Blog Post

Board Member Stress Getting You Down?

gspmla • Nov 29, 2017

Being an HOA board member can come with a lot of stress. In addition to managing personal obligations, HOA board members volunteer their time to preserve and maintain the aesthetics of their neighborhood, often with little to no thanks.

It's no surprise that stress can build when balancing family obligations, work commitments and free time during a pandemic! Add to that association related tasks such as dues collections, routine inspections, maintenance and repair requests, calls from neighbors, vendor issues and you will find a situation where board members politely (or not so politely) decline to serve your association.

If you are an HOA board member, and feel you may be falling victim to the stress that comes with being on a board, keep reading to find out how to recognize and handle this issue.

Not only will these tips help you succeed in assisting your association, they will help you manage your role in a manner that allows you to maintain a balanced and healthy life.

How to Handle the Stress of Being a Board Member

People handle stress in many different ways. From walks, to deep breathing, exercise and yoga, it's important to find what works for you personally.  

Here are some of the top ways to relieve the stress that can sometimes build up as a board member.

1. Make a To-do List…and Stick To It

There are a lot of things you need to do when it comes to managing your association, especially if you are self managing (may the force be with you!).  Collecting dues, scheduling annual meetings, enforcing Covenants and Restrictions, lining up vendors, getting bids for improvement projects, processing architectural requests and transmitting those decisions - just to name a few.

Even if you have an incredible memory, you are bound to forget something at one point or another. In fact, trying to remember everything you need to handle can become a stressor in itself.

One of the best solutions for this type of stress is to keep a to-do list.

With a to-do list, you can easily write down the things you need to take care of, prioritize them accordingly, and mark them off as you complete them, so you know that everything has been taken care of.  Creating a quick reference guide to your association's governing documents is a great way to ensure the rules are enforced uniformly.

2. Handle Repairs Immediately

Board members are responsible for the overall aesthetics of the subdivision.  This responsibility comes with an obligation to address maintenance issues quickly.

Ignoring a maintenance issues will anger homeowners and make them question the efficacy of the board.  After all, homeowners pay dues to support the association and expect all maintenance and repairs to be handled promptly by board members or the property management company, if you have one.

In addition, failing to address maintenance issues promptly can end up costing the association more money in the long run.  That alone can become the source of a great amount of stress especially when questioned by other neighbors.

3. Have an Emergency Fund

In line with efficiently handling all maintenance and repair requests is the idea that the association should have a sizable reserve account on hand for emergencies.  

Money can be the source of stress in all areas of life. It is no different in the management of homeowners associations.

If you have ever encountered a major repair in your home - one that you did not have the money to repair right away - think about how that made you feel.

Stressed, right?

Avoid the stress of having to explain to neighbors why repairs and improvements cannot be done by building up and maintaining a reserve fund.  Board members are responsible for effectively managing the association’s funds which includes having enough reserves in the bank to cover an emergency.  


Establishing a reserve fund and being completely transparent about money will assist you in garnering the support of homeowners and will avoid the necessity of special assessments when emergent issues arise.

4. Become Educated About Board Membership

Often times people shy away from board membership because they do not know what it entails or they fear personal liability if something goes wrong.  

Educate yourself and all members of your board on their respective roles and responsibilities.  

At Gulf South Property Management we host a free training seminar for new and seasoned board members who want to constantly improve their associations.  This seminar is free to all GSPM clients and is hosted by a licensed real estate agent and attorney.  During the session we review the most recent HOA laws, emergent issues, dispute resolution and share best practices to improve your associations.  It's a great way to get your questions answered and hear what other local associations are facing as well. It's also a great way for neighbors who are considering serving on the board to get a deeper understanding of what their time commitment will look like and have their questions answered.

Educating yourself on how to save time and money for your association can make you feel more confident as a board member, and less stressed when a problem pops up.

5. Employ the Right Property Management Company

If your board members are stressed and overwhelmed, it is time to bring in some help or you will lose them.

It is okay to admit that you are a stressed out board member.

By hiring Gulf South Property Management you will save your association time, money and valueable volunteers.

Best of all, with the right property management company in place, board members can focus on more strategic, long term goals for the association while the management company handles the day to day heavy lifting.

A quality property management company can do the following for you:

If you are in the market for a property management company to help manage your HOA, contact Gulf South Property Management  today. Not only can we handle everything listed above, we take away many of the stressors associated with board membership.  

In the end, we believe that board membership should be a fun and enjoyable way to give back to your community.  Leave the technical stuff to our team of professionals so your board of volunteers can focus on improving your association and preserving property values.

