Property Management Frequently Asked Questions

They run on different statutes, and boards that treat them as the same thing get into trouble. Homeowners associations in Maryland operate under the Maryland Homeowners Association Act (Real Property, Title 11B). Condominiums operate under the Maryland Condominium Act (Real Property, Title 11). The practical differences are significant: condo associations own and maintain the building itself, including roofs, exterior walls, elevators, risers, and central mechanical systems, and they carry a master insurance policy. HOAs typically maintain common areas, private roads, stormwater facilities, and amenities while individual owners maintain their own homes. Reserve requirements, resale disclosure rules, and lien procedures differ between the two. We manage both, and we manage them to the statute that actually applies.

Financial management first: budgets, monthly financials your treasurer can read, separate operating and reserve accounts at FDIC-insured institutions with documented signing authority, assessment billing and collection, audit preparation. Then operations: vendor sourcing and oversight, property walks on the schedule the board sets, maintenance coordination, capital project management, and insurance renewal cycles. Then governance support: meeting notices, agendas and board packets, minutes, covenant and rule enforcement, architectural review administration, resale packages, and owner communication.

The board sets policy and makes decisions. We run the operation behind those decisions and bring you what you need to decide well.

Reserves are where associations get into trouble slowly, then all at once. We align the annual budget to the most recent reserve study so the funding plan is honest rather than optimistic, keep reserve funds in separate accounts, and track replacement dates against the actual condition of the asset instead of the number on the spreadsheet.

Maryland’s reserve study requirements for condominiums were tightened in recent years, with defined update cycles and minimum content. HOA expectations are moving the same direction, and lenders, insurers, and resale buyers increasingly ask for a current study by name. A typical schedule is a full study updated every three to five years with a financial-only refresh annually. What’s right for your community depends on its age, size, and last study date, and we walk boards through that during onboarding.

Maryland gives the association 20 days from a written request and payment of the fee to produce the package, under §11B-106 for HOAs and §11-135 for condominiums. We treat that as a hard deadline, not a target, because a late package delays a closing and creates real liability for the association.

Fees are capped by statute and adjust periodically, with rush options available for faster turnaround. West Property Management communities order through HomeWiseDocs, which gives sellers, agents, and title companies a single place to request documents and track status.

The association’s master policy covers the building structure and common elements. The unit owner’s HO-6 policy covers the unit interior, personal property, improvements, and personal liability. Where exactly the line falls, whether it lands at the wall studs, the drywall, the fixtures, or the betterments, depends on your declaration and bylaws, and it is not the same in every building.

We review the master policy and the governing documents together so claims don’t fall into the gap between them, and we manage renewals on a multi-quote basis rather than accepting whatever the incumbent carrier sends over. Premium pressure across Maryland has been real, and boards get better outcomes when the renewal is worked months ahead instead of days.

We apply the rules the same way for every owner, every time, and we document each step. The board approves the enforcement policy; we execute it. That means notices go out on the schedule the documents require, in the form the statute requires, with a clear description of the violation and a real opportunity to cure. Escalation follows the same written path in every case.

Consistency is what protects a board legally, and it is also what keeps enforcement from feeling personal. When a matter needs to escalate to association counsel, we bring the board a documented file and a recommendation that will hold up, not the easy answer.

Delinquencies get worse the longer a board waits, and every unpaid assessment is money the paying neighbors are covering. We run collections on a written schedule the board approves: late notice, follow-up, payment plan option where the board permits one, then referral to counsel for lien filing and further action.

Maryland gives associations statutory lien rights for unpaid assessments, condominiums under §11-114 and HOAs through the Maryland Contract Lien Act, but the procedure has to be followed precisely or the lien fails. That’s why the process is documented from the first notice forward.

When reserves and the operating budget can’t cover a necessary capital expense, the board has a fiduciary duty to fund the work, whether through a special assessment, a bank loan, or a combination of both. The better answer is to keep reserves funded so the question comes up rarely.

