Every community should have a detailed HOA maintenance schedule. This schedule will guide all maintenance efforts and serve as a checklist to ensure no task is left neglected. January is the best time to draft a maintenance schedule for the year ahead.
What is an HOA Maintenance Schedule?
An HOA maintenance schedule is a plan that details the work, timing, and budgeting for routine upkeep and inspections of common areas. Tasks include everything from landscaping and amenity checks to infrastructure assessments.
Maintenance schedules should follow an organized format, with each task assigning responsibility, funds, and frequency. Timing can range from daily to annual, while some tasks need to be completed every few years.
This schedule ensures the board takes timely action and consistently performs preventive care. It allows the association to address minor issues early, preventing them from becoming major problems. Proactive maintenance also helps extend the lifespan of components and assets, thereby reducing costs and preserving value.
Condo Maintenance Schedule vs HOA Maintenance Schedule
Homeowners associations and condominiums share many similarities, but their differing structures mean that maintenance also covers different scopes.
In an HOA community, maintenance is limited to common areas and elements, such as pools, clubhouses, gates, and sometimes, roads. Homeowners are responsible for maintaining their individual properties.
Meanwhile, in a condo community, the association is responsible for additional components. These include elevators, hallways, stairwells, parking lots, and lobbies. There are also more shared elements, such as plumbing or electrical systems, walls, and roofs. Unit owners are responsible for unit interior maintenance.
Condominiums are notoriously more complex, and their maintenance schedules reflect that.
What to Include in Your HOA Maintenance Checklist
Staying organized will help board members prioritize tasks and quickly get a sense of what still needs to be done. To create a maintenance checklist, it is best to sort the asset inventory and list detailed action items. Then, specify the maintenance schedule, assign responsibility, and allocate funding.
1. Asset Inventory
Board members should take inventory of the association’s assets and components, along with their current condition. Examples include pools, playgrounds, parking lots, fences, HVAC systems, and drains. Having a complete list will prevent missing key items.
2. Task Identification
Next, each asset should have specific tasks defined. For example, swimming pools will require regular cleaning, inspections, checking water levels, and ensuring filtration and chemical distribution. Action items can vary depending on the type of asset, its condition, and its needs.
3. Frequency and Timing
Boards should then assign daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, or annual schedules based on each asset’s needs. It is best to organize the list according to frequency. That way, maintenance personnel can simply refer to the list to see which items require attention.
4. Responsibility
The next step is to designate the responsible party for each line item. It could be a staff member, a committee, or a contractor/vendor. Most tasks that require technical skills will be assigned to a professional. Meanwhile, simpler tasks can fall under the board’s or a committee’s responsibility.
5. Budgeting
Boards should ensure funds are allocated for preventive and reactive maintenance. While some tasks may be included in vendor contracts, others may be add-ons or offered à la carte. A maintenance schedule should work hand in hand with the annual budget.
6. Documentation
Finally, associations should keep detailed records of inspections, actions, tasks, and costs. This makes for a handy reference and creates an audit trail that keeps everyone accountable.
How to Plan an HOA Maintenance Schedule
Maintenance schedules are best divided into daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, and annual tasks to ensure nothing is skipped or missed.
Daily and Weekly Tasks
- Conduct general playground inspections
- Check vehicle gates
- Clean the pool
- Empty trash cans
- Restock supplies in common restrooms
- Walk through lobbies, hallways, and facilities ot check for safety issues
- Ensure functional entry points, doors, and locks
- Verify lighting is working, especially in high-traffic areas
- Check for signs of pests
- Mow and edge lawns
- Conduct general grounds maintenance
- General HOA common area maintenance (tidying, vacuuming, and mopping)
Monthly Tasks
- Perform pest control
- Conduct detailed playground inspections
- Ensure gate mechanics are functional
- Inspect for leaks
- Test smoke detectors, fire alarms, and emergency lighting
- Inspect all fire extinguishers
- More thorough cleaning of common areas
- Perform a general inspection of all common areas and facilities to identify small problems
Quarterly and Semi-Annual Tasks
- Conduct HOA road maintenance
- Service HVAC systems
- Walk through all mechanical elements (elevators, generators, etc.)
- Check landscaping
- Deep clean common areas and facilities
- Clean gutters and downspouts
- Check and adjust irrigation or sprinkler systems
Annual Tasks
- Trim or prune trees
- Conduct formal playground equipment inspections
- Check sidewalks
- Assess infrastructure
- Perform a full building envelope audit (BEA)
- Tune up HVAC professionally
- Inspect all major systems
- Inspect the roof for damage and leaks
- Check building exterior thoroughly (paint, siding, windows, doors, etc.)
- Check foundations and perimeters for cracks or gaps
Every Few Years
- Clean storm drains every 2 to 5 years
- Conduct engineer certifications for drains
- Check to see if smoke detectors require replacement
- Clean dryer vents
- Reseal grout
- Repaint or restain siding, decks, etc.
- Inspect and pump septic tanks
- Conduct a full check of electrical systems
A Well-Maintained Association
A carefully crafted HOA maintenance schedule is an essential tool in ensuring continued operations. Proper and consistent maintenance serves to maintain appearances, support functionality, and preserve property values. Board members have a fiduciary duty to the community to uphold their maintenance obligations.
PAMco offers exceptional HOA management services to communities in Central Texas. Call us today at 512-918-8100 or contact us online to learn more!
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