Are you in Compliance?

Illinois condominium and homeowners associations will soon have a new digital responsibility. Under Public Act 104-0797, affected associations must provide an internet-accessible website for unit owners by January 1, 2028.

For boards and community managers, preparing involves more than launching a website. Associations will need a reliable process for sharing meeting information, publishing approved board minutes, managing access, and keeping content current.

This guide explains who the law affects, what associations must provide, and the information needed before the deadline.

Quick Answer: Are Illinois HOAs Required to Have a Website?

Yes. Illinois condominium and common interest community associations must provide a website that unit owners can access on the internet no later than January 1, 2028. The website must include information about board and membership meetings and approved minutes from board meetings.

What Is Illinois Public Act 104-0797?

Illinois Public Act 104-0797 began as House Bill 5449 and was signed into law on August 7, 2026. It introduces new website and electronic delivery requirements for condominium and common interest community associations that are subject to the amended statutes. The law takes effect on January 1, 2027.

The law amends four sections of two Illinois statutes:

• Sections 1-30 and 1-45 of the Illinois Common Interest Community Association Act
• Sections 18 and 18.4 of the Illinois Condominium Property Act

Under the new website requirement, affected associations must provide a website that unit owners can access online no later than January 1, 2028. The website  must include information about board and membership meetings and approved minutes from a meeting of the board.

The law also changes how associations deliver annual accounting information. This information must be transmitted electronically to owners who have provided their information to the association and authorized electronic transmission. The exact annual accounting requirements differ between condominium associations and common interest community associations, so boards should consult their association attorney when updating their financial reporting procedures.

Which Illinois HOAs and Condo Associations Are Affected?

The new website requirement applies to associations governed by the Illinois Condominium Property Act or the Illinois Common Interest Community Association Act. This includes many condominium associations, homeowners associations, and other residential communities with shared property or expenses.

Condominium Associations

A condominium association consists of all the owners within a property that has been legally established as a condominium. Each owner owns an individual unit and also holds an ownership interest in the property’s common elements, such as hallways, roofs, elevators, recreational facilities, or landscaped areas.

The association acts through its elected board of managers and is generally governed by the Illinois Condominium Property Act. Public Act 104-0797 adds the new website requirement to Section 18.4 of that Act.

Common Interest Community Associations

A common interest community is generally a residential development that is not a condominium or cooperative. Owners are required to contribute to the maintenance, improvement, insurance, taxes, or other expenses associated with shared property described in the community’s declaration.

This category includes many traditional homeowners associations and planned communities. Associations subject to the Illinois Common Interest Community Association Act are included in the new website requirement.

However, some smaller common interest community associations may be exempt from the Act. An association organized under the Illinois General Not for Profit Corporation Act of 1986 may be exempt if it has 10 units or fewer or annual budgeted assessments of $100,000 or less, unless it has elected to be covered by the Act.

Because an association’s governing statute may depend on its legal structure, size, budget, and governing documents, boards should consult their association attorney to confirm whether the new website requirement applies to their community.

What Information Must Be Included on the Website?

Public Act 104-0797 identifies two types of information that affected associations must make available through their websites by January 1, 2028:

• Information about board and membership meetings
• Approved minutes from board meetings

The law does not provide a detailed list of every item that must appear under “meeting information.” Associations should work with their legal counsel to determine what information to publish and how quickly it should be added or updated.

Board and Membership Meeting Information

The website must include information about both board meetings and membership meetings. Board meetings are meetings where the association’s board conducts association business. Membership meetings generally involve the broader association membership, such as an annual meeting or another meeting called for the unit owners.

The statute does not specify exactly what meeting information must be posted. Associations should consult their attorneys when developing their publishing procedures.

For practical purposes, an association may consider posting the following information:

• Meeting date and time
• Meeting location
• Virtual attendance instructions, if applicable
• Meeting notice
• Meeting agenda
• Instructions for owner participation
• Any schedule changes or cancellations

These additional details can help owners understand when and how meetings will take place, but the law does not expressly list each of them as required website content. Associations should distinguish between information required by Public Act 104-0797 and information posted voluntarily to support resident communication.

