Do you struggle to keep up with all the tasks piling up for your HOA? Are you wondering if there’s any dedicated HOA management software that could help streamline running the association?
FACT: Managing an HOA is no small feat. From collecting online payments and making sure that accounts are in order, scheduling board meetings, managing the community website and residents’ databases, communicating with those people, managing architectural reviews, service requests, or enforcing CC&R rules, and tens of other tasks in between, your hands are always full.
And there seems to be no end to all this hard work.
Well, that’s not entirely true. Granted, running an HOA is always going to keep you busy. However, you can simplify and streamline most of your tasks with technology and software and save time.
That’s what you’re going to learn about from this guide. We’ll discuss all the benefits of using HOA software and show you what options available to your association on the market today.
Let’s take it from the top.
An HOA software is a package or platform dedicated to helping homeowners associations manage various aspects of their operations.
Typically HOA software either focuses on managing a specific aspect of HOA’s operations - accounts, scheduling, payments, CC&R enforcement, and so on. But the software can also consist of a whole range of different modules that help with various HOA’s processes. We refer to those software packages as the all-in-one HOA management software.
The simplest answer is because it can take a lot of work off your plate, of course. But that’s not all. So, below, we’ve listed other key benefits of implementing software solutions to help run your HOA.
We’ve discussed the benefits of using software to manage your HOA. You know why you should consider using such packages to streamline your work.
But what about evaluating and choosing the right package for your HOA?
Well, you have several options available. Don’t worry; we’ll cover various software packages in each category later in this guide. For now, let’s discuss the different criteria you should consider when evaluating HOA software.
The most important thing to remember is that you can implement packages that suit your needs. Some packages endeavor to help manage the majority of the HOA operation. But you can also use software that will help with specific aspects of running the association only.
For example, if you’re looking to streamline CC&R enforcement only, and need a tool to track inspections, issue violation notices, and report, then there’s no need to invest in a full-blown HOA package. Similarly, if you only need to build a website for your HOA, you can focus on such a software package.
The situation is different when you’re looking to optimize multiple aspects of the HOA - build a website, manage residents’ databases and communications, run the accounts, and more - then, you need what’s known as “all in one” HOA management software. With these systems, most of the needs are addressed and missing pieces, such as a robust HOA Violations Enforcement tool, can be purchased separately to supplement.
Let’s see all those options, then.
What follows is a list of the best software packages for HOAs. We’ve grouped them by areas of HOA operations they help with to help you identify the ideal package for your needs.
So, below, you’ll discover tools to help you manage accounts and payments, residents’ communications, databases, documentation, CC&R enforcement, schedule HOA events, and build the association’s website.
TOPS is an all-in-one application. However, it also offers a robust accounting engine for HOA and condo management. What’s more, TOPS’ accounting package is a.) easy to use for managers or board members with no accounting experience, b.) includes all the features and functionality an account would require to manage the books, and c.) has an industry leading integration with HOALife's Violations Enforcement Software.
Website: https://topssoft.com/tops-one/
Appfolio is another all-in-one software platform that includes a solid accounting system built from the ground up to help streamline the financial operations of property management professionals.
Appfolio’s features include full accounting management, smart bill entry, online payments, tenant debt collections, utility management, holding deposits, and much more. Unfortunately, Appfolio is a closed system with few integrations outside of the financial services sector but does have a direct import into HOALife Violations Software.
Website: https://www.appfolio.com/features/accounting-and-reporting
Unlike the two other packages on the list, LegFi is dedicated financial software for homeowners associations. With LegFi, you can manage all the financial aspects of running your HOA, from sending invoices, collecting dues, tracking expenses, accepting payments, budgeting, and more.
Website: https://www.legfi.com/features
MoneyMinder is another dedicated HOA accounting software to help streamline your bookkeeping, accounting, and reporting. Since MoneyMinder has been built with HOAs in mind, it features all the functionality an association would need to track its finances. From tracking dues and other income, sending statements to homeowners, reporting, budgeting, to full integration with various payment processors and the HOAs bank accounts, MoneyMinder is an ideal solution for your accounting needs.
