Getting Started

Getting Started

OpenBookHOA is a transparency platform for homeowner associations. It gives board members, property managers, and homeowners a single place to manage documents, track finances, handle compliance, and search records using AI.

Whether you're a board member managing a single community or a property manager overseeing a portfolio, OpenBookHOA adapts to your role and scale.

Create Your Account

1. Go to Sign up
2. Enter your name, email address, and password
3. Verify your email address via the confirmation link
4. Complete your profile with your role (board member, property manager, or homeowner)

Set Up Your HOA

1. After signing in, click “Create HOA” from the dashboard
2. Enter your HOA name, address, and basic details
3. Configure your community settings (units, fiscal year, etc.)
4. Choose which features to enable (Documents, Transactions, Compliance, etc.)

Invite Board Members

1. Navigate to Settings → Members
2. Click “Invite Member”
3. Enter their email address and select their role (board member, property manager, or homeowner)
4. They'll receive an email invitation to join your HOA

Roles determine what each user can see and do. Board members and property managers have full access to documents and finances. Homeowners can view shared documents and the open ledger.

Upload Documents

1. Go to the Documents page
2. Click “Upload” or drag and drop files
3. Supported formats: PDF, images (PNG, JPG), Word documents
4. Add tags to organize documents (document type, year, quarter)
5. AI will automatically extract text and classify the document

For bulk uploads, you can select multiple files at once. AI processing runs in the background — documents become searchable within minutes.

Import Transactions

CSV Import

1. Download your bank statement as a CSV file
2. Go to Transactions → Import
3. Upload the CSV and map columns to fields (date, description, amount)
4. Review and confirm the import

AI-Assisted Import

1. Upload a bank statement PDF
2. AI extracts transactions automatically
3. Review extracted data and correct any errors
4. Confirm to add transactions to the open ledger

Manage Invoices & Vendors

Creating Invoices

1. Go to Invoices → New Invoice
2. Select or create a vendor
3. Enter invoice details (amount, date, line items)
4. Optionally link to a source PDF document
5. Link the invoice to a transaction for reconciliation

Vendor Directory

The Vendors page shows all vendors with their contact information and total payments. Click a vendor to see their complete payment history and linked invoices.

Configure Features

OpenBookHOA is modular. Enable or disable features based on what your community needs:

• Documents — Document upload, tagging, and AI indexing
• Transactions — Open ledger and bank statement import
• Invoices — Invoice and vendor management
• Compliance — Record request tracking and audit logs
• Meetings — Meeting scheduling and minutes
• Assessments — Homeowner assessment tracking
• Maintenance — Work order and maintenance tracking

Toggle features on or off in Settings → Features. Disabled features are hidden from navigation and inaccessible to all users.

AI Features

Document Indexing

When you upload a document, AI automatically extracts the text content, classifies the document type, and indexes it for search. This works for both native PDFs and scanned images (OCR).

AI-Powered Search

Ask questions about your documents in plain language. For example: “What was the landscaping expense last quarter?” or “Show me all contracts expiring this year.” AI searches across all indexed documents and returns relevant results.

AI Disclosure

We're transparent about how AI is used. AI-generated content is clearly labeled, and our AI Disclosure page explains exactly which providers process your data, what limitations exist, and why human review is always recommended.

Compliance

Record Request Tracking

Florida Statute 720.303 requires HOAs to fulfill record requests within 10 business days. OpenBookHOA tracks every request from submission to fulfillment, with deadline alerts so nothing falls through the cracks.

Audit Logs

Every document access, download, and modification is logged. The audit log provides a complete trail of who accessed what and when — protection for the board and peace of mind for homeowners.

FS 720.303 Overview

Florida's HOA Act (Chapter 720) requires associations to maintain certain records and make them available to members upon request. OpenBookHOA helps you meet these requirements by providing organized document storage, access tracking, and deadline management. For detailed legal guidance, consult your HOA attorney.