On another side of the coin of … http://www.reiclub.com/forums/index.php?board=28;action=display;threadid=5585
How do you get the local HOA associate to stop harrasing your tenant and the neighbors from complaining that the wind blew today and it is all the fault of the “tenant next door” syndrome. It seems quite clear from the petty “violations” I have been receiving from the HOA that a neighbor or the association in general is really just pissed off that they have a high rental community.
If I thought it would do any good I would drive the 600 miles to the property every weekend just to note every complaint I can find on the owner occupied properties!
Any suggestions?
Why do you think the violations are petty? Do you have a copy of the HOA covenants? Is your renter violating any covenant? If you are 600 miles away, then how do you know how bad of shape your rental house is in? Are you taking your renter’s word that they are in compliance?
If a resident is breaking a covenant, then they (and you, ultimately) are required to resolve the issue. That’s the deal you signed up for when you bought the house since it was in an HOA community. Did you include HOA compliance in your renter’s agreement?
I’m not saying that I don’t believe you, so don’t take it personally. 
The fact is, those covenants were created to protect the property values of the homes in the neighborhood. Since you own the property, don’t you want to maintain the property value of your investment? If a house next door to your rental was in bad shape, wouldn’t you want them to be compliant?
I’m just trying to help you see the other side of this issue as well. I live in an HOA neighborhood and I’m glad that I have someone help my protect my property value.
Have a great day!
I have a property manager taking care of the property. And I agree that the HOA agreement is there to maintain values. I don’t know the whole story yet behind the violations. The notice simply states that there was one and I should resolve it.
Based upon the violations and speaking with the association and my property management it appears that the HOA tends to cite the rentals in the area much more often than the owner-occupied. Basically they hate rentals. The house was a new construction. We are going there this weekend to check on the property and to do an inspection. This should help us to determine if the tenant is the issue or if the issue is that the owner-occupied units don’t like renters.
If the HOA is indeed singling out rental houses, then that’s unfortunate. It shouldn’t matter if a house is a rental as long as it’s compliant, you know? Sounds like they are assuming that all rental houses aren’t as well-kept as owner-occupied. While that is sometimes true, it’s foolish of them to make that generalization. I have heard of “horror stories” regarding HOAs, so I wouldn’t be surprised if you are right about them issuing false citations.
Good luck, and let this thread know what happens…
I have owned a couple of Condos as my residences…sometimes the HOA thinks that they are the Gestapo. I think theat these guys don’t get to be in charge at work and certainly not at home, so when they become the “masters of their little domains”, they become over-zealous. Then it becomes a real game!
Keith