Buildium Guide: Set Up HOA Dues and Recurring Assessments

Create an HOA association in Buildium, add each unit as a property, add owners as residents, then set up a recurring charge (assessment/dues) with the right amount, frequency, start date, and GL account. Post a test charge, confirm it hits the correct owner ledger and bank/GL, then turn on autopay and late fees only after you verify the first cycle.

 

Before setting dues up (so nothing breaks later)

 

• Terms: Assessment/dues = recurring charge. Ledger = what each owner owes/paid. GL account = where income is categorized in accounting. Undeposited funds = temporary holding until you record a deposit.
• Confirm your structure: each unit/lot should exist as a property, and each owner should be linked as the resident/owner for that property.
• Confirm accounting basics: chart of accounts includes an income account like Assessments Income and (if used) a liability like Prepaid Assessments.

 

Step-by-step: set up recurring HOA dues

 

• Go to the area for Recurring Transactions (charges). Choose Add recurring charge.
• Select who gets charged: pick the association and the properties/owners (all units or a subset).
• Set the amount and frequency (monthly/quarterly/annual). Set the start date. If Buildium asks for a post day, choose the day you want charges to appear (example: 1st of the month).
• Choose the income GL account (example: Assessments Income). Add a clear memo like 2026 Monthly HOA Dues.
• Save, then preview the next occurrence if available to confirm dates and totals.

 

Common mistakes (and how to avoid them)

 

• Charging the wrong person: happens when ownership/resident links are outdated. Fix the owner assignment before posting charges.
• Wrong GL mapping: dues accidentally posted to rent or misc income. Always select the correct assessment income account.
• Duplicate charges: created two recurring schedules. Search existing recurring charges before adding a new one.
• Bad start date: creates back-charges. Use a future start date if you are testing.

 

Test and validate (do this even if everything “looks right”)

 

• Apply the recurring charge to one unit only first (temporary test schedule).
• Check the owner ledger: charge appears once, correct amount, correct description.
• Check reports: run an income/GL report to confirm it hit the right account.
• Delete the test schedule, then create the real schedule for all units.

 

Late fees, autopay, and partial payments

 

• Late fees: enable only after the first cycle posts correctly. Set grace period and fee rules that match your governing documents.
• Autopay: turn on resident payments/portal settings, then communicate a clear deadline for owners to enroll before the due date.
• Partial payments: decide policy. If allowed, confirm how Buildium applies payments (oldest balance first is common).

 

Troubleshooting

 

• Charge didn’t post: check schedule start date, frequency, and whether the unit is included.
• Owner can’t pay online: confirm portal access, owner email, and payment settings are enabled.
• Numbers don’t match bank deposits: verify whether payments are sitting in Undeposited funds or a clearing account.

 

When to contact Buildium support

 

• Payment processing holds, portal payment errors, or verification issues.
• Data migration problems where owners/units are mismatched at scale.
• Accounting discrepancies you cannot reconcile after confirming GL mappings and deposit workflow.