Request a Proposal
ENES
Serving Ohio Associations

HOA Financial Management
in Ohio.

From condominium buildings in Columbus and Cleveland to planned communities around Cincinnati and Dayton, Bellum keeps Ohio association budgets, reserves, and assessment records in order.

Built Around Ohio's Budget and Reserve Rules

Ohio writes reserves directly into the annual budget. Both the Condominium Act and the Planned Community Law require the board to adopt a budget every year, and that budget is expected to carry reserves adequate to repair and replace major capital items without falling back on special assessments — unless the owners waive the requirement in writing, year by year.

That puts the reserve conversation on the board's calendar every single year. Bellum keeps the numbers that conversation depends on: a clear picture of current reserve balances and contributions, a budget draft prepared well ahead of adoption, an assessment ledger that reconciles, and books an owner can review without a scramble.

StatewideColumbus, Cleveland, Cincinnati, and beyond
Planned Communities & CondominiumsFinancial management built around your governing documents
Annual budgetReserves planned in, not bolted on

What Ohio Boards Are Working With

General orientation only — your association attorney is the authority for your community.

Ohio Condominium Act

Chapter 5311 of the Ohio Revised Code governs condominiums. Under § 5311.081 the board must adopt an annual budget that includes reserves adequate to repair and replace major capital items without special assessments, unless the declaration or bylaws limit the board's ability to raise assessments without an owner vote, or owners holding at least a majority of the voting power waive the requirement in writing each year. Section 5311.09 requires complete books and records of account, and § 5311.091 lets owners examine and copy them under reasonable standards set in the declaration, bylaws, or board rules.

Ohio Planned Community Law

Chapter 5312 applies to planned communities and took effect on September 10, 2010; it does not invalidate provisions in governing documents recorded before that date. Section 5312.06 carries the same annual budget and reserve requirement, waivable by a written majority vote each year, and requires books and records of account. Under § 5312.07 owners may examine and copy those records, though records more than five years old and certain confidential categories require board approval.

Fidelity coverage and assessment liens

Section 5312.06 also requires planned communities to carry fidelity, crime, or dishonesty coverage for anyone who controls or disburses association funds — including a management company's staff and a bookkeeper — for at least the maximum funds in custody at any one time plus three months of operating expenses. Both chapters give the association a lien for assessments unpaid for ten days, effective once a certificate of lien is recorded and valid for five years (§§ 5311.18 and 5312.12). Neither chapter prescribes an annual audit; if your association needs one, that requirement comes from its own governing documents.

Ohio HOA resources

The statutes and guides we point Ohio boards to.

All Ohio resources
Ohio condominium building with a board table and unreadable budget papers for reserve planning
LawExternalOhio

Ohio Revised Code § 5311.081

Ohio law for condominium associations on reserve funding. It requires associations to plan for major repair and replacement costs, unless owners vote each year to waive that reserve requirement.

Ohio Legislative Service Commissioncodes.ohio.gov
LawExternalOhio

Ohio Planned Community Law (Ohio Revised Code Chapter 5312)

The Ohio Revised Code chapter on planned communities: the owners association and its board, meetings, amendments to the declaration or bylaws, assessments, liens and access to records.

Ohio Legislative Service Commissioncodes.ohio.gov
LawExternalOhio

Ohio Condominium Property Law (Ohio Revised Code Chapter 5311)

The Ohio Revised Code chapter on condominium property: declarations, common elements and expenses, the unit owners association and its board, records, insurance and liens for common expenses.

Ohio Legislative Service Commissioncodes.ohio.gov
Boardroom table with reserve study papers, binder, ledger, and laptop beside a condo building backdrop
PDFOur guideAll states

HOA Reserve Fund Checklist

A practical checklist for HOA and condo boards on planning reserve contributions, reviewing reserve studies, and keeping reserve money separate from operating funds. It helps boards spot funding gaps and prepare for repairs without surprise special assessments.

Bellumbellumhoafinance.com
GuideOur guideAll states

Selecting a Management Company

What volunteer boards should look for when hiring a management company, one of the biggest decisions they make for the community.

Original
GuideExternalAll states

Contracting with Vendors

How to vet landscaping, pool and maintenance vendors and what to review before the board signs a service contract.

CAIhoaresources.caionline.org

Communities We Serve in Ohio

Bellum supports associations across Ohio remotely, with clients and communities in markets including those below.

  • Columbus
  • Cleveland
  • Cincinnati
  • Dayton
  • Akron
  • Toledo
  • Dublin
  • Westerville
  • Mason
  • Strongsville

Other States We Serve

Common Questions from Ohio Boards

Not under the statute. Both Chapter 5311 and Chapter 5312 frame the reserve waiver as an annual, written decision by a majority of the voting power, so it has to be revisited every budget cycle. We prepare the budget with the reserve figures laid out either way, so the board and owners can see exactly what a waiver would defer.

Neither the Condominium Act nor the Planned Community Law sets a statutory audit requirement, but your declaration or bylaws may. Either way, we keep the books in a state that is ready for an outside accountant to review, with supporting detail organized alongside the statements.

The statute ties it to the most money the association holds at any one time plus three months of operating expenses. Your insurer and counsel set the policy, but our monthly statements show your cash balances and operating costs, which are the figures they will ask for.

Talk to Us About Your Ohio Association

Send us your current budget and reserve figures and we will tell you how they line up against what Ohio expects.

Request a Proposal