True Home Owners Associations (HOAs) are very rare in Arlington for single family home neighborhoods; HOAs are the standard for townhome communities. However, many neighborhoods participate in Civic Associations.
What’s the difference?
An HOA is a mandatory organization you HAVE to contribute funds towards each year. Sometimes they provide things like lawn care, road maintenance, snow removal, a playground, annual events, etc. Rarely do they include any kind of utility or exterior maintenance to the house. In neighboring towns (not Arlington), some HOAs have a private pool or tennis court or other benefits of your dues.
A Civic Association is an optional, member run, volunteer based organization that usually tries to preserve the history and encourage neighbor involvement in the specific neighborhood. Dues are generally very low and go towards events for the members.
For a full list of the Arlington Civic Associations, click here.