Approved Board Meeting Minutes

The website must also include approved minutes from board meetings. Meeting minutes provide an official record of the board’s actions, decisions, and votes.

The statutory language refers specifically to approved minutes. Associations should have a clear process for confirming that minutes have received board approval before publishing them online. Draft minutes should be clearly identified and handled according to the association’s governing documents and legal guidance.

A consistent publishing process may include:

1. Preparing the draft minutes after the meeting.
2. Presenting the minutes to the board for review and approval.
3. Recording any corrections approved by the board.
4. Uploading the final approved version to the website.
5. Organizing the minutes by meeting date or year.

Use consistent file names and folders so owners can locate meeting minutes easily. For example, an association might organize documents by year and label each file with the meeting date and document type. This organization method is helpful, but it is not expressly required by Public Act 104-0797.

Does the Illinois HOA Website Need to Be Public?

Public Act 104-0797 does not state that the association’s website must be open to the general public. It requires the board to provide a website that unit owners can access on the internet.

The law also does not specify whether associations must use a public website, a password-protected resident portal, or a combination of the two. It does not provide detailed requirements for login credentials, document permissions, or other security measures.

A secure resident portal may help an association limit community information to authorized owners. For example, an association could use individual accounts or password protection to control access to meeting information and approved board minutes.

Before choosing between a public website and a secure portal, associations should consult their legal counsel. An attorney can help the board determine which access method satisfies the law while also protecting confidential or sensitive information.

Associations should also establish procedures for:

• Providing owners with access instructions
• Adding new owners and removing former owners
• Helping residents who experience login problems
• Managing permissions for board members, managers, and residents
• Reviewing documents before they are published
• Keeping private owner information and confidential association records off public pages

These security and access procedures are practical recommendations. Public Act 104-0797 does not expressly require a specific website structure or access-control system.

What Does the Law Say About Annual Financial Information?

Public Act 104-0797 also addresses how associations deliver annual financial information. This requirement is separate from the website provision, and the law does not require financial information to be posted on the website.

Condominium associations must provide owners with an annual itemized accounting of the previous year’s common expenses. Common interest community associations may provide an itemized accounting or a consolidated annual independent audit report.

This information must be sent electronically to owners who have:

• Provided their information to the association
• Authorized electronic transmission

Providing an email address may not be the same as authorizing electronic delivery. Associations should maintain clear records of each owner’s authorization and current contact information.

What Should an HOA Website Include Beyond the Required Information?

Public Act 104-0797 establishes a minimum requirement for meeting information and approved board minutes. Associations may choose to publish additional resources that make the website more helpful to residents and reduce repetitive questions for managers and board members.

Optional website content may include:

• Community calendars and upcoming events
• Governing documents, rules, and policies
• Community announcements
• Frequently requested forms
• Maintenance request instructions
• Payment information
• Board and management contact information
• Emergency and local service contacts
• Community amenities and reservation details
• Newsletters and community updates

How Can Pilera Help?

Pilera gives Illinois associations tools to organize community information and prepare for the new website requirement from one platform.

With Pilera, boards and community managers can:

• Create a professional community website with EasySites
• Share approved meeting minutes and other documents through the resident portal
• Use permissions to control who can view specific information
• Publish meeting dates and community events on shared calendars
• Send announcements by email, text, phone, or postal mail
• Keep residents informed when information is added or updated
• Manage websites and resident communication across multiple communities
• Allow members to manage their own units, request services, and engage with other residents.

These tools can help associations create a consistent process for publishing information and keeping residents informed. Associations should still consult their legal counsel to confirm that their website and communication procedures meet the requirements that apply to their community.

Prepare for the 2028 Website Deadline

Illinois associations have until January 1, 2028 to provide an online website with meeting information and approved board meeting minutes to meet the new Illinois HOA website requirements. Starting early gives boards and managers time to organize records, establish publishing procedures, and make sure owners can find the information they need.

