Do HOA Board Members and Presidents Get Paid?

There are a number of good reasons to serve on the Board of Directors for your Homeowners Association. For example, serving on the HOA Board provides a meaningful way to enact positive change in your community, and to ensure that it remains a pleasant place for everyone to live. Additionally, serving within a community association can be an outstanding way to get to know your neighbors.

These are just a couple of possible incentives to consider a role in HOA service. But what if you’re considering Board service, and specifically serving as Board President, for financial compensation?

If that’s the case, then you may wind up disappointed. With rare exceptions, Board members serve on a volunteer basis. So, while there are plenty of reasons to run for a seat on the HOA Board, compensation shouldn’t be one of them.

Here are a few further reflections on this topic from Kuester Management Group, a trusted provider of HOA management in Huntersville NC, Charlotte NC, Myrtle Beach SC, and HOA Management in Fort Mill SC.

Look to Your Governing Documents

If you have any questions about whether Board members may be compensated within your HOA, simply consult your governing documents.

Generally speaking, governing docs should be clear in outlining whether HOA Board members can be compensated. Most of the time, they will expressly prohibit Board members from receiving any type of financial compensation or other special perks. In most HOAs, Board members are expected to serve as volunteers, motivated by their desire to serve within the community.

Governing documents may stipulate that the Board can hire professionals, such as accountants, attorneys, or HOA management experts, to assist with difficult tasks like special assessments or running productive Board meetings. However, the actual Board members should not be paid for their Board service.

HOA Board Members

Fiduciary Duties

Why is it that Board members are prohibited from collecting compensation?

The short answer is that, when you serve on the Board, you have a fiduciary duty to the Homeowners Association. What this means is that you are responsible for every dollar that’s spent on the community’s behalf. Receiving any kind of payment would create a pretty clear conflict of interest. For example, if Board members are receiving compensation, it would be problematic for them to also be in charge of giving themselves raises.

Paying Dues

Something else to keep in mind: Not only must Board members (including the President) abstain from collecting a salary, but they must also continue paying dues, just like all other members of the community.

Sometimes, HOA members get the idea that they might waive dues for their volunteers, motivating more people to serve. While this is a clever idea, it would be another clear case of conflict of interest. Generally speaking, HOA governing docs will prohibit this.

Benefits Service on the Community Association Board

All of that’s to say that, when you choose to serve as a Board member, or are elected to the office of Board President, you’re typically not going to get any type of financial incentive. However, there are still some remarkable benefits to serving on the Board. Just a few examples include:

  • Volunteer work provides real mental and emotional health benefits, something that is confirmed by a huge body of scientific literature.
  • Serving on the Board provides an opportunity to enact real change within the community.
  • By serving on the Board, you can not only get to know your neighbors better, but also serve as an example of what servant-leadership looks like.

In other words: While you may not get a paycheck for serving as an HOA President, doing so can nevertheless be richly rewarding. 

HOA President

Frequently Asked Questions

Do board members get paid?

Why do you want to serve on the HOA board of directors?

What qualities make a good HOA board member?

What are the duties of board members?

Are board members considered employees?

What happens when you don’t have enough HOA board members?

What does a President do in an HOA?

Can HOA Presidents be sued?

Can the HOA president make decisions without consulting?

How do you remove a president from an HOA?

How do you become an HOA president?

How much do HOA board members make?

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Bryan Kuester

Bryan Kuester

Bryan is the CEO of Kuester Management Group. He has over 15 years of managing community associations throughout North and South Carolina.

His specialties include Community Association Management - maintenance, budgeting for operational and reserve funding, long-range planning, covenant enforcement, amenity management, onsite management, large scale management.

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