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NEW RESIDENTS' WELCOME MANUAL
January 1, 2005
Since more than 75% of new residents moving into a
community association have never lived in an association
before, it is wise, as a part of a new resident screening
process or in the case of communities that do not have a
formal approval process, to at least have a “New Resident
Welcome Manual.” This manual would not only help welcome a
new resident to the community, but help to orient the new
resident and their family to the community, along with
educating them to the more important rules and regulations
and overall culture of the community.
A New Resident Welcome Manual can be simple or very
sophisticated depending on the size and complexity of the
community in question. At the least, the manual is a
written document that a new resident receives at the
approval process or prior to the moving in that outlines to
them the general rules and operating procedures for the
association. In all cases, it is helpful and wise that it
is pointed out to the reader to refer to the Association’s
documents for further clarification of any procedure or
rule. Throughout the manual, if you can reference certain
pages in the Association’s documents, the better.
The following is a suggestion for a Welcome Manual for a
medium size community association.
In the introduction to the New Resident, you can summarize
the community, its size, units, unit types, amenities, and
anything else of community interest. Discussion on what it
means to accepting the deed or taking the unit, subject to
the documents, may be helpful. Review what makes up your
documents, Declaration, Articles of Incorporation and
By-Laws and how those documents affect the owners and the
operations of the community. Along with this information,
you may want to include when and where the Board Meetings
are held, notices and unit owner participation - same for
Annual Meetings, Members Meetings and Budget Meetings.
If there is Property Management as part of the community,
it is good to discuss this aspect of the community
operation. Describe the extent of the management and what
it covers and does not cover in terms of service, time on
site, etc. List the manager’s or the management company’s
responsibilities and how complaints are handled and what
constitutes an emergency. Also, outline how paperwork,
approvals and other communications are handled and
management’s part in this. In the New Resident Manual
discuss security and safety issues in and around the home,
as it relates to the residents, their families and
neighbors. There are many great brochures that you can get
from police and fire rescue that can be included in the
manual.
Outline and review why there are assessments for
maintenance, what it covers and how it is payable. Spell
out exactly, when it is due, when it is late and what the
penalties are for making a late payment to the Association.
You may want to discuss further your collection policies
and how your Association’s attorneys will collect on a
delinquent account and how the owner will be responsible
for the costs of collection.
Detail the maintenance responsibilities of the Association
and what the unit owner is responsible for. Spell out the
minimum standards that are acceptable for the community and
how this affects every owner’s values, if not adhered to.
Discuss trash collection days and procedures for putting
out and taking in cans. What are the recycling days for
the community? (Same for solid waste and vegetation
clippings.)
Define and discuss what common areas of the community are
and how they are maintained and used by the residents.
Define the amenities within the community and how they are
to be enjoyed, what their hours of operation are and how
they can best be reserved or used by the residents.
Explain how Architectural Controls are being enforced
throughout the community and how and why this is important
to the values of the community. Detail the procedures of
the approval process of the ACC Committee and exactly how
to expedite the process. Explain the time constraints in
this process and also include forms for the new resident in
this package as well. If there are preapproved items, such
as flags, fences or types of materials that can be used,
detail this as well.
List all of the other Committees within the community, such
as Covenants, Fines, Landscape, Maintenance, Security,
Pool, Social and Communications. Detail their functions,
when they meet, and how you, the new resident, can make
contact with them. Always make a pitch as to the need for
volunteers for these committees. Detail the type of
government that the community is a part of: Municipal,
County, Special Taxing District. Give an overview of how
these governments also regulate and affect how we live in
this community as well. Explain what it means to have your
property with a Homestead Exemption and the advantages of
being a Florida resident. Other items that would be useful
in the Welcome Manual would be a list of local amenities
and services within a certain radius of the community.
This could include shopping, medical services, places of
worship, hardware stores, movies, etc.
Additional items that could be included would be utility
brochures and public service announcements from local
governments, copies of old newsletters, Minutes of past
Annual Meetings, helpful telephone numbers of government
services and other emergency services, a roster of Board
members and Committee members, copies of cable TV channels,
website information, maps of the area, and merchant coupons
and discounts.
Overall, a New Resident Welcome Manual can help to make a
new resident feel welcome, bring to their attention the
more important rules of the association and how to orient
the family in the local community quickly.
Copyright 2007© Associated Property Management of the Palm Beaches, Inc.
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