Pilera can help simplify this process by bringing community websites, documents, calendars, announcements, and resident access together in one platform. Associations should also work with legal counsel to confirm how Public Act 104-0797 applies to their community.

Ready to prepare your community for the new requirement? Schedule a demo to see how Pilera can help.

Our latest release introduces new features, including how to manage replies for community communications, and enhancements to messaging and documents.  Read on to learn more! 

New Features

Easily choose who manages replies to community communications

You can now select a specific manager to receive all resident replies for any message or announcement you send.  This new feature helps you delegate the responsibility of managing email responses to ensure no follow-ups are missed.  Here are some ways this new feature can come in handy:

• Vacation coverage – Schedule an announcement or message in advance, and assign the reply to a staff member to cover for you while you’re on vacation.
• Customer support – Assign all replies to a customer support individual or an outsourced staff member.  
• Route replies based on topic – Assign the responsibility of replying to an announcement or message to the best-suited department, such as maintenance for repair requests or accounting for late fee inquiries. 

Enhancements

• Bad Communications Report – When you view the Bad Communication Report, clicking on the resident’s name takes you to their profile so you can view and correct any contact errors before sending your next message.  
• Improved the user experience for file management.  We’ve improved the user experience for managing files and folders. 

New features with Pilera’s integration partner Ballot Bliss

Through Pilera’s integration with Ballot Bliss, community associations can run elections, amendments, budgets, and other types of votes securely and with ease.  Over the past few months, Ballot Bliss has added several new features to increase participation, improve compliance, and build trust with your residents.

• Voting Setup Report – Provides your community with a pre-election snapshot of your voting form configurations.  This feature makes record-keeping and compliance easy for customers in states with stricter regulations, such as Florida and California.
  
• Ballot Summary Report – This gives you a board-ready record of your vote or election.  You no longer need to manually gather spreadsheets or printed records of your election.  Ballot Bliss compiles your voting results, ballot settings, and audit logs into one report that you can share with your board or other stakeholders. Read more about the Ballot Summary Report here.
  
• Enhanced Weighted Voting Charts – Upgraded charts for weighted voting give you a clear picture of the vote’s progress.
  

About Pilera

Pilera Software has been at the forefront of innovation in community association management technology with its association-focused CRM platform. Focusing on relationships over transactions, Pilera’s CRM helps community association managers and boards optimize communications, streamline operations, and enhance overall resident satisfaction, resulting in stronger, more resilient communities and increased client retention for the management company. If you’d like to learn how to build strong relationships with your communities, schedule a demo!

Serving on an HOA board often means wearing more hats than you ever expected. One minute you’re answering questions about parking, the next you’re reviewing architectural requests, and somewhere in between you’re trying to keep the community informed and running smoothly. It’s a lot, and governance can sometimes feel like an uphill climb.

The truth is, HOA governance has grown more complex over the years with rising homeowner expectations, evolving regulations, and more day-to-day decisions landing on the board’s plate. But with the right tools and a few smart processes, keeping your community on track becomes a whole lot easier.

The five most common HOA governance mistakes in 2026 include poor communication with homeowners, unclear or outdated procedures, inconsistent enforcement of rules, weak financial oversight, and lack of transparency in decision-making. Boards can avoid these issues by modernizing processes, documenting everything, improving communication, and using software like Pilera to streamline operations.

This article breaks down the five most common governance mistakes boards run into and shows you how to avoid them so 2026 can be your smoothest, most organized year yet.

Why Good HOA Governance Matters More Than Ever in 2026

At its simplest, HOA governance is just the everyday system that keeps your community running. It’s the decisions you make at meetings, the way you communicate with homeowners, the processes you follow, and the expectations you help set. When those pieces fit together, everything feels more manageable. Homeowners understand what’s happening, rules feel fair, and the board has room to focus on improvements instead of getting stuck in constant problem-solving.

