Finding a new board: how to make board work lighter

What does the law say about the board?

An owners’ association has a board of one member, unless the articles of association (statuten) say there are more. The general meeting (ALV, algemene ledenvergadering) appoints the board. A board member does not have to be an owner: an outsider or a professional managing agent can also be appointed. The ALV can also suspend or dismiss a board member at any time. If there is no board, the chair of the ALV takes on that role, unless the articles of association or the ALV have arranged otherwise.

Source: Articles 5:131 and 5:133 of the Dutch Civil Code (Burgerlijk Wetboek, BW). See wetten.overheid.nl (in Dutch).

Why people hold back

People often think board work takes a lot of time, that you need to know about everything and that you can never get out again. Sometimes that is true, because everything rests on one person. It helps to take away those ideas. Show what the work really involves and how much time it takes.

Make the work smaller

• Write down the tasks. List everything the board does in a year: the general meeting, the budget, payments, reports from residents, maintenance, contact with suppliers.
• Share the tasks. Not everything has to sit with the board. One resident can coordinate the garden, another the newsletter. A working group can prepare a large project.
• Work with fixed moments. A fixed calendar for the year keeps things from being left undone.
• Keep records. Keep contracts, policies and decisions in one place. Then nobody has to remember everything.
• Outsource what nobody enjoys. Some associations have a firm handle only the bookkeeping or the technical management. The board stays in charge.

Agree on a term of office

People join more readily when it is clear when they can step down. Agree on a term of two or three years, for example, with a rotation schedule. Then not all board members change at the same time and knowledge is kept. Check whether your articles of association already say something about this.

Ask people personally

A call in the newsletter rarely works. Asking people personally works better. Do not ask “Would you like to join the board?”, but “Would you help with the payments three times a year?”. A small, specific request is easier to say yes to. Let new people sit in on a meeting before they decide.

A good handover

Put together a handover folder with the key documents: the deed of division, the regulations, the articles of association, the insurance policies, the maintenance plan, the contracts and the bank login details. Also make sure the new board member is registered with the bank and with the Chamber of Commerce (KvK, Kamer van Koophandel). Plan a meeting where the outgoing board member explains what is going on.

Provide backing

Board members are volunteers. Have the ALV grant discharge every year after approving the annual accounts. Also discuss whether the association wants directors’ liability insurance. That gives peace of mind, even though things rarely go wrong.