Holiday Decorations: Condo Association Rules & Guidelines

The time for holiday decorating is here. Each year, holiday decor shows up sooner in retail shops and online stores, introducing consumers to expanding and more elaborate holiday decoration options. While holiday decor intends to boost the festive spirit, it is a source of potential problems. Condo boards can minimize issues with clear rules and guidelines and safeguard themselves and the association with proper Condo Association Insurance.

Avoiding overly prohibitive rules and employing practical and reasonable regulations for condo decorations will help maintain the season’s spirit among homeowners. However, it’s important to remind homeowners of the association bylaws that regulate the use of holiday decorations.

Problems with Bans on Holiday Decorations with a Religious Theme

Banning religious-themed decorations invite lawsuits claiming Fair Housing Act religious discrimination. Therefore, it is advisable to check for any state or local laws that forbid associations from prohibiting religious displays and symbols or otherwise block condo owners from exercising their rights to equal and non-discriminatory treatment.

Setting Aesthetic Guidelines

The association rules and bylaws should govern against offensive or obnoxious holiday decorations. Clear guidelines make it easier for homeowners to put up tasteful decorations without worrying about holiday rules infractions.

Professionally written guidelines and rules are best to avert disputes over acceptable uses. For example, don’t rely on homeowners to read your holiday decorating guidelines. Instead, it’s a sound practice to publish governing rules to your homeowners annually in advance of the holiday season.

Include These Important Facts in Association Holiday Decorating Guidelines

When

Provide specific dates that stipulate when your homeowners’ decorations can go up and when they must be taken down. It is a local decision, but you may also need to regulate the hours when lights for decoration can be on.

A rule of thumb allows homeowners to begin putting up their holiday decorations after Thanksgiving. The usual deadline to take decorations down or before January 14^th – two weeks after New Year’s Day.

Address other holidays such as Halloween, Easter, and others with specifics if decorations are allowed with details on when they can go up and how long they can remain on display.

With each allowable holiday, it is advisable to set limits on:

• The limit of appropriate displays per unit.
• The maximum size of displays.
• The placement and location of holiday decorations.

Where

It pays to be thorough and leave nothing to chance. That’s why you should instruct your homeowners with detailed rules and regulations governing what is permissible for decorations, including exterior locations and interior spots such as hallways, doors, and communal areas. Make it unmistakable that the bylaws prohibit modifying the exterior of any structure without the express consent of the association.

How

The boilerplate in your association’s bylaws likely include “no nuisance” regulations to prevent homeowners from creating a disturbance to their neighbors. The term nuisance is too vague in general for holiday decorating rules. Add specificity with guidelines on the loudness of music and brightness of lights. It may still be a judgment call over what your members find unacceptable, but you at least have a policy in writing to help. Your local municipality may have regulations on holiday decorations by which you must abide.

Safety First

Your association’s rules regarding holiday decorating must first seek to avoid unsafe situations and dangerous behaviors and events. For example, your guidelines for blocking streets and fire lanes with holiday party parking must align with local laws. Include rules that disallow displays that draw crowds that create access problems for emergency vehicles and other homeowners.

New Rules

Before your association adopts any rules or guidelines limiting decorations, it should verify it has the proper authority to enact them, including whether any new rules require obtaining owner approval. Therefore, should your association decide to implement new holiday decorating rules or guidelines, it is prudent to consult with legal counsel to determine the exact wording of the rules and the steps to ensure their proper adoption.

Timing and Participation

At this point in the season, you don’t want to change your rules and guidelines if possible. Set aside a timeframe to review new policies for future holiday periods. Call a meeting with homeowners, especially members who have issues regarding current holiday-decorations rules, to review and potentially modify your existing guidelines. Working toward a common ground where all feel heard, and respected helps create a spirit of inclusion and reduces rules’ stress and tension.

When homeowners know and understand their rights, they are more likely to follow them. Get them more involved by holding community events and contests. Such activities create a sense of community among residents. Events that involve them give them new opportunities to socialize and get to know their neighbors better. Your HOA management company is a useful source for tips and suggestions for activities and methods that encourage involvement with the neighbors and board members.

Additional Tips

Make sure your holiday decoration rules and guidelines are posted where all homeowners can find and read them. You may also include your policies or links to them with a brief synopsis in a pre-holiday email blast.

Texting is more popular than ever. Poll your members to ask if they want short text message reminders for holidays and include Halloween and Valentine’s Day or other events your association helps to celebrate.

If appropriate, set a budget for the HOA to decorate common spaces, which will help bring the cheer of the holiday spirit within the community. A practical suggestion is to hire a professional holiday decorating service that can install and remove decorations on time and within budget.

Comprehensive Insurance Coverage for Your Condominium Association

Although the dangers and problems condominium associations face increase around the holidays, the needs for your condo association are present all year.

The Condo Association Insurance professionals at the Dickstein Associates Agency are eager to put decades of expertise at your service. Our Condominium Association Programs protect associations for their responsibility in the event of property and liability damages

Your association must protect your homeowners’ shared risk for common areas, including the lobby, swimming pool, rec room, hallways, sidewalks, roofs, basements, etc. In addition, our Condo Association Program provides Liability coverage to protect your association and board members from lawsuits. For example, a delivery person may slip and fall while on the sidewalk or a child may be injured in the pool. A Commercial Umbrella policy will extend your primary Liability limits in the event of a catastrophic incident.

We can also provide your association with Directors & Officers (D&O) Liability insurance to protect the board against management liability-related lawsuits as well as Crime & Fidelity insurance.

About Dickstein Associates Agency

Dickstein Associates Agency has distinguished itself as a leading provider of personal and business insurance in the tri-state area since 1965. We pride ourselves on being advocates for our clients and providing them with quality and affordable coverages. As Trusted Choice™ independent insurance agency, we partner with various national and regional carriers, allowing for flexible coverage for each client’s unique circumstances. For more information on how you can leverage all your insurance to work best for you, and how we can secure the best insurance in the marketplace suited to your specific needs and business objectives, contact us today at (800) 862-6662 or www.dicksteininsurance.com.