It’s official! The holiday season is upon us, and for most of us that means out of town guests, big meals to prep, holiday decorations, parties, and gift shopping galore. Since the holiday season can bring work and stress to even the most relaxed people, we wanted to share ways to help your board and community celebrate with less chaos and stress!

  1. Parking – Depending on the type community you live in, you may have designated visitor parking, or no parking on the street, etc. With the holidays come guests and of course extra cars. Make sure your board has guest parking and fire lanes properly marked. And since it can’t hurt, send a reminder to all residents about where guests are encouraged or permitted to park.
  2. Decorations – If your community has common areas or a main entrance, consider hanging some lights, a wreath, or simple decorations of some kind. It makes the community feel more welcoming! Also, if your community has residents known for decorating, consider a community-wide reminder on the rules and regulations regarding holiday decorations.
  3. Burglaries – Today most people do a lot of their holiday shopping online, and more and more people are reporting packages being stolen off doorsteps. If this is a concern in your community, work with residents to set up a support network for people who can’t always be home. Encourage neighbors to pick up packages for each other, to report strangers who appear to be up to no good, and to generally watch out for each other.
  4. Slowing Down – This is probably one of the most important things to remind your board and community of. The holidays have a funny way of pressuring people and stressing them out which can cause people to feel distracted. Most accidents (think cooking fires, electrical fires, car accidents etc.) can be prevented if people slow down. Encourage everyone to check and double check decorations to prevent tripping or fire hazards, to slow down in the neighborhoods and watch for ice or kids out playing, and to set alarms while they are cooking to prevent fires or burned meals.

The holiday season is a time of joy and a chance to celebrate with family and friends. By sharing this list, your board is hopefully helping to prevent any violations by reminding everyone of rules before they are broken, and helping to build a sense of community by encouraging everyone to watch out for each other. No bad Santas in this neighborhood!