There are 11 federal holidays and countless cultural holidays in the United States, and some people love decorating for all of them. In an HOA, this can lead to a lot of fun community festivity, but it's a good idea to set some HOA holiday decorating guidelines to keep everyone happy.
What should those guidelines look like? It's up to you and your community, but we have some tips. Read on to learn more so you can keep your HOA festive and happy.
Avoid Loud Displays
Some types of decorations, especially during the winter holidays and Halloween time, have noise elements. These can be super fun, but they can also, unfortunately, be disruptive. You don't want to be on the receiving end of countless noise complaints from unhappy residents!
Because of this, it's a good idea to limit loud displays. Set volume and time limits for anything that makes noise and suggest alternatives, such as synching holiday displays with radio stations. This allows homeowners to have sound with their displays, but it won't bother neighbors.
Limit Bright Lights
Noise isn't the only bothersome thing about holiday displays. Some displays include large and impressive light shows, but those light shows can annoy residents and even contribute to light pollution.
Ask homeowners to have a cutoff time for their large light displays. You can consider getting rid of the cutoff on the holiday itself. Remember that those lights can shine right into the windows of neighbors and keep them awake, and that's not fair.
Keep Community Decor Neutral
While people can certainly celebrate whatever holidays they like on their own private property, community decor should be either neutral or approved by the entire community.
For example, let's say it's the winter holiday season. Your HOA board community decoration team wants to put up Christmas decorations with Santa, Christmas trees, and even religious symbols. However, not everyone celebrates Christmas, and some residents feel uncomfortable.
In this case, using more neutral decorations (even if they lean Christmas-themed) is the right choice. Snowflakes, lit evergreen trees, white lights, and snowmen make better decorations that still evoke the holiday spirit and can be left up after Christmas.
Set Reasonable Time Limits
You want the community to be fairly cohesive, so it's a good idea to set holiday timelines for when people can decorate. Make sure they're reasonable so everyone has time, even if they're quite busy.
For example, you don't want to require homeowners to take down Christmas decorations within days because they may be traveling or enjoying time with their family, though you may require the decorations to disappear by February.
HOA Holiday Decorating Is Fun
We love decorating for the holidays and keeping HOA communities festive. These HOA holiday decorating guidelines will allow you to do that while keeping your residents happy.
Do you wish running your HOA in Charlotte was easier? At PMI Queen City, we offer top-quality association management services that will make it a breeze. We'd love to help you!
Schedule a consult with our team today.
