Community Assessments and Property Assessments

HomeHerald lets you charge different dues to different units instead of one flat amount for everyone. There are two ways to charge a property, and most communities use both.

• Community Assessments are charges you build once and reuse - base dues, yard maintenance, pool access. You decide whether each one applies to every property or only the units that need it.
• Property Assessments are charges added directly to a single home, for something that applies only there.

A property’s total bill is the sum of every assessment assigned to it, and each charge appears as its own labeled line on the resident’s ledger.

Community Assessments

Use a Community Assessment for any charge more than one unit might share.

Create one

1. Click Settings in the admin sidebar and find the Dues & Assessments panel.
2. Click + Add Assessment / Dues.
3. Fill in the fields:
   • Name - what residents see on their ledger (for example, “Base Dues” or “Yard Maintenance”).
   • Amount - the charge per billing period.
   • Frequency - Monthly or Annual.
   • Due Day of Month (monthly) or Due Month and Due Day (annual) - when the charge is due.
   • Late After (days) - the number of days after the due date before the charge is considered late.
   • Late Fee - the flat amount added once that window passes. Leave it blank for no late fee.
4. The panel saves as you type.

You can create as many assessments as you need. Each one is independent, so one can be monthly and another annual.

Assign it to properties

Each assessment has an Apply to all properties checkbox:

• Checked for community-wide charges like base dues. Every unit gets the charge, and new properties added later inherit it.
• Unchecked for opt-in services like yard care or pool access. Nobody is billed until you add it to a property: open the property in Community > Properties, edit it, and tick the assessment under Community Assessments (listed as “This property only”). Only the units you tick are billed.

To change who pays an existing assessment, flip its Apply to all properties checkbox in Dues & Assessments, or edit individual properties to add or remove it.

Property Assessments

Use a Property Assessment for a charge that belongs to one home only - a reimbursement, a one-off fee, or anything no other unit shares.

1. Go to Community > Properties and open the property, then edit it.
2. Under Property Assessments, click + Add.
3. Set the name, amount, frequency (Monthly or Annual), due day, Late After (days), and Late Fee.
4. Click Save Changes. The charge posts on its own schedule and shows up as its own line on that resident’s ledger only.

Special (one-time) assessments

Assessments repeat monthly or annually, so they are not the tool for a one-time charge. For a charge the whole community owes once - a capital project like a roof, repaving, or pool resurfacing - go to Community > Properties, click Batch, and choose Special Assessment as the charge type. Enter the amount per property, the date, and a description residents will see (for example, “2026 Special Assessment for Pool Renovation”). Every property gets the charge on its ledger in one action, itemized separately from regular dues.

Applying charges now or on the due date

When Apply assessments automatically when due is on (top of the Dues & Assessments panel), each assessment posts on its own schedule: monthly charges post on the 1st of the month, annual charges on January 1, each carrying the due date you set. When it is off, nothing posts until you click Apply now - on an assessment in the panel, or on a single property. Applying a charge is safe to repeat - the system will not double-bill a property for the same billing period.

What residents see

Residents see each assessment as its own labeled line on their ledger - for example, “Base Dues $400,” “Yard Maintenance $40,” and “Pool Access $25” - rather than one lump dues number. Their total balance is the sum of those lines, and they can pay it from a single balance. Itemized charges mean residents can see exactly what they are paying for, which cuts down on “what is this charge?” questions to the board.

Tips

• List your charges first. Before you start, write down every distinct charge in your community. Each one becomes a Community Assessment.
• Use clear names. The assessment name is what residents read on their ledger, so make it self-explanatory.
• Apply-to-all for the basics, assign for the extras. Base dues to everyone; opt-in services only to the units that signed up.