Who’s Really Managing Your Community?
If you live in a neighborhood with a homeowners association (HOA) or own rental properties, you’ve likely encountered some confusion around who’s responsible for what. Is the HOA in charge of maintenance? Is a property management company handling complaints? Can they both exist at once?
Understanding the roles, responsibilities, and benefits of HOAs vs. property management companies is crucial—especially in growing cities like Houston, where more communities are turning to outside professionals for help. This guide breaks it all down to help homeowners, board members, and landlords know exactly where each party fits in.
What Is an HOA and What Does It Do?
A Homeowners Association (HOA) is a governing body made up of elected homeowners from within the community. HOAs exist to protect property values, enforce community standards, and maintain common areas. Every homeowner in the community is automatically a member of the HOA and pays regular dues.
Key HOA Responsibilities:
- Enforcing Rules and Regulations: HOAs uphold community guidelines known as Covenants, Conditions, and Restrictions (CC&Rs). These rules can cover everything from home exterior paint colors to parking policies.
- Maintaining Common Areas: Parks, pools, clubhouses, entry gates, and green spaces are typically under the HOA’s care.
- Financial Oversight: HOAs create budgets, collect dues, manage reserve funds, and oversee large expenses like repairs or renovations.
- Board Leadership: HOA boards make decisions on behalf of the community and must act in the best interests of homeowners.
In short: HOAs make and enforce the rules that shape your community’s look, feel, and long-term value.
What Does a Property Management Company Do?
A property management company is a professional firm hired to handle the operational and logistical work involved in running a property or community. These companies can serve individual landlords or entire HOAs, depending on the contract.
Key Property Management Responsibilities:
- Day-to-Day Operations: From handling maintenance requests to scheduling vendors, property managers keep things running smoothly.
- Resident Communication: Managers respond to homeowner or tenant questions, enforce rules, and issue violation notices.
- Financial Management: They collect dues or rent, pay vendors, produce financial reports, and track delinquencies.
- Vendor Oversight: They coordinate services like landscaping, pool cleaning, or gate repairs and ensure contracts are fulfilled.
In short: Property managers are the operational arm—executing the decisions made by an HOA or property owner.
HOA vs Property Management: What’s the Difference?
While both HOAs and property management companies play important roles in supporting communities, they serve different purposes, operate under different types of authority, and interact with different clients. Here’s how they differ:
- HOA Boards are governing bodies made up of community homeowners. They’re elected by fellow residents and are responsible for setting rules, approving budgets, and making decisions that guide the community’s long-term vision. HOA board members typically serve as unpaid volunteers.
- Property Management Companies are hired professionals brought in by the HOA to handle day-to-day operations. They don’t set policy—they execute it. This includes handling maintenance requests, managing vendors, collecting dues, and serving as a communication point for residents.
- HOAs focus on governance: enforcing rules, maintaining community standards, overseeing financial health, and planning for the future.
- Property managers focus on operations: carrying out repairs, coordinating services, sending out notices, and maintaining records.
- HOAs hold legal authority over homeowners, backed by governing documents like the CC&Rs (Covenants, Conditions & Restrictions).
- Property management companies have authority only through their contract with the HOA or property owner. They work under the board’s direction and don’t make decisions independently.
Where They Overlap: A Collaborative Partnership
In many neighborhoods, an HOA board will hire a property management company to help fulfill its responsibilities. This partnership is designed to make life easier for volunteer board members and streamline the management of the community.
- The HOA board remains in control, setting direction and making final decisions.
- The property management company acts as the executor, handling the day-to-day work, resident communications, and vendor coordination.
This balance of leadership and execution helps ensure that communities are both well-governed and well-maintained—even as they grow more complex.
A Strong Community Needs the Right Support
Whether you’re a homeowner wondering who to call for a leaking pool pump, or a board member overwhelmed with paperwork, knowing the difference between HOA and property management roles is essential.
At Creative Management, we work alongside HOA boards across Houston to provide expert property management services that lighten the load while keeping communities thriving. Our job is to help your HOA focus on leadership—while we handle the logistics.
Need help managing your HOA community? Contact Creative Management today to learn how our experienced team can support your board, your budget, and your neighborhood.