Free template
HOA Welcome Letter Template
A welcome letter is the first thing a new owner reads from the association, and it decides whether their first call to the office is friendly or confused. It should say who runs the community, what the dues are and how to pay them, the handful of rules people trip over, and where everything else lives.
Keep it to one page. The governing documents are a separate attachment, not the letter.
The template
Welcome to [Community name]
[Date]
Dear [Owner name],
Welcome to [Community name]. The association is run by a board of [number] owners elected by the members, [and managed by [Management company name]]. We are glad you are here, and this letter covers what you need in your first month.
Your assessments
Assessments are $[amount] per [month / quarter / year], due on the [day]. They pay for [landscaping, insurance, the pool, reserves for the roofs]. You can pay by card or bank account on the owner portal, turn on autopay there, or mail a check to [address]. Your account number is [number].
Your owner portal
Sign in at [portal link] with the email the association has on file, [email]. You will see your balance and statements, the community's documents, any notice about your home, the calendar, and a place to send a request to the office.
A few rules worth knowing now
- Trash and recycling go out [day] and bins are stored out of view the rest of the week
- Parking: [rule]
- Pets: [rule]
- Any change to the outside of your home, including paint, fences, and solar, needs approval from the architectural committee before work starts
- Rentals: [rule, if any]
Meetings and documents
The board meets [schedule] at [place], and owners are welcome. The annual meeting is in [month]. The declaration, bylaws, rules, budget, and minutes are on the portal under Documents.
How to reach us
Text [number], email [address], or call [number] during [hours]. For anything about your home, send a request from the portal and you will get a reply there.
[Name], [President / Community Manager]
Questions Boards Ask
What should an HOA welcome packet include?
The welcome letter, the governing documents or a link to them, the current budget, the rules, the amenity information, and the portal invitation. Some states add required disclosures.
Who sends the welcome letter, the board or the manager?
Either, on the association's letterhead. The signature should be a person the owner can reach.
Keep Reading
Guides
- How to Change HOA Management CompaniesSwitching managers is a records transfer disguised as a contract change.
- HOA Online Payments: Fees, Autopay, and SetupOnline payments cut late dues more than any letter.
- Self-Managed HOA: Pros, Cons, and What It TakesAbout a third of associations run without a management company.
Terms to Know
- Governing documentsThe set of documents that govern a community, in rank order: state law, the recorded declaration or CC&Rs, the articles of incorporation, the bylaws, and the board's rules.
- AssessmentThe owner's share of the association's budget, charged on a schedule.
- Capital contributionA one-time payment a buyer makes to the association at closing, where the declaration provides for it, often equal to a few months of assessments.
- Homeowner portalThe website where an owner sees their own account: the balance, autopay, statements, the community's documents, notices about their home, requests to the office, and votes.
State Law
- HOA laws by stateEvery state's association statutes and resale rules on one map.
- Resale certificate fee capsAll 51 jurisdictions' fee caps and deadlines in one table.
Havn sends this letter for you, by email, text, and mail.
HOA management software with a homeowner portal owners actually use. Resale documents are included; the requester pays for each one.