When the holiday season approaches, it's only natural that many people want to decorate to celebrate. According to recent data, the global Christmas decorations market reached over $7 billion in 2023.
If you're in charge of an HOA community, the rules around Christmas decorating can be a bit tricky.
Read on to learn more about how to handle your HOA holiday decorating rules so that everyone can celebrate in style.
Set Clear Boundaries
Part of HOA living is understanding that people must abide by specific rules. Start by setting clear rules and boundaries from the beginning so that the entire HOA community is on the same page. Create a separate section dedicated to holiday decorating rules so it's easy to find.
Be clear about what people can and cannot use for their holiday decorations. Items that are politically offensive, racist, or that have any negative religious references should be prohibited. Aside from adding what to avoid in the HOA rules, make sure you also include what's allowed so everyone is clear.
Determine a Time Frame for HOA Holiday Decorating
It's fun to see beautiful lights and other decorations in the neighborhood during the holiday season. However, most people don't want to see these items still sitting on someone's lawn or lights strung around someone's home long after the holidays are over.
Make sure you include a specific timeframe for when the HOA holiday decorating can begin, and when it should end. Let your community members know that they must take their decorations down by a specific date. This ensures that everyone gets a chance to decorate when it's time, and that they remove everything when that time is over.
Think About Aesthetics
Let's face it: not all decorations are everyone's style, so it's important to come up with a uniform set of rules. For example, perhaps the HOA community can add Christmas lights to the outside of their home, but they must be all-white lights rather than colored.
Ultimately, it's up to you to decide how far you want to allow the holiday decorations to go. If it's not important to you, then let everyone decorate how they choose. On the other hand, if you want the community to have a uniform look, be clear about what they can and cannot use to decorate.
Aside from looks, consider things like noise and size, as both of these can affect others' enjoyment of their property. Loud, animated decorations or oversized items that block the view of others should be considered when drafting your HOA holiday decorating guidelines.
Make the Season Bright
If you're part of HOA management, keep these HOA holiday decorating guidelines in mind to keep your community happy. From setting boundaries to drafting clear decorating dos and don'ts, you will ensure that your HOA members get to enjoy a wonderful holiday season every year.
PMI Salt Lake is here to help you make HOA management easier. Get in touch with us today to find out more about our services or to schedule a consult today.
