HOA Violation Letter Template, Printable
A violation process holds up when it is a short written sequence: a friendly courtesy notice, then a formal notice, then, if your documents provide for one, a hearing notice, and a short note when the matter is closed. Below are the four letters as fill-in templates you can print, plus a one-page violation log. They are templates, not legal advice: rules and procedures differ by state and by your governing documents, so have your attorney review them before you use them.
Before you write the first letter
Five things make a letter easier to defend. They cost little, and an owner or a lawyer will ask about them first.
- Find the rule. Quote the section of your declaration (the CC&Rs), bylaws or rules and regulations. If you cannot point to a section, there is nothing to enforce yet. Each template has a blank for the reference.
- Check the steps your documents require. Governing documents and state statutes may require specific steps before a fine, such as a written notice, a cure period or a hearing. Read them first, then adjust the letters to match.
- Record what you saw. Date, time, who observed it, and photos. Take wide and close shots, from the street or a common area where you can. Do not enter an owner's private property without consent: ask your attorney what your documents allow.
- Treat every owner the same. A letter sent to one owner for something the board ignores at another house invites a challenge. Keep a log of what was sent, to whom, and when.
- Stay factual. Describe the condition, not the person. No guesses about intent, no comments about other owners.
The sequence
- Courtesy notice. Assume the owner does not know. State the condition, the rule and a cure period, and offer help.
- Formal notice of violation. Refer to the courtesy notice, repeat the rule and the facts, set a cure period, and say what happens if the condition remains, in the words your documents allow.
- Notice of hearing. If your documents or your state provide a hearing, or your board chooses to offer one before it fines or suspends anything, invite the owner to be heard.
- Notice of correction. When the condition is corrected, or the matter ends some other way, say so in writing.
Fines, suspension of amenity use and any further step are for your documents, your state and your attorney. The letters below state only what you fill in.
Letter 1: courtesy notice
COURTESY NOTICE
[Attorney review: delete this line before sending. Procedures differ by
state and by your governing documents.]
[ASSOCIATION NAME]
[Association address]
Date: [month day, year]
To: [Owner name(s)]
Property: [street address, unit]
Dear [Owner name],
This is a friendly reminder from the board of [Association name].
On [date observed], at about [time], [name / role] observed the
following at your property:
[Factual description: what, where, how much]
[Number] photos taken on [date] are attached.
Our governing documents, [Declaration / Bylaws / Rules and Regulations],
[Article/Section ____], say:
[Short quote or summary of the rule]
We ask that this be corrected within [____ days] of the date of this
letter. If it has already been taken care of, or if there is a reason
it cannot be, please let us know and we will update our records.
If you would like to talk it through, contact [name] at [phone / email]
by [date].
Thank you for helping us keep the community a good place to live.
Sincerely,
[Name, title]
On behalf of the Board of Directors
Sent on [date] by [delivery method required by your documents].
Letter 2: formal notice of violation
FORMAL NOTICE OF VIOLATION
[Attorney review: delete this line before sending. Procedures differ by
state and by your governing documents.]
[ASSOCIATION NAME]
[Association address]
Date: [month day, year]
To: [Owner name(s)]
Property: [street address, unit]
Dear [Owner name],
We wrote to you on [date of courtesy notice] about the following
condition at your property. It has not been corrected.
Governing document reference: [Declaration / Bylaws / Rules],
[Article/Section ____]
Rule: [Short quote or summary]
Observed on [date], at about [time], by [name / role]:
[Factual description]
[Number] photos taken on [date] are attached.
You are required to correct this within [____ days] of the date of this
notice, by [what must be done].
If it is not corrected by [date], the association may [remedy provided
in Section ____ of your documents, filled in only if your documents and
your state allow it].
[If your documents provide a way to respond:] You may respond in
writing, or ask to be heard by the Board, by [date], to [name, address,
email].
If the condition has been corrected, or you believe this notice is in
error, please tell us right away at [phone / email].
Sincerely,
[Name, title]
On behalf of the Board of Directors
Sent on [date] by [delivery method required by your documents].
Proof of delivery kept: [yes / no]
Letter 3: notice of hearing
NOTICE OF HEARING
[Attorney review: delete this line before sending. Procedures differ by
state and by your governing documents.]
[ASSOCIATION NAME]
[Association address]
Date: [month day, year]
To: [Owner name(s)]
Property: [street address, unit]
Dear [Owner name],
The Board of Directors will hold a hearing on the following matter:
Date and time: [month day, year, __:__ a.m./p.m.]
Place: [address and room]
Video: [link] Dial-in: [phone number] (if held by video)
Matter: Alleged violation of [Declaration / Bylaws / Rules],
[Article/Section ____]
Rule: [Short quote or summary]
Prior notices: courtesy notice of [date]; formal notice of [date].
Observed on [date] by [name / role]:
[Factual description]
[Number] photos taken on [date] are attached.
You may attend and be heard, and may bring [a representative / a
witness / documents, as your documents allow]. If you cannot attend on
this date, contact [name] at [phone / email] by [date] to ask for
another time.
After the hearing the Board may [action provided in Section ____ of
your documents, filled in only if your documents and your state allow
it]. You will be told the decision in writing by [date or timeframe
fixed by your documents].
