For HOA Community Managers ·
What you'll accomplish
By the end of this guide, you'll have Claude Pro set up with your community's CC&Rs, bylaws, and house rules uploaded as a persistent Project. You'll be able to ask plain-language questions like "Can a homeowner install a satellite dish?" and get an answer with the specific section cited — in under 30 seconds, instead of spending 20 minutes searching a 75-page PDF.
What you'll need
What you should see: Claude's main chat interface with a "Projects" section in the left sidebar.
What you should see: A new project page with an "Add files" section and a system prompt area.
Claude Pro can hold up to ~100,000 words of documents per project. A typical HOA package (CC&Rs + bylaws + rules) is usually 50-100 pages, well within limits.
What you should see: Your uploaded files listed under the project, with a checkmark when processing is complete. Troubleshooting: If a PDF won't upload, try opening it in Adobe Acrobat and re-saving as "Optimized PDF." Scanned PDFs (images, not text) won't work — you need text-based PDFs. Most HOA attorneys provide text-based PDFs.
In the project, find the "Set project instructions" field (above the chat area). Add this text:
You are an assistant helping an HOA community manager for [Community Name]. You have access to this community's governing documents (CC&Rs, bylaws, and rules). When answering questions:
1. Always cite the specific section number and exact language from the documents
2. If you're not certain, say so and recommend the manager verify with their HOA attorney
3. Keep answers concise and in plain language
4. If a question requires board approval or attorney review, note that clearly
Click Save.
In the project chat, type a simple question to verify it's working:
"What are the rules about satellite dishes and antennas?"
What you should see: Claude cites the relevant CC&R section(s) and provides the rule in plain language, with a note if board approval or an ARC application is required. Troubleshooting: If Claude says it can't find the information, try rephrasing: "Is there anything in the CC&Rs or rules about exterior antennas?" Sometimes phrasing matters.
Every time you receive a homeowner question about governing documents, come back to this project and ask. Claude remembers the documents throughout the project's lifetime.
Homeowner improvement request:
A homeowner wants to [describe the improvement]. What do our governing documents say about this? Is ARC approval required? What conditions or restrictions apply?
Violation research:
A homeowner has [describe the violation]. Which section of our CC&Rs or rules does this violate? What is the enforcement procedure?
Pet policy lookup:
What are our community's rules about pets? Cover: allowed animals, size/weight limits, leash requirements, pet waste, and any registration requirements.
Short-term rental research:
Do our governing documents have any provisions about short-term rentals (Airbnb, VRBO)? What is the board's authority to enforce against this?
Board authority question:
Does our board have the authority to [describe proposed action, e.g., "fine a homeowner $500 per week for a persistent violation"]? What do the documents say about fine amounts and escalation?