Three templates most HOAs need: a pre-due-date friendly reminder, a past-due firm notice, and a final pre-lien notice. Copy, paste, and adjust for your community. Plus a note for homeowners who want to avoid ever receiving one.
Done in seconds. No sign-up required.
Regardless of where you are in the delinquency timeline, every dues reminder — friendly or formal — should contain the same core facts. Clarity reduces disputes. Legal exposure from a missing element is higher than the cost of including one.
Sent 5–7 days before the due date. Tone: helpful, no accusation. Goal: prompt payment without implying delinquency.
Subject: Reminder: [HOA name] dues due [date]
Body:
Hi [homeowner first name],
A friendly reminder that your [HOA name] dues for [assessment period] are due on
[due date]. The amount is $[amount].
You can pay through the community portal at [portal URL], by ACH at [ACH link], or
by mailing a check payable to [HOA name] to [mailing address].
If you have any questions, please contact [management company name] at [phone] or
[email].
Thank you,
[Board or management company name]
Sent the day after the due date if payment has not been recorded. Tone: professional, factual. Goal: clear notice that the dues are overdue, with the late fee referenced.
Subject: Past due: [HOA name] dues for [period]
Body:
Dear [homeowner name],
Our records show that your [assessment period] dues of $[amount] were due on
[due date] and remain unpaid. A late fee of $[late fee amount] will be applied
on [late fee trigger date] per the community's governing documents and applicable
state law.
To bring your account current, please submit payment at [portal URL] or mail a
check to [address]. If you have already paid, please disregard this notice and
contact [management company] at [phone] so we can locate the payment.
Current balance breakdown:
— Assessment: $[amount]
— Late fee (if not paid by [date]): $[late fee]
— Interest (if applicable): accruing at [rate]% per year
Sincerely,
[Board or management company name]
Sent by certified mail before recording a lien. This template is a starting point only — each state has specific statutory content requirements for pre-lien notices (California Civil Code §5660, Florida Statutes §720.3085, Texas Property Code §209.0094, etc.). Have your HOA attorney or management company review before use.
Subject / header: Notice of delinquency and intent to record lien — [property address]
Body:
Dear [homeowner name],
This is a formal notice that assessments for [property address] remain unpaid as of
[date]. Total amount now due: $[total, itemized below].
— Unpaid assessment: $[amount]
— Late fee: $[amount]
— Interest through [date]: $[amount]
— Administrative/collection costs: $[amount]
— Total due: $[total]
Under [cite applicable state statute and governing documents], you have the right to
dispute the debt in writing within [state-required period] days and to request a
payment plan. If the balance remains unpaid by [date, per state statutory notice
period], the [HOA name] will record a lien against the property in the public land
records and may pursue further collection activity, which may include foreclosure
of the lien as permitted by law.
To resolve this matter, submit payment at [portal URL] or contact [management company
or HOA attorney] at [phone/email] to arrange a payment plan.
Sincerely,
[HOA board / management company / legal counsel]
The cadence matters as much as the language. Most communities use a three-step pattern: a friendly reminder before the due date, a past-due notice shortly after, and a final pre-lien notice once the debt has aged past the statutory threshold. Skipping stages can create legal exposure if the debt eventually goes to court.
If you found this page because you want to set up reminders for your own HOA dues — not because you are on a board — you're in the right cluster but on the wrong page. A homeowner-set reminder fires before the HOA's first email ever needs to go out. The HOA will still send their notices, but you will have already paid.
See the main HOA dues reminder page for the homeowner-facing setup. It takes about 30 seconds, requires no portal login, and the reminder lands 5–7 days before your payment is due.
Five things: the homeowner's name and unit/address, the assessment period covered, the exact amount due, the due date or delinquency date, and the payment methods the HOA accepts. If a late fee or interest has already applied, break those out as separate line items. Keep the tone professional and non-accusatory — the goal is payment, not confrontation.
5–7 days before the due date, as a friendly reminder. If payment has not been received by the due date, send a second notice the day after, then a third at day 15 with explicit reference to the late fee. Escalation should be measured and documented — the paper trail matters if the account eventually goes to collections.
Lead with the fact — amount, due date, payment link — not with complaint language. A short, clear subject line ("Reminder: HOA dues due March 1") outperforms anything clever. Include one call-to-action and one payment link. Keep the body under 150 words. The homeowner either pays or calls; long emails don't improve either outcome.
Start with email and portal notice for convenience. As the delinquency progresses, switch to certified mail for anything that could lead to a lien — most state statutes require certified mail for pre-lien notices. Keep a record of every notice sent, its date, and its delivery confirmation. State HOA laws treat proof of notice as a prerequisite to enforcement.
Yes, and most should. The HOA's first notice arrives after the due date has already been missed — it's a collection tool, not a proactive reminder. A homeowner's self-set reminder fires before the due date, which prevents the HOA notice from needing to be sent at all. The best outcome for everyone is a reminder the homeowner never sees because they paid on time.
For pre-lien notices, yes — each state has specific content requirements. California Civil Code §5660 mandates inclusion of the amount owed, interest, costs, the right to dispute, and a payment plan offer. Other states have parallel statutes. For early "friendly reminder" emails, there's no statutory content requirement, but professional practice includes all the basics listed above.
If you're the homeowner — not the board — set your own reminder and the HOA never has to send one of these. Free, no account, 30 seconds.
Set My HOA Dues ReminderLast modified: