Senate committee OKs 10-month residency requirement for HOA board members

The Business and Insurance Committee voted to pass House Bill 2588, which requires that after a developer has turned over a homeowners association (HOA) the homeowners who serve on the board must both own and physically reside on a lot within the HOA and must have occupied their principal home for at least 10 months to be eligible for board membership.

Sponsor Senator Rader said the 10-month period was picked to show the legitimacy of residency: "It's not a year, it's not a half a year. So there had to be a time put on that to say to show the legitimacy of being a homeowner and 10 months was picked," he said. Senators pressed the author on whether short-term rentals or Airbnb arrangements could subvert the rule; Rader said clarifying language could be worked with the House author and that voting rights for nonresident owners would not be affected by the bill.

After debate and offers to refine language, the committee recorded 8 ayes and 0 nays and declared the bill passed in committee.