HOA Start, a provider of homeowners association management software, has launched a bookkeeping service that moves the company from a pure software platform to a combined software-and-services provider. The new service, HOA Start Bookkeeping, handles monthly financial management directly for self-managed homeowners associations of any size, integrating with the company's existing software that manages online payments, member communication, document storage, online voting, and community websites.
According to HOA Start, self-managed boards typically handle bookkeeping through a property management company, an outside accounting firm, or a volunteer treasurer. These approaches can be costly, inconsistent, or reliant on a single individual's spreadsheet, creating risks when board members or property managers leave. The new service aims to close a financial blind spot that many self-managed boards face, providing consistent monthly oversight at a fraction of typical costs.
HOA Start Bookkeeping covers the full monthly financial cycle, including bank account reconciliation, accounts receivable tracking (including processing fees for online dues collection), vendor accounts payable, reserve balance accounting, and compilation of balance sheets and profit-and-loss statements. By handling these tasks monthly rather than quarterly or annually, the service gives treasurers a current financial picture and reduces the time spent reconstructing records after board turnover.
The company states that the service typically costs about a third to half of what associations pay property managers or outside firms for comparable bookkeeping, making professional financial management accessible for smaller and cost-sensitive boards. Tyra Watts of LaPlace HOA praised the service, stating, "HOA Start Bookkeeping has been an absolute pleasure to work with. The service is affordable, highly professional, and incredibly reliable."
Clayton Thompson, CEO of HOA Start, explained the strategic shift: "We started the year as a software company. We're becoming a software-and-services company, and eventually a software, services, and solutions company. HOA boards are looking to hand off the work that pulls volunteers away from their communities. Bookkeeping is one of the clearest examples of that."
Financial transparency has become a legal obligation in several states, including Florida, where statutes require condo and homeowners associations to keep financial records accessible to residents. Board members carry a fiduciary duty to manage association funds responsibly, and accurate, current bookkeeping underpins these obligations. The new service helps self-managed boards meet these requirements, which often remain out of reach for those relying on manual processes.
HOA Start has indicated that additional financial services, including reserve planning support, are on its roadmap as the company builds out a broader community association software and services offering. For more information, visit hoastart.com.
