HOA glossaryBoard & governance

What is a committee?

A group appointed by the board to study or administer a defined area, with only the authority the board delegates to it.

Also called: Architectural committee, Finance committee

Committees let a board use the expertise sitting in the community — architectural review, finance, landscape, social, communications. They are appointed under authority in the bylaws and serve at the board's pleasure.

The critical distinction is between advisory and decision-making. An advisory committee recommends; the board decides. A committee with delegated decision authority, most often an architectural committee, acts for the association and should be given a written charter, a written standard to apply and a documented appeal route to the board.

In some states, committees exercising delegated authority are subject to the same open-meeting and record-keeping requirements as the board itself.

Why it matters to a board

Charter every committee in writing: scope, authority, reporting, and term. Unchartered committees drift into decisions nobody approved.

Where the answer lives

Your recorded declaration and bylaws first, then the act that governs associations in your state. Whichever is stricter is the one that binds you.

Related terms

Architectural reviewThe process by which proposed exterior changes to a lot are submitted, measured against published standards, and approved or denied.Board of directorsThe elected body that governs the association, holding all authority the governing documents grant to it and no more.Board resolutionA formal, recorded-in-the-minutes decision of the board, used to adopt policies that need to be provable later.Open meetingA board meeting that members are entitled to attend, with notice given in advance, as required by many state statutes.
General information, not legal advice. This entry explains what the term means, not what your association must do about it. Any notice period, cure window, fine cap, vote threshold or deadline comes from your recorded declaration and your state's act — those differ in all fifty states and are amended every session. Updated August 2026. Confirm the current requirements with an attorney licensed in your state before acting.
Collection policy Common area All 65 terms

Start with one community. Or all forty.

Free for thirty days. No card required.

Start free trial Talk to sales
For management companies with 500+ doors, ask about Multi-Portfolio onboarding.