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We all love to show our festive spirit when the holiday season comes around. For many of us, this means decorating our homes with lights, wreaths, and other holiday decorations. In fact, recent studies show that at least 43% of Americans decorate the outside of their home during the holidays each year.
But if you live in a neighborhood with a Homeowners Association, there might be some rules you need to follow about decorating. HOA holiday decorating rules are guidelines set by your HOA about what kind of decorations you can use, where you can put them, and when you can start and stop displaying them.
And while they might seem ridiculous, the rules ensure everyone in the neighborhood can enjoy the holiday season without any problems. So before you start hanging up your holiday lights, here's a quick overview of some of the most common rules regarding holiday decorations.
HOA Holiday Decorating Rules: Tips for Implementation
Whether you're in charge of HOA compliance for your neighborhood or are a homeowner looking to ensure you're compliant with rules regarding exterior decorations, here are a few guidelines that make managing holiday decorating easier for everybody involved.
Establish a Decoration Period
It's typically the responsibility of the Homeowners Association to set a specific time for putting up and taking down decorations. If you're in charge of the HOA, ensure all residents have received information regarding the dates for holiday decorating. If you're a resident, check with the HOA about these dates.
Discourage Disturbing Lights
Some Christmas lights can be too bright or flashy. Encourage residents to use softer, less distracting lights to avoid disturbing others. If anybody in the neighborhood has medical issues others should be aware of, let other residents know (while protecting the privacy of the resident in question).
Discourage Loud Decorations
When decorating your home, it's tempting to go all out. You've likely seen YouTube videos or TikToks of lavish holiday decorations that feature music.
While it looks cool, noisy decorations can be, quite honestly, annoying. Ask residents to avoid decorations that make loud noises. If you're a resident, respect the time of day and only turn on noisy decorations during certain hours.
Ensuring Adherence to Rules
It goes without saying, but it's crucial to have everyone follow the rules. However, this can be difficult to manage, especially during the holiday season.
To ensure adherence to the rules, remind homeowners of the regulations. You can do this through newsletters or community meetings. It's important to explain why these rules exist and how they benefit everyone.
Encouraging neighbors to report any HOA holiday decorating rule violations they notice can also be helpful. It promotes a sense of community responsibility.
What happens if someone doesn't follow the rules? It's important to have a penalty system in place for these situations. The fine amount can vary depending on your community type and location.
Sometimes, the HOA compliance rules already include a fine structure. If so, use that. A good starting point could be around $50 to $100 for the first offense. The goal is to discourage rule-breaking, not to upset residents with high fines.
Get Help with HOA Management
If you're a resident, be respectful of holiday decorating rules. If you're part of the HOA, we recommend getting help managing these rules. After all, HOA holiday decorating rules are one small part of managing a Homeowners Association.
Our experienced team of professionals can help. We take pride in delivering exceptional services while innovatively solving challenges unique to each community. Our ultimate goal is to add value back to the community and those that live there.
Click here to inquire about our tailored HOA management services, or call us at 609-773-8069 to get started now.