Share this post

Should Your HOA be on Social Media?
By Tara Smith 25 Jun, 2021
The Pros and Cons of HOA Sites on Social Media
Is GSPM a Good Fit For Our Association?
By Tara Smith 15 Jun, 2021
Finding the RIGHT Property Management Company for your Association
Is the GEICO HOA ad reality?
By Tara Smith 10 Oct, 2020
By now most of us have seen GEICO's attempt a HOA humor. In a recent ad campaign homeowners are seen raving over their new neighborhood but sarcastically state "the HOA is very involved." If you haven't seen it, click here for your laugh of the day. At the outset, let's acknowledge it for what it is - humor. It's GEICO's spin on extreme HOA board members in an effort to get homeowners to purchase insurance through their company. Here we are blogging about it, so their advertising probably worked. So why did the Community Associations Institute (CAI) issue a statement against it inviting GEICO to make another ad reflecting more of the reality of board participation? The answer is simple. The ad does not reflect the reality of the more than 2.5 million volunteers who serve the communities in which they live. According to the 2018 Homeowner Satisfaction Survey , independently conducted by Zogby Analytics for the Foundation for Community Association Research, residents in associations are overwhelmingly in support of their community association experience, manager and elected board members. HOA board members are VOLUNTEERS who offer their time and talent to help maintain and improve the associations in which they live. The actions of board members are designed to keep the association in the same or better condition then when your home was purchased. However, some homeowners do not see it that way. The internet is replete with HOA memes and members complaining about violation notices or liens for not paying their dues timely. So, do "Cynthias" really exist? Sure they do. But they are the exception, and not the norm. At the core of most HOA criticism are members who routinely violate HOA rules, forcing enforcement actions to be taken. Interestingly, when people purchase homes in restricted communities, they are agreeing to abide by the rules in place for their respective subdivisions. It is not until they are the subject of an enforcement action that the rules become problematic. One solution to this problem is for homeowners to know and understand the rules that apply to their association BEFORE they purchase in a restricted neighborhood. For example, if you have a 40' motorhome and want to keep it in your driveway, you should check with your real estate agent to ensure this won't be a problem before you start viewing homes to purchase. If your significant other can't wait to paint the front door red, check with your real estate agent to ensure painting your new front door is allowable. A good real estate agent will get to know their clients and identify these issues before suggesting homes to view. At the end of the day, the rules run with the land. As a homeowner, you are agreeing to abide by the rules in place when you purchase a home in a restricted community. Read here for our tips on what to do if you receive a violation notice from you HOA. If you are still confused about who is making the rules, or how to propose changing them, be sure you understand the difference between board membership and property management. At the end of the day we can all agree on one thing - homeowners purchase in their association because they like the way it looks. In the United States today there are more than 351,000 homeowners associations because homeowners want to know that their largest investment is protected. Be sure you understand the rules of the association before you agree to purchase a home in a restricted community. Chances are you will appreciate most, if not, all of them. If the rules do not comport with your lifestyle, it is better to know that before making an offer. We hope you enjoyed our take on GEICO's HOA humor. For more information on effective property management, call Gulf South Property Management at (985) 200-0660. Our goal is effective, affordable property management. We promise to keep the "Cynthias" in check while fairly and effectively enforcing the rules of your community.
Can your HOA regulate a flag display? What if the flag is political?
By Appfolio Websites 10 Sep, 2020
Can your HOA regulate the display of a flag at your home? Does it matter if the flag is political?
Corona Virus Cell
By Tara Smith 12 May, 2020
Gulf South Property Management is a leader in supporting HOAs during the COVID 19 pandemic.
How to handle a violation notice from your HOA
By gspmla 31 Mar, 2019
We often hear that the “HOA Nazis” are out to get them. With nothing better to do with their time, they spend hours upon hours looking for infractions and sending out senseless violation notices. Who are these people and who do they think they are?!?
Establishing Enforceable Rules for the Association
By gspmla 12 Feb, 2019
When you decide to purchase a home in a neighborhood that is subject to Covenants and Restrictions certain responsibilities follow – abiding by governing documents of the association, paying assessments timely and following the rules and regulations of the association.
Maintaining Board Membership
By gspmla 30 Jan, 2019
It is inevitable that associations will go through board member resignations from time to time. Resignations can result from a change in jobs, scheduling conflicts, a family health emergency or a move. They can also result from frustrated or overwhelmed members. Maintaining consistency through board transitions is paramount. One way to do that is to have the right property management company in place to work though the transition phase.
Effective Newsletters
By gspmla 29 Jan, 2019
Here’s a great article in Forbes Magazine entitled Why Newsletters Suck and How To Do Successful Email Marketing .
Show More
Share by: