements on public display screens, resident portals, and on the resident mobile app
- Event calendars: Manage maintenance, social events, amenity closures, and more
3. Maintenance Solutions
Maintaining common areas like pools, gyms, and landscaping can easily overwhelm even the most organized HOA board. However, the latest maintenance solutions help you keep your property in the best possible condition by streamlining maintenance tasks.
Here are just a few reasons HOA boards love automated maintenance tools:
- Automate requests: Easily convert work orders to PDFs, then send them to external vendors as needed
- Integrate tasks: Enter, update, and track tasks using a unified web portal or mobile app
- Create checklists: Create inspection checklists, duplicate existing checklists, or choose one from a library of templates
Conduct inspections: Capture photos and create work orders on the go in the maintenance module - Automate scheduling: Schedule and assign recurring preventive maintenance tasks for internal staff service providers or contractors
- Store equipment data: Check up on equipment details and service history, including manufacturer specifications and warranties
- Stay compliant: Track vendor details and compliance with easy storage of insurance certifications, licenses, etc.
- Never run out of stock: Track inventory quantities, measure usage, and generate notifications when stock is low
4. Financial Record-Keeping
Managing finances is one of the most essential roles of any HOA board. But setting budgets and allocating funds can be difficult without the right self-managed HOA software tools to inform those decisions.
Boards should invest in record-keeping and administrative tools that make the process more efficient, accurate, and organized. The right condo property management software helps run a better community, deliver a superior resident experience, and make smarter decisions.
Here are just a few of the features that benefit HOA boards:
- Collect HOA dues: Use automated payment systems to seamlessly collect dues — and remind residents of overdue payments
- Pay expenses: Pay vendors, outside maintenance teams, etc. using a convenient payment portal
- Track amenity reservations: Manage facility reservations by resident and unit, set reservation policies to match rules, or create shared reservations
- Collect resident fees: Enable residents to use the web portal to pay for reservation fees, parking permits, key replacements, etc.
- Organize documents: Digitally store all documents by the categories and subcategories of your choice. Set restrictions on who can view or edit the documents, then use workflows to alert recipients when new documents are added or edited
- Create reports: View automated reports that give you greater control and visibility of your budgets and financials
5. Resident Experience
An HOA board has the fiduciary duty to prioritize the best interests of its members, meaning resident experience should be a top concern. Self-managed HOA software can help improve the community by putting detailed property information at the fingertips of all residents.
Rather than passing out physical flyers or sending individual emails that get lost in the inbox, resident experience solutions allow HOA boards and members to stay connected using community portals, mobile apps, and smart home devices.
These property manager tools can be used for the following purposes:
- Reservations: Self-managed HOA software allows residents to make reservations in community spaces via a web portal or mobile app
- Service and maintenance requests: Residents can log into the app to submit a repair or service request
- Bulletin boards: Members can buy, sell, or rent goods and services within the community, or get local recommendations
- Community instructions: Post instructions for residents, service people, contractors, and more
- Contactless pick-up: Send automatic updates on delivery details and package status
- Parking permits: Enforce parking rules, and allow residents to create their own guest parking permits
- Social networking: Build community with a safe, secure online social network for members
- Payments: Members can pay directly for amenity reservations, key fobs, event fees, and more
Run a Better HOA Board with BuildingLink
If you’re looking for tools that will help you run your HOA board more efficiently and effectively, turn to BuildingLink. Our innovative, self-managed HOA software empowers HOA boards with the right tools to confidently manage their community. We also integrate with the industry’s leading property management accounting solutions for effective financial management.
Book a demo today and run a better HOA board with BuildingLink.