With 66% of households owning a pet, you are sure to have many in your HOA neighborhood. However, not everyone is a pet lover. Regardless of how adorable pets may be, they can cause problems for other residents if rules aren't enforced.
If you want to allow pets in a community, then you need to ensure the safety and cleanliness of all its residents.
Find out what policies should be implemented to make sure everyone who lives in the area is happy.
1. Register Pets With HOA
The first step for HOA management to regulate pets in the community is to know who has one. Be sure that all new and current residents complete a registration form for their pets when they move in or if they get a pet while already a resident.
By registering domestic animals, the HOA board can know which types of pets are present in the community and can even restrict certain breeds or species that may be unsafe.
You can also track rabies vaccine records to make sure that all pets are healthy and don't cause harm to people or other pets in the community. Pets should be registered with the county in Hoover, AL, and this license needs to be on the collar of all pets. In addition, the name of the pet and the owner's information should be on the animal's collar for identification purposes.
2. Safety and Sanitary Rules
Homeowner's association rules for pets are implemented for the purpose of making sure the community is safe and clean. Therefore, they must enforce rules that maintain these standards, including:
- Requiring a Leash
- Picking Up Pet Waste
- Limiting Excessive Barking
- Providing Designated Pet Bathroom Areas
Dog owners in particular spend about 34 minutes, 9 times a week walking their dogs. This means that pet owners and their dogs will be out in the community often. They will be interacting with the other residents every day, making these pet restrictions and rules essential for a HOA property manager to enforce.
3. Pet Owner Liability
The most important rule for HOA pets is that their owners are liable for their actions. If the owner doesn't pick up their pet's waste or remove their leash, then there should be consequences for not following the rules.
This is especially true for repeat and continuing violations where the pet owner is making the community unsafe. A warning may be sufficient for first-time offenders, however, fines should be used if the rules are still broken. And, the last resort is eviction from the community or removal of the pet for serious and continuous violations.
Control Pets in a Community With HOA Management
Having pets in a community welcomes more residents who are pet owners and makes communal areas more active. However, rules and regulations need to be enforced to keep the neighborhood in pristine condition while ensuring the safety of all residents.
Using a property management service helps create these rules and enforce them.
Contact PMI Birmingham Region to speak with an HOA expert on how to regulate pets in your community today.
