London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Oct 30, 2025

How to determine if an HOA is worth the monthly cost

How to determine if an HOA is worth the monthly cost

Homeowner's associations can improve a neighborhood, but can come at a steep cost

If you live in a community setting, it’s common to be required to pay a monthly fee for amenities and maintenance of your community.

The collector of such fees and the overseer of the rules of your community is led by a homeowners association, or HOA, a community association that binds homeowners to certain rules and restrictions, says Stephanie Horan, a spokesperson at Today's Homeowner.

"They can consist of individual homes in a neighborhood, condos, townhouses, and co-ops, with rules and responsibilities varying based on property type and location," she explains.

New Homes in Northern California.


What are Some of the Things That a Fee From Your HOA Covers?


According to Horan, HOA fees typically cover the cost of maintenance for community amenities such as swimming pools, parks and green spaces. Some HOA fees also help cover the costs of utilities, she says.

"Ultimately, your HOA fees will go toward keeping your community a clean and safe place to live," Horan tells FOX Business.


What are Some of the Pros and Cons of an HOA?


As mentioned previously, some pros of HOAs are in place to ensure and help uphold high standards for the community you live in.

"They keep the community clean, safe, and fun," insists Horan.

However, the cons include the fact that HOA fees can be expensive.

"Additionally, the rules and regulations set forth by the HOA can sometimes be seen as strict or excessive by people," Horan adds.

Suburb housing development viewed from above, Texas, USA.


How Can You Determine if Your HOA is Worth its Cost?


Horan says it will ultimately be up to the wants and needs of the specific homeowner. If you have a high standard for the livability of your community and don't want to be responsible for maintenance, then an HOA may be worth it, she says.

"If you value more freedom with the choices you make regarding your home and don't mind completing regular maintenance yourself, it may be best to avoid communities with HOAs," Horan tells FOX Business.

Can HOA free increase year to year?


Judy Dutton, spokesperson with Realtor.com, says HOA fees can get higher year to year, or whenever expenses escalate due to major repairs or new projects.

"The best way to anticipate whether fees will rise is to check the Covenants, Conditions & Restrictions or CC&Rs’ history for fee hikes or ‘assessments,’ which are temporary fee hikes," she says. In addition, it’s a good idea to check the HOA reserve fund, Dutton says, which is dipped into to pay for unforeseen costs without needing to hike residents’ HOA fees.

"A healthy reserve fund is a good thing to see," Dutton tells FOX Business.


How Does an HOA Fee Provide Peace of Mind and Convenience for the Homeowner?


HOA fees provide peace of mind and convenience for homeowners by taking care of maintenance and repairs you might not want to deal with on your own, says Dutton. For example, not needing to clean a pool or repair the pump if it breaks.

HOA's can help pool costs of neighborhood beautification and negotiate better deals with landscaping companies.


Also, says Horan, your HOA can help provide peace of mind by ensuring the community is safe and well taken care of.

"For example, many HOAs arrange for snow removal during the winter," Horan continues. "Homeowners in these communities can enjoy the peace of mind of knowing that they will drive more safely and avoid slipping on sidewalks. HOAs can provide convenience by taking care of regular maintenance like pest control and community landscaping."

