The HOA management RFP & renewal kit

Renewal season is the one moment every board has real leverage. Whether you are testing the market or just making sure your current company still earns the contract, this kit gives you a clean process, the questions that matter, and the red flags to avoid — so you compare proposals on substance, not sales polish.

Start 90–120 days before renewal

Give yourself runway. Check your contract’s expiration, auto-renewal clause and notice period so an auto-renew doesn’t quietly lock you in for another term while you are still deciding.

Define what your community actually needs

List your must-haves before you read a single proposal: financial management and reporting, dues and collections, ARC and architectural review, violations, vendor and work-order coordination, meeting support and minutes, resident communication, and a 24/7 emergency path. Rank them — this becomes your scorecard.

The questions every proposal should answer

Ask each company, in writing:

• Is your pricing published, or custom-quoted?
• What resident-facing fees exist (portal, statement, transfer, convenience)?
• Who is our dedicated manager, and what is your manager turnover?
• What is your guaranteed response time?
• What technology do owners and the board actually get?
• Can we test your service before signing?
• How do onboarding and records transfer work?

Compare on total cost, not headline price

The lowest management fee often hides the highest total cost once portal, statement, transfer and add-on fees are counted — many of which residents pay directly. Ask every bidder to disclose all fees, including ones charged to homeowners, and compare the all-in number.

Watch for these red flags

Refusal to put pricing in writing; vague answers on manager turnover; long, auto-renewing contracts with short cancellation windows; ‘technology’ that’s really just a login; and fees that only appear after you sign. Transparency now predicts service later.

Make bidders compete — and test before you commit

You don’t have to guess. NeighborLink publishes per-door pricing with no hidden resident fees, and BoardMatch can bring qualified companies to bid for your community so you compare everything at once. Better yet, try Linc free at one board meeting to see the actual output before you decide.

Frequently asked questions