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Caption
A condo association can initiate background checks of prospective tenants and owners.
Alternate Text
Group
When buying a home or condominium, you may think you're ready to go after striking a deal with the seller and securing the funds you'll need to purchase the home. You may find, however, that you have one more hurdle to clear. Some communities utilize a condominium association or homeowners association (HOA) to govern the community. There is no opting out of an HOA if your new home has one. You automatically become a member and agree to be bound by the HOA's rules upon buying your home. To keep the community safe and desirable, some HOAs insist on running a background check on all prospective buyers and tenants before …show more content…
HOAs look at your credit report to ensure you can afford to pay your HOA fees and dues. The amount of HOA fees varies from one community to another as does what you get for the money. Every homeowner in an HOA community must join the association and pay HOA fees, and many HOAs run a financial check to make sure new owners can fulfill this financial obligation. Your HOA may also want to verify that your financially sound enough to maintain your home as expected. A copy of your criminal record will also be part of an HOA background check. A criminal check helps assure your new neighbors that you're trustworthy and aren't likely to make the neighborhood unsafe or …show more content…
Other data, such as your financial information, is private. You have the right to keep your personal information private, so an HOA can't run a background check on you without your permission. Remember, however, that an HOA can make submitting to a background check a requirement of joining the community. You can refuse to submit to a background check but doing so may bar you from moving in.
HOA Rule
Under California and several other state's laws, an HOA can't arbitrarily decide who to run a background check on or what criteria applicants must meet. In order to deny you based on information found in your background check, the HOA must have a written bylaw that specifies the criteria for inclusion to or exclusion from the community. The rule is further required to be reasonable and may not conflict with any other HOA bylaws or declarations. If you can, obtain a copy of the HOA rules and bylaws before consenting to a background check. This information should tell you whether the HOA will accept you or not.
Legal
Caption
A condo association can initiate background checks of prospective tenants and owners.
Alternate Text
Group
When buying a home or condominium, you may think you're ready to go after striking a deal with the seller and securing the funds you'll need to purchase the home. You may find, however, that you have one more hurdle to clear. Some communities utilize a condominium association or homeowners association (HOA) to govern the community. There is no opting out of an HOA if your new home has one. You automatically become a member and agree to be bound by the HOA's rules upon buying your home. To keep the community safe and desirable, some HOAs insist on running a background check on all prospective buyers and tenants before …show more content…
HOAs look at your credit report to ensure you can afford to pay your HOA fees and dues. The amount of HOA fees varies from one community to another as does what you get for the money. Every homeowner in an HOA community must join the association and pay HOA fees, and many HOAs run a financial check to make sure new owners can fulfill this financial obligation. Your HOA may also want to verify that your financially sound enough to maintain your home as expected. A copy of your criminal record will also be part of an HOA background check. A criminal check helps assure your new neighbors that you're trustworthy and aren't likely to make the neighborhood unsafe or …show more content…
Other data, such as your financial information, is private. You have the right to keep your personal information private, so an HOA can't run a background check on you without your permission. Remember, however, that an HOA can make submitting to a background check a requirement of joining the community. You can refuse to submit to a background check but doing so may bar you from moving in.
HOA Rule
Under California and several other state's laws, an HOA can't arbitrarily decide who to run a background check on or what criteria applicants must meet. In order to deny you based on information found in your background check, the HOA must have a written bylaw that specifies the criteria for inclusion to or exclusion from the community. The rule is further required to be reasonable and may not conflict with any other HOA bylaws or declarations. If you can, obtain a copy of the HOA rules and bylaws before consenting to a background check. This information should tell you whether the HOA will accept you or not.
Legal