Zogby International conducted telephone interviews in August 2005 of 801 randomly selected adults residing in homeowners associations, condominiums, cooperatives and other planned communities—collectively called "community associations" in this summary. The margin of error is +/- 3.5 percentage points.

The survey was sponsored by the Foundation for Community Association Research, a non-profit organization created in 1975 by Community Associations Institute (CAI). The Foundation strives to keep CAI at the forefront of scholarship, knowledge and insight pertaining to community association management and governance. Funding for the project was provided by CAI's President's Club.

General Satisfaction

Which of the following best represents the type of home you currently occupy?

Single family	65%
Condominium	17
Townhouse	14
Apartment (cooperative)	2
Other (mobile home, duplex)	2

On a scale of one to five, with one being very bad and five being very good, how would you rate your overall experience living in a community association?

1 Very bad	5%
2	5	Negative	(1 + 2)   10%
3	19
4	32	Positive	(4 + 5)   71%
5 Very good	39

Have you ever brought a complaint about another member to the association board or the manager?

Yes	23%
No	77

Asked of those who brought a complaint to the association: How was it resolved on your behalf?

Very satisfactorily	42%
Somewhat satisfactorily	30
Somewhat unsatisfactorily	8
Very unsatisfactorily	16
Not sure	4

Have you ever been the subject of a complaint by another member?

Yes	14%
No	85
Not sure	1

Asked of those who had been a subject of complaint: How was it resolved on your behalf?

Very satisfactorily	49%
Somewhat satisfactorily	27
Somewhat unsatisfactorily	5
Very unsatisfactorily	11
Not sure	8

Personal Involvement

Have you ever attended any community association board meetings?

Yes	72%
No	28

How many times a year, on average, would you say you have contact with your community association board (in person, by letter or phone or in meetings)?

One	17%
Two	14
Three	9
Four	10
Five or more	41
Not sure	9

Community Association Volunteer Leaders

Do you think the members of your elected governing board strive to serve the best interests of the community as a whole?

Absolutely	54%
For the most part	35
Not at all	9
Not sure	2

Overall, would you say you are on friendly terms with your current community association board, or would you say you are on unfriendly terms with them?

Friendly terms	90%
Unfriendly terms	4
Not sure	6

Community Association Managers

Does your association employ a community manager?

Yes	52%
No	40
Not sure	8

Asked of those who said their communities employ a manager: In your view, does the manager provide value and support to residents and the community as a whole?

Yes	78%
No	13
Not sure	9

Have you had any direct interaction with your community manager?

Yes	49%
No	48
Not sure	2

Ask of those who said yes above: Was it generally a positive experience?

Yes	88%
No	10
Not sure	2

Assessments, Value and Enforcement

Which of the following best describes the amount of assessments you currently pay to your community association per month?

Less than $25	20%
$25–$50	19
$51–$100	14
$101–$300	29
$301–$500	7
More than $500	4
Do not pay dues	4
Not sure	3

Considering your overall assessments and the services provided by your association, how would you describe the return for what you pay in assessments?

1 Great	25%
2 Good	55	Positive	(1+ 2)   80%
3 Not so good	13
4 Bad	6	Negative	(3 + 4)   19%
5 Not sure	2

What do you think your community should do when residents neglect to pay their assessments?

Insist that every homeowner pay the assessments, involving attorneys only if delinquent accounts are not brought up to date after sufficient notification	77%
Make up the loss by increasing assessments for paying homeowners	5
Curtail services and amenities such as reducing pool hours, delaying improvements and spending less on landscaping	5
Not sure	13

Rules, Pros and Cons

Do the rules in your community protect and enhance property values, harm them or make no difference?

Protect and enhance	78%
Harm	1
No difference	19
Not sure	2

What is the single best thing about living in a community association?

Maintenance-free	23%
Clean/attractive neighborhood	15
Safe neighborhood	13
Everybody knows the rules	7
Responsible neighbors	6
Property Values	4
Quiet neighborhood	4
Amenities like swimming pools and tennis courts	4
You have a say in the rules	2
Nothing good	8
Other/not sure	14

What is the single worst thing about living in a community association?

Restrictions on exterior home improvements	15%
Paying dues	15
The rules	11
Restrictions on parking	4
Dissatisfaction with board	4
Restrictions on landscaping	2
Meetings	2
Dealing with neighbors/members	2
Nothing bad	25
Other/not sure	20

Government Regulation

The governance of community associations is subject to differing state laws and regulations. Would you like to see more government control of these associations?

Yes	15%
No	78
Not sure	7

Pre-Purchase Awareness

When you were considering the purchase or rental of your current home, were you told that it was in a community association?

Yes	89%
No	10
Not sure	1

Asked of those answering "yes" above: Did the fact that your current home is in a community association make you more likely to purchase or rent your home, make you hesitant about purchasing or renting your home, or have no impact?

More likely	28%
Hesitant	9
No impact	63
Not sure	1

Relations and Conflict

On a scale of 1 to 5, with 1 being not at all and 5 being very well, how well would you say you get along with your immediate neighbors? *

1 Not at all	3%
2	2	Not well	(1 + 2)   5%
3	8
4	22	Well	(4 + 5)   86%
5 Very well	64
Not sure	1

* This question also was asked of a national representative sample of all homeowners. The results are strikingly similar, with 85 percent saying they get along well with the neighbors and 4 percent saying they don't.

Asked of those who responded 1 or 2 above: What would you say creates most of the conflict?

Pets	28%
General lifestyle	11
Noise	9
Parking	8
Personal habits	6
Landscaping/yard issues	4
Appearance of a home	3
Other	27
Not sure	5