Homeowners and Condominium Associations create rules and regulations to maintain a certain standard within their communities. One aspect of these rules should include items on display within the community. Establishing and enforcing rules for holiday decorations isn’t being a grinch. It’s upholding the values of your community. Having established, agreed-upon standards can help avoid discord and provide a little joy to the world, or at least the community.
When creating a set of standards, there are many aspects to consider. By outlining these points before they become issues, your board can have a happy holiday.
Timing
If it’s important to your community members, establish a time frame for putting up and taking down holiday decor. Timing can vary from community to community. Usually, though, associations let homeowners decorate a month before Christmas and require removal two weeks after, or once Three King’s Day has commenced.
You may also consider imposing dark hours, say 11 pm-6 am for lights. Be sure to allow some flexibility on the holidays themselves, as some kids believe Santa uses the lights to find their house.
Size
Chances are, someone in your community would mind living next to the Griswolds, so establishing rules on the scope and size of displays may be a good idea.
A 20-foot inflatable Rudolph may be a lot of fun at night, but it may also impede someone’s view. It will certainly be a nuisance when your landscape team attempts to maintain the property. Chances are it will also look sloppy when deflated. Remember, maintaining the property value of your community is the goal of your HOA. Set size restrictions that allow your community members to express themselves, without impeding the enjoyment of others.
To avoid conflict, allow enthusiastic homeowners the option of having the Architectural Review Committee assess their plans. This committee should also be consulted when any decor is affixed to the exterior of the property. This will help ensure decorations are neighbor-friendly and safely installed.
Noisy Decorations
Some noises immediately bring seasons to mind, like a witches cackle, a turkey’s gobble, or your favorite Christmas melody. More and more, sound effects are being incorporated into holiday decor. While watching dancing Christmas Lights to ‘All I Want for Christmas’ is great at first, after a month, some neighbors may be a bit tired of hearing it over and over and over again.
By establishing rules about when or for how long these types of musical displays can run, you can avoid discord among neighbors and allow for everyone’s quiet enjoyment of their homes.
Be Proactive to Increase Compliance in Your Community
As a board member, it’s your job to take into account your community members' wishes and create a solid set of rules that everyone can follow easily but also to communicate those rules to homeowners and enforce them.
Be proactive with reminding your community members of the standards well before the holidays. Whether you post it on the community board, discuss it in a meeting, post it to your communities’ website, drop flyers, or any combination, reminding members of the rules before they start planning decorations will help encourage compliance. If you find your board answering the same questions over and over, consider adding a Q&A portion to your announcement.
While no one wants to be a grinch, ensuring compliance is a part of the job. Let community members know that inspections will be scheduled around the holidays. Be sure that when inspections occur, they are fair and just.
By establishing clear guidelines, communicating with your community, and enforcing the rules, you are setting up both your board and your community for an enjoyable holiday season.
We at Allied Property Group Inc. would like to wish all of our board and community members the happiest of holidays and a wonderful new year.