HOA glossaryProperty & Architecture

What is Common Area?

Also called: Common elements

Common area is the property owned or maintained by the association for the shared use of all owners — streets, pools, clubhouses, landscaping, and open space.

In an HOA, common areas are typically deeded to the association. In a condominium, common elements are owned collectively by the unit owners in undivided percentage interests, with the association responsible for maintenance.

Common area maintenance is the association's core operating expense and the reason assessments exist. The declaration defines exactly what is common, which is what determines who pays when something breaks.

Disputes usually arise at the boundary: the patio outside a unit, the driveway apron, the window frames, the water line between the main and the unit. Those boundaries are defined in the declaration and often illustrated in a maintenance responsibility chart.

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Related terms

Limited Common ElementA limited common element is common property reserved for the exclusive use of one or a few units, such as an assigned parking space, balcony, or patio.Maintenance ResponsibilityMaintenance responsibility is the allocation, defined in the governing documents, of which repairs the association pays for and which the owner pays for.DeclarationThe declaration is the founding recorded instrument that creates the association, defines the property it covers, and imposes the covenants on every lot or unit.AssessmentAn assessment is the mandatory payment each owner owes the association to fund shared expenses, usually billed monthly, quarterly, or annually.

Answers straight from your own documents

Melo tells residents what Common Area means in your community — citing the exact page of your CC&Rs, budget, or rules.