How should an HOA board explain a dues increase to homeowners?
By OurHOA · General information · Revised
How an HOA board should explain a dues increase: budget notice timing, a clear letter, showing the numbers and reserves, a town hall, and answers to common questions.
Part of the HOA board handbook: residents and communication.
Start with the legal calendar
Before writing anything, confirm the board has the authority to adopt the increase and work out the dates. The governing documents may cap increases or require a member vote above a threshold, and a separate guide covers how much an HOA can raise dues and when owners must vote. State law often sets notice windows too. In California, Civil Code section 5300 requires the annual budget report to go out 30 to 90 days before the end of the fiscal year, and section 5615 requires individual notice of an assessment increase 30 to 60 days before the increased amount is due. In Colorado, section 38-33.3-303(4) requires the board to deliver a budget summary within 90 days after adopting a proposed budget and to set a meeting where owners can consider it; the budget stands unless a majority of all owners votes to reject it, unless the declaration says otherwise. In Florida, section 720.303(6) requires the association to give each member a copy of the annual budget or a notice that a copy is available at no charge, and section 720.303(2) requires meeting notices to say when assessments will be considered. Build your communication plan backward from those dates.
Lead with the number people will pay
Owners want three facts first: how much, starting when, and why. Put the new amount per home in the first paragraph, both as a total and as the change per month. 'Starting January 1, quarterly dues will increase from $540 to $594, an increase of $54 per quarter or $18 per month.' Percentages matter less to owners than dollars, though you should include both. Then give the two or three reasons that account for most of the change. If insurance went up $19,000 and the reserve contribution went up $12,000, say exactly that. Vague explanations such as 'rising costs' read as evasive even when they are true.
Show the numbers behind it
Include a one-page table comparing this year's budget with next year's for every line that changed by more than a small amount. Add a short column explaining each change: new insurance premium quoted on renewal, landscaping contract rebid, water rate increase from the city, reserve contribution raised to follow the reserve study. Readers will look for the line they suspect, so do not hide small increases in a combined category. If the board cut anything to limit the increase, list those cuts too. Owners take an increase better when they can see the board looked for savings first. Attach or link the full proposed budget.
Explain reserves in plain terms
The reserve contribution is often the part owners understand least. Explain it with the community's own examples. 'Our reserve study estimates the roofs on the pool house and clubhouse will need replacement in about six years at a cost of roughly $85,000. Setting aside a bit more each year now is how we avoid a special assessment of about $1,000 per home when that bill arrives.' Mention when the reserve study was last updated and where owners can read it. If the association underfunded reserves for years and is catching up, say so directly rather than blaming inflation for all of it. Owners tend to accept a clear explanation of a past shortfall more readily than a vague one.
What not to say
Avoid language that sounds defensive or final before the process is final. Do not describe a proposed budget as decided if owners still have a chance to comment or, in some states, to reject it. Do not suggest owners who object are uninformed. Do not promise that dues will not rise again next year unless the budget actually supports that. Do not compare the increase to other communities' dues without context; different amenities and ages make those comparisons misleading. And do not send the notice in the middle of a holiday week and expect people to read it.
Hold a budget town hall
An informal information session two to three weeks before the board adopts the budget, or before the owner meeting in states that require one, gives owners a chance to ask questions before positions harden. Keep it structured: the treasurer walks through the budget in ten minutes, then questions. If a quorum of the board attends and discusses association business, the session may count as a board meeting under your state's open-meeting rules, so either notice it as a meeting or keep board discussion out of it. Record the questions asked and publish written answers afterward, because many owners will not attend.
Publish a short FAQ
The same questions come up every year, so answer them in writing. Why can't we just use reserves? Because reserve funds are set aside for specific future repairs and spending them on operations moves the problem forward. Why not bid out the landscaping? Say when it was last bid and what the bids were. Can the board raise dues without a vote? Explain what your documents and state law allow. What happens if I pay the old amount? Explain how the shortfall will be treated. Can I get a payment plan? Point to the payment plan policy if there is one. Keep answers short and factual.
Fix the payment mechanics
Many complaints after an increase are about payments, not the budget. Owners with bank bill pay or scheduled payments will keep sending the old amount unless someone tells them to change it. In the notice and again two weeks before the first new due date, tell owners to update any scheduled payments and explain whether the association's own autopay will adjust automatically. Update coupon books, the website, and any printed payment instructions. For the first month or two, have the treasurer treat small shortfalls with a friendly reminder before any late fee applies, if your collection policy allows that discretion. Keep a list of owners who paid the old amount, contact them individually, and note the contact in their account. Those small follow-ups prevent a wave of late fees that would undo the goodwill the explanation built.
Sources
These guides are general education for HOA boards and residents, not legal, tax, or financial advice. Rules vary by state and by your community's governing documents - check with a professional for your situation.
More from the board handbook
- What should an HOA welcome packet for new homeowners include?
- How do you write an HOA newsletter homeowners will actually read?
- How should an HOA board survey homeowners before a big decision?
- How should an HOA board respond to a homeowner's records request?
- How should an HOA board handle a hostile or abusive homeowner?
- How should an HOA board communicate with renters and tenants?
- What should an HOA resident portal do for homeowners?