Users Guide

FAQ

Getting Started

Creating Your Account

Sign up with your email and password, or use Sign in with Google for one-click access. After signing in, you'll be prompted to select an HOA community or create a new one.

Creating an HOA Community

Enter your community name (e.g., "Oakwood Heights HOA"). You'll automatically become the admin. Your community starts with a 90-day free trial and up to 100 issues.

Adding Your Team

Go to Users and invite board members and residents. They'll receive an email with a link to accept. You can assign three roles:

  • Admin — Full control including settings, users, billing, and permissions
  • Board Member — Can manage issues, properties, violation notices, and documents
  • Resident — Can report issues, view documents, and track status
Role Permissions

Admins can customize what each role can access in Settings → Role Permissions. The table below shows the default permissions. Items marked with configurable can be toggled on or off per role.

FeatureAdminBoard MemberResident
View & report issuesAlwaysAlwaysAlways
Edit issue status & assignAlwaysYes configurableNo configurable
View properties & contactsAlwaysYes configurableNo configurable
Add/edit propertiesAlwaysYes configurableNo configurable
View & download documentsAlwaysYes configurableYes configurable
Upload documentsAlwaysYes configurableNo configurable
Draft & send violation noticesAlwaysYes configurableNo configurable
Manage users & invitesAlwaysNo configurableNo configurable
HOA settingsAlwaysNo configurableNo configurable
Subscription & billingAlwaysNeverNever
Importing Properties

If you have a list of properties from your HOA management company, go to Properties → Import from CSV. The system auto-detects your column headers — it works with almost any CSV format. You'll see a preview before importing.

Reporting Issues

Creating a New Issue
  1. Click "Report Issue" from the dashboard
  2. Describe the problem in detail
  3. Select the issue type:
    • Violation — Homeowner not complying with community rules
    • HOA Maintenance — Common area issue the HOA must fix
    • Safety — Safety hazard requiring attention
    • Other — Anything else
  4. Optionally select or search for a property
  5. Take or upload photos (up to 10)
  6. Place a pin on the map (or let it auto-fill from the address)
Address Search & Auto-Complete

Start typing an address in the "Search Address" field. Google will suggest matching addresses. Selecting one moves the map pin automatically. If the address isn't in your community yet, you'll see an "Add to Community" button — click it and the property is created instantly without losing your form data.

After Creating an Issue

You'll see a "What's Next?" panel with quick actions:

  • Assign to a board member
  • Notify the property owner (call or email)
  • Report another issue
  • View on the map

Managing Issues (Board Members)

Issue Workflow

Issues follow a lifecycle: OpenIn ProgressResolvedClosed

From the Issue Detail Page

Board members can:

  • Update Status — Change the workflow stage
  • Assign — Assign to a board member
  • Change Property — Assign or reassign to a different property
  • Edit Location — Click the inline map to move the pin
  • Add Notes — Document calls, visits, follow-ups with timestamps
  • Add Photos — Upload additional evidence
  • Contact Owner — Click-to-call or click-to-email property contacts
Property History

When viewing an issue assigned to a property, you'll see a "Property History" section showing all previous issues at that address. This helps identify repeat violations.

Deleting Issues

The issue author or a board member can soft-delete an issue. Board members can restore deleted issues from the audit log.

AI Violation Notices

Overview

Issue Monkey can draft professional violation notices using AI. The AI reads your uploaded CC&Rs and generates a notice that references the specific sections the homeowner may be violating. Board members can review, edit, and send the notice — the AI handles the first draft so you don't start from a blank page.

Setup
  1. Upload your CC&Rs — Go to Docs in the navigation and upload your community's CC&Rs, rules, or architectural guidelines (PDF, DOCX, or TXT). The system extracts the text so the AI can reference it.
  2. Set your HOA contact info — Go to Settings → "HOA Contact Information" and enter your board's name, email, phone, and mailing address. This appears in the notice letterhead and signature.
  3. Choose a default tone — Go to Settings → "Violation Notice Tone" and select a preset:
    • Friendly & Neighborly — Warm, conversational language
    • Professional & Balanced — Neutral, business-like tone
    • Formal & Firm — Authoritative, legal-style language
    • Custom — Write your own instructions for the AI
Drafting a Notice
  1. Open any Violation issue
  2. Click "Draft Violation Notice (AI)"
  3. Select the tone for this notice (or keep the default)
  4. The AI generates a draft referencing your CC&Rs and the issue details
  5. Review and edit the notice as needed
  6. Choose how to deliver it:
    • Send via Email — Sends directly to the property contact
    • Copy to Clipboard — Paste into your own email or letter
    • Print — Generate a printable version for mailing
AI Usage Limits

Each subscription plan includes a monthly allowance of AI-generated notices. You can see your remaining usage in Settings. The AI uses the issue description, photos, notes, and your CC&Rs to produce the most relevant notice possible.