Sincerely,
[Name, title]
On behalf of the Board of Directors
Sent on [date] by [delivery method required by your documents].
Proof of delivery kept: [yes / no]
Letter 4: notice of correction, matter closed
NOTICE OF CORRECTION / MATTER CLOSED
[Attorney review: delete this line before sending. Procedures differ by
state and by your governing documents.]
[ASSOCIATION NAME]
[Association address]
Date: [month day, year]
To: [Owner name(s)]
Property: [street address, unit]
Dear [Owner name],
Thank you for correcting the condition described in our [courtesy
notice / formal notice / notice of hearing] of [date].
Governing document reference: [Declaration / Bylaws / Rules],
[Article/Section ____]
We checked the property on [date], at about [time], and found:
[Factual description of the corrected condition]
[Number] photos taken on [date] are on file.
[Status of any fine or charge, only if your documents provide for one:
____]
This matter is closed and has been recorded in our files. If the
condition returns, [the association may begin the process again, as
your documents allow].
Sincerely,
[Name, title]
On behalf of the Board of Directors
Sent on [date] by [delivery method required by your documents].
Proof of delivery kept: [yes / no]
Violation log
One line per notice, so the file shows at a glance what was sent, how and when.
VIOLATION LOG
[ASSOCIATION NAME] Year: ________ Kept by: ______________
Date Unit Section Notice sent Method Cure date Status
---------- ------ --------- ----------- --------- ---------- --------
__________ ______ _________ ___________ _________ __________ ________
__________ ______ _________ ___________ _________ __________ ________
__________ ______ _________ ___________ _________ __________ ________
__________ ______ _________ ___________ _________ __________ ________
__________ ______ _________ ___________ _________ __________ ________
__________ ______ _________ ___________ _________ __________ ________
__________ ______ _________ ___________ _________ __________ ________
__________ ______ _________ ___________ _________ __________ ________
__________ ______ _________ ___________ _________ __________ ________
__________ ______ _________ ___________ _________ __________ ________
Notice sent: [courtesy / formal / hearing / closing]
Status: [open / cured / hearing set / closed]
Reviewed by the Board on: ____________ Minutes reference: ____________
After you send a letter
- Log it. Use the violation log above: date, unit, section cited, notice sent, method and cure date. Note the number of photos and where the originals are.
- Check back on the date you set. Photograph the condition again, dated, whether it is fixed or not.
- Close the loop in writing. When the condition is corrected, send letter 4, the notice of correction, saying the matter is closed. It is as important as the notice, and it stops an old file from being reopened.
- Record board decisions in the minutes. A fine, a hearing outcome or a decision not to proceed belongs in the meeting minutes.
If the issue is unpaid dues rather than a rule, see how to collect delinquent HOA dues. For who on the board owns which task, see HOA board member duties. What your CC&Rs are and why they matter is in the US community association glossary.
How to do it in Unitify, and what we do not do
The templates above work on paper with no software. If your community runs on Unitify, this is the part it can hold:
- The case file. The board can open each violation as a request: a ticket against the unit, with a status, an assignee and a history, instead of a thread in a shared inbox. Homeowners can file requests in the resident app and follow their status.
- Community-wide reminders. A reminder of a rule that applies to everyone, such as trash cans or parking, can go out as an announcement that reaches residents in the app, by email and on the building's own website, with read receipts. An individual violation letter is different: send it by the method your governing documents and your state require.
- What it does not do. Unitify does not write the letters for you, decide whether a violation exists, or replace the delivery method your documents require. The steps a violation process requires stay a matter of your state's law and your governing documents.
Plans are priced per apartment per month, with a free plan: Free is $0, Base is $1 and Pro is $3. Billing is an add-on at $0.5 per invoice, free on Pro (see the pricing page). See the United States page or book a demo.
Frequently asked questions
What should an HOA violation letter include?
The date, the owner and the property address, the exact section of your governing documents the board relies on, a factual description of what was observed and when, the photos taken, the cure period, who to contact, and what happens next. Keep it neutral and specific; leave out opinions and any mention of other neighbors.
How many violation letters does an HOA send before a fine?
It depends on your governing documents and your state. A common sequence is a courtesy notice, a formal notice and a hearing notice, which is the structure of the first three templates below, but the number of steps, the notice periods and whether a hearing must be offered before a fine are set by your documents and your state's statute. Look them up before you send anything.
How long should the cure period be?
Your governing documents or state law may fix it. Where they do not, the board states a reasonable period in the letter. The templates leave the cure period blank on purpose, because the right number depends on what the violation is and on your documents.
Do I need to send a hearing notice?
Only if your governing documents or your state require a hearing, or if your board chooses to offer one before it fines or suspends anything. If a hearing is part of your process, the notice goes out in writing with the date, time, place and the section at issue.
Should I attach photos to an HOA violation letter?
Usually yes. Dated photos taken from the street or a common area show the condition without argument. Each template has a field for the number of photos and the date they were taken. Keep the originals with the file.
Can an HOA send a violation letter by email?
Only if your governing documents and your state allow notice by electronic means and any required consent is on file. Use the delivery method your documents require, and keep proof of delivery with the letter.