We model reserve funding scenarios well before an assessment is the only option left, and we bring boards the numbers early. Deferred maintenance is a financial decision disguised as an operational one, and we treat it that way.

Agenda and board packet delivered several days ahead, so nobody is reading financials for the first time at the table. A written manager’s report. Financials reviewed against budget and against the reserve plan. Action items captured with an owner and a date. Draft minutes back to the board within a week.

Between meetings, every board gets a written reporting cadence: what arrives weekly, what arrives monthly, and what triggers a same-day call. Boards should never hear about a problem from a homeowner before they hear it from their manager.

Yes, and we document where a decision lives before we make it. A community inside a Columbia village can be operating under three layers at once: the Columbia Association at the master level, the village association with its own covenants and architectural review, and your own sub-association. Maple Lawn and other master-planned communities carry similar structures.

Boards we take on get a written map of that governance on day one: which body controls what, which architectural process applies, and where your board’s authority actually begins and ends. That single document prevents most of the confusion these communities live with.

Absolutely. If your community has vendors who perform, keep them. We’ll manage them to scope, schedule, and quality the same as anyone else on the list.

Where a vendor isn’t performing, or where you need a specialty the current bench doesn’t cover, we bring bids from contractors we’ve held to standard elsewhere. The board makes the call, and we don’t hide a markup in the invoice.

Start with your existing management agreement. Notice periods and termination provisions vary, and there are records the outgoing manager is obligated to turn over: financials, bank and reserve account documentation, governing documents, owner and vendor records, contracts, insurance policies, and any open violation or architectural files.

We handle transitions regularly and we run a written onboarding plan: document and records transfer, account setup with documented signing authority, reserve position review, vendor contract review, an owner communication sequence, and a governance map for the board. Boards typically come to us mid-contract, and we’re happy to review your agreement and tell you straight what your timeline actually is.

It’s the day-to-day operation of a rental property on the owner’s behalf. That covers marketing and leasing the property, screening and placing tenants, collecting rent, responding to tenant requests, coordinating maintenance and repairs, conducting inspections, handling service of legal notices, keeping the property compliant with Maryland and county requirements, and distributing rental income to the owner with the accounting behind it.

We save you time, money, and hassle. We increase your revenue by keeping the property leased at the highest rate the market will support, and we keep your costs down with budget-savvy maintenance and vendors we hold to a standard. You get an owner who isn’t fielding a 10pm call about a water heater, and a property that stays in the condition that protects its value.

Of course. You can use your preferred vendors for maintenance and repairs. If you’d rather we handle it, we’ll bring you our bench, and you’ll see the pricing.

All showings are agent-assisted. No property access is granted unless the prospective tenant is accompanied by a licensed agent. It’s slower than a lockbox, and it’s how we keep your property secure and every showing accounted for.

Yes. We coordinate with MDE-accredited lead inspectors and manage the compliance calendar for you.

Maryland’s lead law applies to rental properties built before 1978. Owners must register those units with the Maryland Department of the Environment and keep the registration current, provide tenants with the required notices and educational materials, and, under the Full Risk Reduction Standard, pass a lead dust inspection before every change in occupancy. Registration fees and renewal cycles are set by MDE and change periodically, so we track the current requirement rather than working off an old number. Missing any of this creates real liability for an owner, which is why we don’t leave it to chance.

Once a violation occurs, we post legal notice to the tenant with an opportunity to remedy it. If the violation isn’t corrected, the matter goes to our attorney for filing. You’re told what happened, what we did about it, and what it’s likely to cost before it moves to the next step.

Start with your current management agreement and check the notice period and termination provisions. There are also documents your current manager needs to send us: the lease, the tenant ledger, the security deposit and its account, inspection records, keys, warranties, and any open maintenance items.

We handle the handoff so the tenant experiences it as a change of contact and nothing more. Send us your agreement and we’ll tell you what your actual timeline looks like.

Yes. We can begin the process immediately. Contact us to set up a no-obligation consultation and we’ll walk your property, your numbers, and your goals in detail.