Switching HOA management companies.

The 60–90 day transition, step by step

1. Board decision & notice. The board votes to terminate the existing management agreement under its notice provision. Confirm the contractual notice period; most are 30–90 days.
2. Document inventory. The new manager produces a list of every document, account, contract, and record needing transfer. The outgoing manager is obligated to deliver them.
3. Financial handoff. Bank accounts are re-opened or assigned, signatures updated, balances reconciled, and the final close-out package is produced by the outgoing firm.
4. Vendor notification. Each active vendor receives written notice of the management change, new contact info, and updated invoicing instructions.
5. Owner communication. A single, board-approved notice goes to owners explaining the change, the timing, and where to send dues during the switch window.
6. Operating cutover. On the cutover date, the new manager takes over operations, financial activity, and resident-facing communication.
7. 30-day review. The new manager and board meet at 30 days post-cutover to confirm everything landed and surface any cleanup.

What to ask before signing the new agreement

• Who is our actual primary manager, and how long have they been at the firm?
• What's the monthly financial package and what date do we get it?
• What's included in the base fee, and what's billed separately?
• What's the after-hours emergency process — concretely?
• How do you handle delinquencies before they go to counsel?
• What's your termination clause? (A confident firm doesn't bury you in one.)

What to watch out for

• Outgoing firms that drag their feet on document transfer. The contract obligates them; insist politely and in writing.
• Hidden fees in the new agreement. Anything labeled "additional," "ancillary," or "as incurred" deserves a specific definition.
• Promises that sound great in the pitch and disappear in the contract. Get them written into the scope.

A clean transition is mostly project management. With a manager who's done it before, it's not dramatic — it's documented.