Kinds of Community Association Management Software
Not all living communities are equal, so association management software should not be created equally. The needs of a traditional condo or a co-op is far different that that of an HOA. Leadership looks at different feature sets when comparing products. The association software solutions may satisfy the same needs, but a community management software tailored for condominiums or apartments must deal with the fact that not all tenants will own their units, unlike residents who are part of an HOA where homeowners own their own homes.
Homeowners Association (HOA)
Planned housing developments that are made up of single-family homes generally have an HOA in place. The homeowner of a single home owns:
- The building
- The land underneath the building
- The land around the building
The homeowners create a board of directors that has the responsibility of maintaining the community and determining any community fees and regulations. HOA software, then, goes beyond the all-in-one community management functionalities that are found in any community association management software. With our HOA-centric homeowner association management software you get features such as:
- Robust tenant contact database
- Built-in financial management system
- Business intelligence and reporting
- Regulation transparency
- Document storage
- Communication
Apartments and Condominiums
Residents who reside in an apartment or condo do not need to own their unit and generally can turn to property managers to step in to fix any maintenance issues. Those who own units within the apartment or condo association become members of the building association, and must adhere to community rules and regulations. Condo and apartment building managers are drawn towards management software that can:
- Help property managers provide concierge services
- Manage the amenities of the apartment or condo
- Optimize tasks like processing visitors and tracking packages
Co-Ops
No one in a cooperative (co-op) building owns their unit. Owners of a co-op receive proprietary rights to occupy a specific unit with specific dimensions in the building. A co-op is run by a board of directors that manages:
- The overall co-op
- Amenities
- Occupancy agreements that all co-op tenants must abide by
One of the most desired features of co-op-tailored community association management software is a field service management feature, which helps the board hire and manage outside vendors to complete repair and other maintenance work. Significantly comprehensive tenant screening is also a necessary feature for co-ops, because co-op boards thoroughly vet potential new members, even more so than HOAs and condominiums.