Response and resolution targets for HOA requests: a starting template
Published October 27, 2026
A response target is how quickly a homeowner hears from a person. A resolution target is how quickly the work is done. They are different promises: a request can be answered within the hour and still take a week to fix, and both can be reasonable. Here is a starting template, with the reasoning, that you can adapt to your community.
The template
| Priority | What it covers | Respond within | Resolve within |
|---|---|---|---|
| Urgent | An active water leak, no water or heat in a building, a failed gate that leaves the community open, a fallen tree blocking a road | 30 minutes | 4 hours |
| High | A safety hazard that is not an emergency, a failed amenity in daily use, flooding in a common area | 2 hours | 1 day |
| Normal | A routine repair, landscaping, a parking complaint, a general question | 8 hours | 3 days |
| Low | A cosmetic issue, or a request for information that is not time-sensitive | 1 day | 7 days |
These are clock hours. Many managers use business hours for normal and low priorities. Choose one and write it down, so everyone counts the same way.
Emergencies come first
A request system is not an emergency line. For a fire, a gas smell, a medical emergency, or anyone in danger, call emergency services first and log it afterwards. Publish a separate after-hours number for urgent maintenance, so homeowners are not waiting on an inbox.
How to sort a request
- Is anyone at risk right now?
- Is something getting worse by the hour, such as water or power?
- Is a shared amenity or the way in and out affected?
- How many homes does it touch?
If you are unsure, choose the higher priority. The person who owns the request can lower it, with a reason.
Adjust it to your community
- A gated entrance may be urgent in one community and high in another.
- A small community with volunteers may need longer targets than a staffed one. A target you cannot meet is worse than a longer one you do.
- Vendor contracts and insurance policies may require quick notice of damage.
- Your governing documents or your state's rules may set deadlines for certain notices and records. Check those with your association's attorney. This guide is operational advice, not legal advice.
An escalation ladder
When a response target is missed, the group lead is told. When a resolution target is missed, the manager is told. If one community keeps missing targets, review staffing or the targets themselves at the next board meeting.
Measure it
Each week, look at three numbers: the share of requests answered within the target, the number that are overdue, and the age of the oldest open request. If answers are on time but fixes are late, the problem is usually vendors or approvals, not attention.
Where Proverbs Light fits
Proverbs Light uses targets like these by default, lets you change them for a community, starts the clock when a request arrives, shows what is overdue, and escalates by the ladder above. If you would like to try it with real communities, become a design partner.