Website: https://moneyminder.com/moneyminder/
Fact - QuickBooks is not a dedicated HOA software. However, the package is by far the most popular and effective accounting solution used by small to medium businesses worldwide. For that reason, we’ve decided to include it on the list as well.
Not all HOAs might want to invest in software built for them specifically, after all. Your board members or accountant may have previous experience with the package, and so QuickBooks might seem a more logical choice.
QuickBooks is one of the most robust accounting software packages on the market. It boasts an impressive list of features, including full cashflow management, online payments, full reporting suite, and anything else you might need to run your HOAs accounts.
Website: https://quickbooks.intuit.com/
HOAlife is the #1 tool explicitly built to simplify and automate the association’s CC&Rs and rules’ violations. In short, HOAlife automates otherwise overwhelming and cumbersome processes around violations enforcement.
Without HOAlife, a manager or Board Member is typically forced to complete the tasks with spreadsheets, Word documents, and a clipboard, or settle for the incomplete options located with in their accounting or all-in-one systems. This leads to poor and inconsistent enforcement or none at all.
With HOAlife, on the other hand, they can add violations to the system from a simple interface or a mobile app, add high-quality photos, track repeat offenders, automaticaly generate and mail violation letters, and issue comprehensive reports to the board.
Website: https://hoalife.com/
CondoManager offers a comprehensive set of communication tools to allow HOAs to get their message across many homeowners and residents. Whether you need to send statements of account, reports, invoices, work orders, maintenance requests, or just general communications with the community, CondoManager can help you deliver it at scale.
Website: https://www.condomanager.com/software/communication
Bitrix is not a management tool developed with HOAs in mind, specifically. However, it offers functionality that can allow you to communicate with residents quickly too. In particular, Bitrix24 lets you create member portals that can include polls, and email notifications system, a photo gallery, and a chat that you can use to keep the community informed about what’s going on in the neighborhood.
Website: https://www.bitrix24.com/tools/communications/
Condo Control Central focuses on helping HOAs and Condo Associations run better and more connected communities. The software features a whole range of functionality that helps keep community records, databases, accounts, and even allows log deliveries to the system to track incoming and outgoing packages.
Website: https://www.condocontrolcentral.com/feature/Maintenance-Tracking/
BoardSpace has been created with a single goal in mind - To give board members easy access to their association’s documents and records and meeting minutes and action items. With BoardSpace, you can find the documents you need instantly, keep track of what’s going on in your HOA, and get more done as a result.
Website: https://boardspace.co/
ConciergePlus is a complete HOA management software suite focusing on keeping property managers and board members informed of what’s going on in their community. With calendar and scheduling features like a daily overview of tasks, events, amenity bookings, and other staff-related activities, ConciergePlus helps you never miss anything important.
Website: https://www.conciergeplus.com/features/
ForwardPass features a comprehensive event management module that allows you to create dedicated calendars for events, shows, community meetings, or celebrations. You can manage events in a calendar-based format, assign people to events, set up automated notifications, send emails to event participants, and more.
Website: https://forwardpass.com/?id=736
HOAexpress is a powerful, yet simple-to-use website builder created specifically for homeowners associations. The software’s interface allows you to set up the website based on several pre-created templates, add your association’s content, and launch. What’s more, your website will also boast many additional features, like email newsletters, documents management, community calendars, news articles, and much more.
Website: https://www.hoa-express.com/features/information
HOA Ally helps small, self-managed associations to create their first website to share news, documents, events, collect payments, and communicate with the community. With the system, you can also conduct polls, track assessments, and even track budgets and spending (note, this is a premium feature, though.)
Website: https://hoaally.org/features.html
Running an HOA is no small feat, and your hands are always full. Luckily, though, you can automate and streamline many aspects of running the association with dedicated software packages. Some of those help with specific elements of the HOA, others assist with almost everything that you have to do.
In this post, you’ve discovered the best HOA management software packages available to you on the market today.
Hopefully, the list will help you choose the package to help manage your association.
Good luck.
HOALife is a software built for HOA managers by HOA managers to automate and simplify rules violation inspections and enforcement.
