Tool Category: Model Policies

The following policy is based on guidance provided by the Federal Trade Commission. Ask your attorney to adapt it to your association’s needs.

You can adapt this Fair Housing Code of Conduct for use at your community. It instructs your maintenance staff on how to act around members. Show this code of conduct to your attorney before implementing it.

To make sure your association has enough funds to deal with its long-range maintenance needs, set a policy governing a reserve account. Show the following model policy to your attorney before taking steps to adopt it as a bylaw to your governing documents.

You can give this sexual harassment complaint procedure, based on the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s guidelines, to your employees. The procedure encourages employees who are victims of harassment to complain, asks employees who observe harassment to report it, gives harassed employees a choice of accessible individuals to whom they can complain, says that any…

Ask your attorney about improving your association’s records-management policy by adapting the following five points for your specific needs.

This collection policy will help members understand the consequences of late payments and show them that you intend to apply your collection policy uniformly, fairly, and consistently. Show the policy to your association’s attorney before adopting it. (State law and your governing documents may require changes and deletions.)

This Model Policy requires members to ensure that their required detectors are operable at all times. Also, it contains optional language that you can use if your governing documents allow you to fine members who don’t comply with community policies.

Here's a Model Policy that your association's board can adapt and distribute to members. It explains who is responsible for the costs of exterminating a bedbug infestation that occurs in the community, and sets a procedure for notifying management of infestations and their eradication. It also details how management will respond when notified. Show this…

Here’s a Model Policy that your association can follow to ensure proper disclosure and voting procedures when a board member has a conflict of interest. Review the policy with your attorney and decide which procedural approaches work best for your association.

Here’s a Model Policy that restricts sign posting to two types of signs and sets out rules for posting material on the community’s bulletin board. Show this policy to your attorney before adapting it for use in your community.