The City of Greensboro has met with various stakeholders in the community over the last several months to develop a City wide ordinance to address and create rules for short term rentals. There is no current definition for short term rentals in Greensboro, which means that they are currently regulated under the ordinance covering Tourist Homes (i.e. Bed and Breakfasts). Some of the highlights of the proposed ordinance would be: Short term rentals would be allowed only in residential dwellings. There would have to be a zoning permit for this type of rental. The number of persons allowed in the … Continue reading →

The convenience and cost of Airbnb, VRBO, Homeaway and other platforms have made short-term rentals (sometimes called “STRs” or “STVRs” for “short-term vacation rentals”) a booming business. Airbnb said earlier this year that it has over 640,000 hosts and 4 million listings! That said, short-term rentals can bring concerns. For one, too many rentals may change the nature of a community. Some traditional owner-occupied homeowner and condominium associations have found themselves awash in short-term renters. While there is nothing inherently negative about short-term renters, some communities have found that short-term rentals can lead to additional administrative costs, such as determining … Continue reading →

We live in an increasingly sharing world and culture. For a small fee we share rides to get to work, can leave our pets at someone’s house while on vacation, or we can rent our neighbor’s car, high-end household items like cameras or kitchenware, and even musical instruments (although I’m not sure I would want to share some of those).  With the explosion in our sharing economy, it should come as no surprise that owners in homeowners associations and condominiums have found ways to take advantage of technology to market their homes to those in need of lodging on a … Continue reading →

Requests for amendments to declarations tend to go in waves. Twenty years ago many associations were concerned about certain categories of sex offenders living in their communities. For several years now, the declaration amendment our firm most often gets asked about has to do with rental restrictions. Such questions arise out of concern that too many rentals or certain types of rentals will impact the “character” of neighborhoods. As a result, associations regularly approach our firm for advice on rental bans, rental caps, or restrictions on short-term/transient rentals like Airbnb or VRBO. (See Top Declaration Amendments for an HOA or … Continue reading →

For those of you who work with condominiums, you know how important FHA approval can be. Without such approval, purchasers can have difficulty obtaining financing for purchasing a condo. (After all, FHA-insured mortgages are between 30 and 40 percent of all condominium mortgages, and FHA insurance is typically required on mortgages where there is less than a 20 percent down payment.) FHA approval requirements have long been in flux. However, in 2011 and again in 2012, the FHA formalized many of the requirements. At a minimum under the guidelines, to be eligible for FHA financing a condominium must: A great … Continue reading →

With the winding up of the SC Legislative session fast approaching, the deadline for bills to be introduced has now passed, and it is time to look at where things are now that the dust has settled. South Carolina saw several proposed bills potentially affecting homeowners associations and condominiums filed. As of this writing, one of those bills is on its way to likely becoming law, while a couple of others have at least garnered the attention of many legislators. With the crossover deadline behind us, now is a good time to see which bills are still active that could … Continue reading →

As described in my recent NC Community Association Legislative Update, an HOA/condo bill moving through the NC General Assembly is Senate Bill 553/House Bill 551 “Landlord/Tenant and HOA Changes.” SB 552 and HB 551 are mainly focused on landlord-tenant issues, but both include a provision that any declaration amendments made by an HOA or condo association would “only affect lot owners whose lots are conveyed or transferred after the amendment takes effect.” Such an outcome impacting ALL declaration amendments would have disastrous consequences on many associations. As a reminder, amendments to declarations can only be adopted if overwhelming supported by … Continue reading →

The national Community Association Law Seminar is by far the best HOA or condo legal program I attend each year. The year’s Law Seminar, sponsored by the Community Associations Institute (CAI) and the College of Community Association Lawyers (CCAL), is the 38th annual and will be held January 18-21 in Las Vegas, NV. While the Law Seminar provides about 13-20 hours of CLE and is mostly attended by attorneys, it’s not only for attorneys. Attendees include community association managers, bankers, other industry professionals and even homeowners who want to learn about HOA/condo law changes and trends. For insurance professionals who work … Continue reading →

Individuals, businesses, and organizations across the United States are struggling to come to grips with the new financial realities created by the COVID-19 pandemic. Nonprofit community associations are no exception.  They will likely face reductions in revenues in the coming months, at least, as a result of members who simply are not able to pay their ongoing obligations for assessments.  Loans newly made available by the federal government may be an option for community associations to consider. In this blog we will look at federal disaster loans offered through the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). (For a more general explanation … Continue reading →

Effective April 7, 2020, at 5:00 pm, South Carolina will join most other states with statewide “stay at home” orders.  Governor Henry McMaster referred to the order as a “home or work” order that would require people to stay home if they are not at work or tending to essential needs.  A copy of the South Carolina Governor’s full order is here.  The order does not close more businesses than had previously been closed, but did create additional limits on how many customers can be inside a store at any given time.  According to his order, all stores must limit … Continue reading →

Authored by Harmony Taylor & David Wilson We are often asked by board members for HOA and condominium associations to review their community’s documents and “update” them or “make them more modern.”  While there is no one-size fits all solution for any community association, we have noticed that some declaration amendments are a good idea for most communities.  Over the next few articles, David Wilson and Harmony Taylor will be exploring some of the amendments that we frequently recommend to the associations that we represent.  Whether you are a single family, townhome, or condominium community, you may want to think … Continue reading →

Authored by David Wilson & Harmony Taylor We are often asked by board members for HOA and condominium associations to review their community’s documents and “update” them or “make them more modern.”  While there is no one-size fits all solution for any community association, we have noticed that some amendments are a good idea for most communities.  Over the next few articles, David Wilson and Harmony Taylor will be exploring some of the amendments that we frequently recommend to the associations that we represent.  Whether you are a single family, townhome, or condominium community, you may want to think about … Continue reading →

Yesterday, May 9, 2019 was the “crossover deadline” in the North Carolina General Assembly. In short, that means that bills not related to taxes or spending must have passed one chamber to be eligible for consideration during the two-year legislative session. CAVEAT: In terms of legislation, “dead” doesn’t always mean “completely dead.” A News & Observer story once noted that legislative “rules are made to be circumvented, so there are many ways to keep legislation alive.” (For example, proposals sometimes appear later as “technical corrections” in other bills.) Still, with the crossover deadline behind us, now is a good time … Continue reading →

House Bill 174 “Landlord/Tenant-Foreclosure & Evict. Changes” (with the full title of “An Act to Amend and Enhance Certain Notice Requirements and Protections for Tenants of Real Properties in Foreclosure and to Allow for Purchasers of Real Property Under Option Contracts to Pursue Monetary Damages Separately from Summary Ejectment Proceedings and Other Amendments to the Homebuyer Protection Act”) was ratified by the North Carolina General Assembly on July 28, 2015, and signed by Governor McCrory on Thursday, August 6, 2015. HB 174 becomes the third piece of legislation that could impact community associations passed into law this year (see First Community … Continue reading →