But over the past few years, expectations from homeowners have grown. People want more clarity about how decisions are made, what their dues support, and how the board is planning for the future. They expect faster responses, especially when they’re dealing with maintenance issues or submitting questions. And they want easy access to information without having to chase it down. It is not unreasonable. It is simply today’s reality. Everyone is used to instant updates, and homeowners naturally want that same level of transparency from their community.

At the same time, regulations continue to change, and keeping up can feel like its own full-time job. Technology is also reshaping how communities operate. More tasks are moving online, from communications to recordkeeping to resident engagement. Boards that embrace these tools often find their workload becomes lighter, while boards that do not can feel overwhelmed quickly.

All of this makes one thing clear. Good HOA governance matters now more than ever. When your processes are organized and communication is clear, life becomes easier for everyone involved. And the best part? Improving your governance does not require a major overhaul. It starts with understanding the biggest pitfalls boards can stumble into.

Let’s take a closer look at the five most common mistakes and how your board can avoid them in 2026.

Mistake #1: Underestimating the Power of Clear Communication

Strong communication is at the heart of good HOA governance. When homeowners understand what is happening, why decisions are being made, and what is expected of them, everything in the community feels more organized and less stressful. Problems often arise not because people disagree with a decision, but because they feel they were left in the dark.

Many boards run into the same communication gaps. Announcements may be unclear, updates may go out too late, or information may be scattered across emails, texts, and paper notices. Without a central place to find what they need, homeowners get confused and frustrated. That confusion shows up as more complaints, more follow-up questions, and less trust in the board.

With the right tools, communication becomes much easier. Pilera gives boards everything they need in one place. You can send centralized announcements that reach everyone quickly, set up scheduled reminders for important dates, and share information in multiple languages. You can even track who has viewed each message, which helps boards understand whether updates are getting through.

A few simple habits can improve your communication almost instantly:

• Use the same channels consistently so homeowners always know where to look.
• Send updates early so people have time to prepare or respond
• Add helpful context to every announcement so no one is left wondering why something is happening

When communication is clear, your community feels more connected, informed, and supported. It creates a foundation of trust that makes every other part of governance easier.

Mistake #2: Not Documenting Rules, Decisions, and Processes

Good documentation is one of the simplest ways to strengthen HOA governance. Clear records support accountability, promote fairness, and make board transitions easier. When information is organized and accessible, both the board and homeowners have a smoother experience.

When documents are incomplete or scattered, issues start to appear. Homeowners may receive inconsistent answers, rules may be enforced unevenly, and the board can become vulnerable to disputes or legal challenges. Without clear records, it is difficult to explain why a decision was made or what process was followed.

Every board should maintain organized records of meeting minutes, community rules, architectural decisions, vendor contracts, and maintenance logs. These items guide how the community operates, and homeowners rely on them for clarity.

Pilera helps simplify documentation with a dedicated library where policies, meeting notes, and guidelines can be stored and shared. Everything stays in one central place, and homeowners can easily access what they need.

To strengthen your documentation habits:

• Keep documents updated
• Use version control when possible
• Store everything in one consistent location

Clear documentation creates a stronger, more transparent governance foundation that benefits everyone in the community.

Mistake #3: Inconsistent Rule Enforcement

Few things damage community trust faster than rules that are enforced unevenly. When some homeowners are held to one standard and others are not, it creates frustration and makes the board’s decisions feel unfair, even when that is not the intention.

Consistency is a key part of good HOA governance. When the same process is followed every time, homeowners feel that the board is acting fairly and transparently. The challenge is that many boards struggle with unclear procedures, personal biases, or a lack of a reliable system for tracking violations.

Pilera helps make enforcement easier with structured workflows, communication logs, photo attachments, and a complete history of past actions. These tools give the board a clear, repeatable process to follow.

A few simple habits can improve consistency:

• Follow the same steps every time
• Use clear, objective standards
• Keep residents informed throughout the process

Consistent enforcement builds trust, reduces conflict, and helps the community feel more united.

Mistake #4: Overlooking Financial Oversight

Financial oversight is one of the most important parts of HOA governance, yet it is often the area that boards feel least confident about. A community’s budget, expenses, and reserve planning all play a major role in long-term stability, and even small oversights can create big challenges down the road.