Documents (CC&Rs)

Uploading Documents

Go to Docs in the navigation. Click "Upload Document" and select your file. Supported formats:

  • PDF — Most common format for CC&Rs
  • DOCX — Microsoft Word documents
  • TXT — Plain text files
Text Extraction

When you upload a document, the system automatically extracts the text content. This extracted text is what the AI reads when drafting violation notices — it can reference specific articles, sections, and rules from your CC&Rs.

Managing Documents

You can upload multiple documents (e.g., CC&Rs, architectural guidelines, pool rules). When your community updates its rules, upload the new version. The AI will always use the most current documents when drafting notices.

Map Features

Community Map

The map shows all issue locations as pins. Click a pin to see the issue summary with a link to the full detail.

Finding Nearby Contacts

Pro tip: Long-press (hold for 1 second) or right-click anywhere on the map to see the 5 nearest property contacts with phone numbers and emails. Great for door-to-door visits!

Filtering the Map

Click the funnel icon (top right) to filter issues by:

  • Status — Open, In Progress, Resolved, Closed
  • Type — Violation, HOA Maintenance, Safety, Other
  • Date range — Quick buttons for last 30/90/180/365 days, or custom dates

Your date preference is saved automatically — it persists across visits.

By default, only Open and In Progress issues are shown to keep the map clean.

Map Auto-Centering

The map tries to center on the best location in this order: your GPS location → estimated location from your IP → center of your community's issues.

Properties & Contacts

Adding Properties

Go to Properties and enter an address. GPS coordinates are auto-filled from Google geocoding. You can also import from CSV.

Managing Contacts

Each property can have multiple contacts (owners, tenants, property managers). Click the "Contacts" button next to a property. Each contact has:

  • Name, email, phone
  • Role (Owner, Tenant, Property Manager)
  • Notification preferences — opt in/out for violations, maintenance, and status changes
CSV Import

The import wizard handles almost any CSV format:

  1. Upload your file
  2. Review the auto-detected column mapping
  3. Adjust any columns if needed
  4. Choose whether to geocode addresses
  5. Click Import

Duplicate addresses are automatically merged. Multiple contacts per address are supported.

Locking the Property List

If your HOA has a fixed number of homes, go to Settings and toggle "Property List Lock". This prevents anyone from accidentally adding properties.

Mobile App

Installing on Your Phone

Issue Monkey is a Progressive Web App (PWA) — you can install it on your phone without going through an app store.

  • Android: Visit the site in Chrome. You'll see an "Add to Home Screen" banner at the bottom. Tap it to install. If you don't see the banner, tap the three-dot menu and select "Add to Home Screen".
  • iPhone/iPad: Visit the site in Safari. Tap the Share button (square with arrow), then tap "Add to Home Screen".

Once installed, the app launches full-screen with the Issue Monkey logo — it looks and feels like a native app.

Enhanced Camera

When reporting issues on mobile, the camera experience includes a preview screen so you can review your photo before attaching it. You can retake the photo if it's blurry or doesn't capture the issue clearly.

Offline Capabilities

The app works even with spotty connectivity. Core pages are cached so you can browse issues and the map while your signal is intermittent. New data syncs automatically when your connection returns.

Subscription & Billing

Plans
PlanPriceIssues
TrialFree (90 days)100
Starter$29.99/year250
Growth$39.99/quarter1,000
Pro$39.99/month5,000
At Your Issue Limit

When you reach your plan's issue limit, you can still view and search issues, but you cannot create new issues, update existing ones, or export data. Upgrade anytime for immediate access.

Billing Owner

The person who subscribes becomes the billing owner. They cannot be removed from the HOA and must always be an admin. Billing ownership can be transferred to another admin in Settings.

Tips & Tricks

  • Mobile camera: When reporting an issue on your phone, the photo upload button opens your camera directly — great for field visits.
  • My Issues filter: On the Issues page, click "My Issues" to see only issues you reported.
  • Dashboard shortcuts: Click any status card (Open, In Progress, etc.) to jump to the filtered issue list.
  • Email verification: Go to My Profile to verify your email so notifications come from you, not the system.
  • Keyboard shortcut: On the map, right-click is the quickest way to see nearby contacts.
  • CSV flexibility: The import wizard works with exports from most HOA management systems — column names don't need to match exactly.
  • Referral link: Find your unique referral link in Settings and share it with other HOA communities. Post it on neighborhood forums or send it to board members you know.
  • AI tone per notice: Even if you set a default tone in Settings, you can override it for individual notices — use Friendly for first-time reminders and Formal for repeat violations.
  • Bulk contact updates: Use the envelope icon on the Contacts page to invite property owners to update their own info. Send several at once to quickly refresh your contact list without manual data entry.
  • Camera preview on mobile: When using the installed app on your phone, the camera shows a preview so you can retake blurry photos before submitting an issue.