THE RENTAL
X FACTOR
By Yvette Huffman
W
ith an ever-changing landscape of rights,
duties, and responsibilities, what does
a Common Interest Development, a.k.a.
homeowner’s association, do with non-
members who want to participate in the
affairs of the community? Before answering that question,
let’s look at past practices. Back in the day, general
procedure used to be to require that only members
(someone holding title to a property within the community)
could communicate with the association and management
company, as well as attend meetings. While renters might
not have membership rights, according to the laws of the
State of California renters have every right to use and
enjoy the community same as any owner. To answer the
original question, here is what is suggested: embrace the
enthusiasm, have substantive conversations that promote
mutual respect so that non-members (renters) understand
that they are part of the community and not apart from
the community. If your community consists of 30-40%
rentals, or more, it is a real possibility that when an
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SPRING 2020
association embraces the rental population,
it will engender better care of the grounds,
improved communication, and promote a
better sense of community. When the rental
population in a community is treated as if
they are a non-entity the result can be a lack
of concern for the grounds and a potentially
large population of residents who are not
invested in the community.