Comments

Oh ya 2 year ago
And you will soon learn who is the biggest buttwipe in the HOA is as somehow they always get elected to the board and off on their power trip they go.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
UK and Vietnam Sign Landmark Migration Deal to Fast-Track Returns of Irregular Arrivals
UK Drug-Pricing Overhaul Essential for Life-Sciences Ambition, Says GSK Chief
Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie Temporarily Leave the UK Amid Their Parents’ Royal Fallout
UK Weighs Early End to Oil and Gas Windfall Tax as Reeves Seeks Investment Commitments
UK Retail Inflation Slows as Shop Prices Fall for First Time Since Spring
Next Raises Full-Year Profit Guidance After Strong Third-Quarter Performance
Reform UK’s Lee Anderson Admits to 'Gaming' Benefits System While Advocating Crackdown
United States and South Korea Conclude Major Trade Accord Worth $350 Billion
Hurricane Melissa Strikes Cuba After Devastating Jamaica With Record Winds
Vice President Vance to Headline Turning Point USA Campus Event at Ole Miss
U.S. Targets Maritime Narco-Routes While Border Pressure to Mexico Remains Limited
Bill Gates at 70: “I Have a Real Fear of Artificial Intelligence – and Also Regret”
Elon Musk Unveils Grokipedia: An AI-Driven Alternative to Wikipedia
Saudi Arabia Unveils Vision for First-Ever "Sky Stadium" Suspended Over Desert Floor
Amazon Announces 14 000 Corporate Job Cuts as AI Investment Accelerates
UK Shop Prices Fall for First Time Since March, Food Leads the Decline
London Stock Exchange Group ADR (LNSTY) Earns Zacks Rank #1 Upgrade on Rising Earnings Outlook
Soap legend Tony Adams, long-time star of Crossroads, dies at 84
Rachel Reeves Signals Tax Increases Ahead of November Budget Amid £20-50 Billion Fiscal Gap
NatWest Past Gains of 314% Spotlight Opportunity — But Some Key Risks Remain
UK Launches ‘Golden Age’ of Nuclear with £38 Billion Sizewell C Approval
UK Announces £1.08 Billion Budget for Offshore Wind Auction to Boost 2030 Capacity
UK Seeks Steel Alliance with EU and US to Counter China’s Over-Capacity
UK Struggles to Balance China as Both Strategic Threat and Valued Trading Partner
Argentina’s Markets Surge as Milei’s Party Secures Major Win
British Journalist Sami Hamdi Detained by U.S. Authorities After Visa Revocation Amid Israel-Gaza Commentary
King Charles Unveils UK’s First LGBT+ Armed Forces Memorial at National Memorial Arboretum
At ninety-two and re-elected: Paul Biya secures eighth term in Cameroon amid unrest
Racist Incidents Against UK Nurses Surge by 55%
UK Chancellor Rachel Reeves Cites Shared Concerns With Trump Administration as Foundation for Early US-UK Trade Deal
Essentra plc: A Closer Look at a UK ‘Penny Stock’ Opportunity Amid Market Weakness
U.S. and China Near Deal to Avert Rare-Earth Export Controls Ahead of Trump-Xi Summit
Justin time: Justin Herbert Shields Madison Beer with Impressive Reflex at Lakers Game
Russia’s President Putin Declares Burevestnik Nuclear Cruise Missile Ready for Deployment
Giuffre’s Memoir Alleges Maxwell Claimed Sexual Act with Clooney
House Republicans Move to Strip NYC Mayoral Front-Runner Zohran Mamdani of U.S. Citizenship
Record-High Spoiled Ballots Signal Voter Discontent in Ireland’s 2025 Presidential Election
Philippines’ Taal Volcano Erupts Overnight with 2.4 km Ash Plume
Albania’s Virtual AI 'Minister' Diella Set to 'Birth' Eighty-Three Digital Assistants for MPs
Tesla Unveils Vision for Optimus V3 as ‘Biggest Product of All Time’, Including Surgical Capabilities
Francis Ford Coppola Auctions Luxury Watches After Self-Financed Film Flop
Convicted Sex Offender Mistakenly Freed by UK Prison Service Arrested in London
United States and China Begin Constructive Trade Negotiations Ahead of Trump–Xi Summit
U.S. Treasury Sanctions Colombia’s President Gustavo Petro over Drug-Trafficking Allegations
Miss USA Crowns Nebraska’s Audrey Eckert Amid Leadership Overhaul
‘I Am Not Done’: Kamala Harris Signals Possible 2028 White House Run
NBA Faces Integrity Crisis After Mass Arrests in Gambling Scandal
Swift Heist at the Louvre Sees Eight French Crown Jewels Stolen in Under Seven Minutes
U.S. Halts Trade Talks with Canada After Ontario Ad Using Reagan Voice Triggers Diplomatic Fallout
Microsoft AI CEO: ‘We’re making an AI that you can trust your kids to use’ — but can Microsoft rebuild its own trust before fixing the industry’s?
×