Condominium owners are facing increasingly expensive association bills, with regular assessments rising to almost twice their 2021 level by 2025 and one-time special assessments averaging $1,450 per condo in 2025.
Here's what to know
Research from property management software company Vantaca found that homeowners association fees increased nearly 51% over four years. HOA and condominium communities house close to 80 million Americans, The Wealth Advisor reported.
Between 2021 and 2025, association insurance costs climbed 75%, while utility expenses rose 63%, Vantaca found. Together, those expenses accounted for much of the overall increase.
Maintenance, typically associations' biggest budget item, rose by a relatively smaller 26%.
Associations have fewer coverage options as insurers leave vulnerable markets, a shift that has also pushed premiums higher, according to The Wealth Advisor. Vantaca CEO Ben Currin pointed to catastrophic losses from events such as hurricanes and wildfires as a major reason insurance costs have risen.
More background
Vantaca found a 96% increase in condo assessments from 2021 to 2025, versus a 49% increase in single-family home communities.
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According to The Wealth Advisor, some markets have seen more homes for sale and weaker buyer demand as association fees have risen. Buyers factor those obligations into what they can afford, which can make it harder for older condominium owners to sell.
For an owner hoping to leave, a condo's market value is not the only consideration: Insurance and maintenance bills can climb independently of that value and make the property harder to sell.
In 2025, special assessments averaged $514 for single-family homes, compared with $1,450 for condominiums, according to Vantaca — an additional expense on top of recurring association dues.
Where can I learn more?
Higher dues and surprise assessments can strain condo owners' budgets and make their homes harder to sell. These stories cover examples of stalled sales, new assessments, seniors facing displacement, maintenance costs, and proposed reserve requirements.
• Across the United States, condo owners face fees, assessments, and insurance costs that deter buyers.
• A condo owner faced five new assessments, which residents blamed on years of low dues.
• In Florida, condo fees are pushing seniors out of their homes.
• A Midwest family considering condo living encountered owners' warnings about fees and surprise bills.
• California condo owners could face higher HOA fees under proposed reserve funding rules.
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