How do you fire an HOA management company?
Reviewed by the OurHOA team · Updated June 2026
How an HOA board can terminate its management company: reading the contract, giving proper notice, and getting the association's records, funds, and bank accounts back without a gap in operations.
The short answer
Firing a management company is a board decision, made the way any vendor contract is ended - by following the termination terms in the management agreement, voting to terminate at a properly conducted meeting, and giving written notice. The single most important thing to get right is the handoff: the association's records, funds, and bank accounts belong to the community, not the manager, and you want them back cleanly and on a schedule so day-to-day operations - billing, vendor payments, maintenance - never go dark in between.
Read the management agreement first
Everything starts with the contract. Look for the term (is it a fixed one-year term, or month-to-month after the initial period?), the termination clause, and the notice period. Many agreements allow termination for convenience with 30, 60, or 90 days' written notice, and separately allow termination for cause - a material breach - sometimes on shorter notice. Check for an early-termination fee or any auto-renewal (evergreen) clause that requires you to give notice by a deadline or be locked in for another term. Knowing exactly which clause you are using, and what notice it requires, prevents the company from arguing the termination was invalid. This is also a good moment to revisit our guide on what an HOA management company does, so the board is clear on which functions it will need to cover or re-assign.
Vote and give written notice the right way
Because hiring and firing a manager is association business, the decision should be made by the board at a meeting with the action reflected in the minutes, consistent with your bylaws and any open-meeting requirements. Contract negotiations and the decision to terminate are among the topics a board can typically discuss in executive session before acting, but the action itself belongs in the record. Then send written notice exactly as the contract specifies - the right address, the right method (often certified mail), and the right amount of lead time - and keep proof of delivery. A clean paper trail here is what keeps a routine termination from turning into a dispute over fees.
Get your records, funds, and accounts back
The association owns its records and money; the manager only holds them. On termination the outgoing company has to turn over the official records, financial books, reserve and operating funds, and control of the bank accounts. Some states put a clock on this - California's Civil Code section 5380, for example, requires a managing agent to return association funds and records within set deadlines after the agreement ends. Make a written checklist of what must come back: the membership and owner-contact roster, financial statements and ledgers, bank and reserve account access, vendor contracts and insurance policies, recorded governing documents, architectural and violation files, and any keys, gate codes, or software logins. Confirm that bank signature authority is moved to the board or the new manager so payments don't bounce. Our guides on HOA recordkeeping and document retention and on how to request HOA records explain what the association is entitled to hold and inspect.
Plan the transition so nothing falls through
Time the change so there is no gap. Most boards line up the next manager - or a plan to self-manage - before sending the termination notice, then set an overlap or a firm handoff date for funds, records, and accounts. Notify residents where to send payments and questions during the switch, redirect the lockbox or payment portal, and make sure recurring vendors (landscaping, insurance, utilities) know who is now authorizing and paying them. A short written transition timeline, agreed with both the outgoing and incoming managers, is the difference between a smooth change and a month of missed bills and confused owners.
How OurHOA helps
The hardest part of changing managers is making sure the community's information actually comes with it. OurHOA helps small self-managed communities keep their owner roster, financial records, documents, and violation and architectural history in the association's own hands rather than locked inside a departing vendor's system - so a board that decides to switch managers, or to self-manage, already has the records it needs and can keep collecting dues and serving residents without missing a beat.
OurHOA is the friendly, affordable way self-managed communities keep dues, records, and reminders in one place. See how it works.
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.