Lantern HOA
Guides

Guides for boards and neighborhood organizers

Written for the volunteer doing the job. Concrete, procedural, and complete, with no product attached.

Running the association

How to Run a Self-Managed HOAThe five jobs every self-managed HOA board must cover, how to split them, which professionals to hire anyway, and the systems that survive board turnover. Leaving Your HOA Management Company: A Board’s GuideHow to decide whether to fire your HOA management company, read the termination clause, get every record back, and run the 90-day transition to self-management. HOA Secretary, Treasurer and Board DutiesWhat the HOA secretary, treasurer, president, and vice president each do, plus the fiduciary duties every board member carries. A plain-English guide. How to Run an HOA Annual MeetingNotice, quorum, proxies, the agenda, running the election, and minutes. A step-by-step guide to an HOA annual meeting that finishes on time and holds up later. HOA Reserve Funds: A Plain-English Guide for BoardsWhat an HOA reserve fund is for, how reserve studies work, percent funded explained, funding strategies compared, and how to talk to owners about all of it.

Community life

How to Run a Community Garage SaleA planning timeline, a permit and signage checklist, map and listing templates, and the logistics that make a neighborhood-wide garage sale work. How to Run Your First HOA Board MeetingA step-by-step guide for new board members running their first meeting. Covers preparation, the agenda, motions, minutes, and common mistakes to avoid. HOA Annual Meeting ChecklistA planning checklist for your HOA annual meeting. Covers notice timing, quorum math, packet contents, and follow-up tasks careful boards complete. HOA Board Election ProcessA step-by-step election process for volunteer HOA boards. Covers nominations, notices, candidate statements, ballots, counting, and handling disputes. HOA Board Meeting Agenda TemplateA board meeting agenda template for volunteer HOAs. Standard elements, a sample agenda you can copy, and tips for keeping meetings focused and on time. HOA Board Notice and Email List PracticesHow boards build and maintain resident contact lists. Consent, roster hygiene, mass email versus social media, and practical tips. Why Nobody Reads the HOA NewsletterWhy HOA communication fails, what residents actually want to receive, how to segment by urgency, and a practical cadence a volunteer board can sustain. HOA Meeting Notice RequirementsHow to notice board, annual, and special meetings. Covers delivery methods, standard elements, recordkeeping, and fixing defective notice. HOA Proxy and Absentee Ballot PracticesSample proxy and absentee ballot language for HOA elections. What careful boards check in bylaws and state rules before accepting owner votes. HOA Quorum Requirements and Voting BasicsQuorum is the minimum attendance a meeting needs to do business. See where your number comes from, how voting thresholds work, and how proxies count. HOA Violation Notice Process for BoardsA step-by-step HOA violation notice process. Covers observation, documentation, notice, cure periods, hearings, and follow-up that holds up later. HOA Board Zoom Meetings and Email PracticesYes, HOA boards can meet on Zoom if your state statute and governing documents allow it. Email notices help, but check what still needs to go by mail. How Homeowners Access HOA DocumentsWhere to find your CC&amp. Rs, bylaws, meeting minutes, and budgets. What boards must provide, where documents hide, and how to request what you need. New Homeowner Welcome Packet: What to IncludeA complete checklist of what new residents need in the first week, what to skip, and how to keep a welcome packet current instead of stale. How to Set Up Fair Pickleball Court RotationPaddle stacking, open play, challenge courts, and reservations compared. How to pick a rotation that fits your community and gets followed. Reserve Study Basics for Volunteer HOA BoardsWhat a reserve study is, what careful boards review, and how to prepare for conversations with managers and vendors about budgets and reserves. How to Run for Your HOA BoardWhat the job involves, how to get on the ballot, a realistic campaign plan for a volunteer election, and what to do in your first 90 days if you win. How to Start a Neighborhood Social CommitteeHow to recruit volunteers, pick a first event people will attend, build a year calendar, and avoid the burnout that ends most social committees. Gate Access Options for Short-Term RentalsShared gate codes, call boxes, guard lists, and per-stay passes compared for hosts in gated communities. Plus how to stay on good terms with your board.

Where the advice ends up

Most of these guides come down to one move. Put the schedule, the notice, or the record where every resident looks. In practice, that looks like this:

Free document templates

HOA and condo association document templates by stateMeeting notices, minutes, and violation letters for FL, TX, AZ, NC, SC, WA, OR, CA, IL, VA, OH, MN, GA, CO, NY, MA, MI.