Common issues include unclear or outdated budgets, limited transparency with homeowners, poor tracking of expenses, and vendor information that is scattered or incomplete. When financial oversight is weak, it can lead to distrust, surprise assessments, and difficulty planning for future projects.

Pilera helps boards stay organized by offering tools that support stronger financial governance. You can track vendor data, RFPs, and contracts in one place, maintain clear expense logs, and store important documentation so nothing gets lost. Automated reminders for insurance and license expirations make it easier to stay compliant, and integrations with accounting platforms help streamline financial workflows.

A few simple habits can make your financial oversight much stronger:

• Share budget summaries with homeowners so they understand how funds are being used
• Review vendor files and license expiration dates regularly to make sure information stays accurate
• Set up maintenance and reserve schedules to plan ahead with confidence

When finances are well organized, the entire community benefits. Homeowners feel informed, the board can plan proactively, and long-term goals become much easier to achieve.

Mistake #5: Avoiding Technology Instead of Embracing It

Technology has become a central part of strong HOA governance. Communities expect quicker communication, easier access to information, and smoother processes, and the right tools can make all of that possible. Still, many boards hesitate because change can feel overwhelming.

It is common for board members to worry that new software might be too complex or that training everyone will take too much time. But avoiding technology often creates even bigger challenges. Communication slows down, records become harder to track, and board members end up spending more time on tasks that could be automated.

Using an HOA management platform like Pilera brings real benefits. Operations become more organized, audit trails support transparency, residents can access information from their phones, and automated workflows reduce the board’s workload. Communities that use tools like Ballot Bliss for digital voting enjoy smoother, more accurate elections with far fewer administrative headaches. Together, these platforms help boards modernize every part of their operations.

If your board is ready to modernize, a few simple steps help make the transition smoother:

• Start with tools that save the most time
• Train both the board and the management team
• Introduce new technology gradually so everyone can adjust comfortably

When your community embraces technology, governance becomes clearer, faster, and far more efficient for everyone involved.

How Pilera Makes HOA Governance Easier for Every Board

All of these governance improvements become much easier when you have the right tools supporting your work. Pilera brings everything together in one platform so boards can communicate clearly, stay organized, and build a stronger, more connected community.

Pilera includes a collection of modules that help boards manage every part of HOA governance:

• PileraCONNECT for fast, reliable communication and automated reminders
• PileraOPS for organized maintenance and work order tracking
• PileraCARE for consistent handling of resident requests
• PileraENGAGE for a resident portal that keeps homeowners informed and involved
• PileraEASYSITES for clean, modern community websites that make information easy to find
• Pilera’s integration with RFP Plus for tracking vendor information, license expiration, and Request for Proposals to help communities get the best bids.
• Pilera’s integration with Ballot Bliss for seamless online voting that supports secure elections, easier voter management, and a more efficient experience for both boards and homeowners
  

Together, these tools create a governance system that is transparent, accountable, and efficient. Homeowners feel better informed, board members spend less time on manual tasks, and the community gains a stronger sense of trust and stability.

Stronger HOA Governance Starts With Simple, Consistent Improvements

Running a community in 2026 becomes far less stressful when you have the right systems in place. With clear communication, organized documentation, consistent enforcement, strong financial oversight, and a willingness to adopt helpful tools, your board can create a smoother and more confident way of managing the community.

Avoiding these five common mistakes leads to fewer frustrations, happier homeowners, and a community that feels well cared for. Even small improvements can make a big difference in how your board operates and how residents experience daily life in the neighborhood.

The key is to start with simple steps. A little more clarity here, a bit more organization there, and soon your board will feel more prepared, more efficient, and more connected with the people you serve. With the right approach and the right tools, you can make 2026 a year of stronger governance and a stronger community. 

Ready to make HOA governance easier for your board and your community? Request a demo of Pilera today to see how our tools can support clearer communication, smarter processes, and stronger homeowner trust.