Frequently asked questions.

Porchlight is the community operating system built specifically for Washington HOAs, condominiums, and cooperatives. It brings governance, communication, finances, compliance, and community engagement into a single, modern platform — so boards can spend less time on paperwork and more time on what matters.

Porchlight is built for board members, property managers, management companies, and homeowners in Washington state common interest communities. Whether you're a volunteer board president or a professional manager overseeing dozens of associations, Porchlight is designed to fit your workflow.

Yes. Porchlight is purpose-built for Washington state, with deep compliance support for WUCIOA (RCW 64.90) and SB 5129. Our tools, templates, and workflows are tailored to Washington law — which means your community gets a solution built for your specific regulatory environment, not a generic one-size-fits-all platform.

Porchlight supports homeowners associations (HOAs), condominium associations, and housing cooperatives of all sizes — from small neighborhoods with a handful of units to large planned communities with thousands of homes.

Start by requesting a demo through our website. We'll walk you through the platform, answer your questions, and help you determine the best plan for your community. From there, our team handles the onboarding — including data migration, user setup, and community configuration.

Most communities are up and running within a few days. Larger communities or those migrating from another platform may take a bit longer, but our onboarding team manages the entire process so your board doesn't have to lift a finger.

Homeowners can access their community portal without creating a separate account. When your community goes live on Porchlight, residents receive an invitation to access the platform where they can view community information, submit requests, and participate in votes.

Absolutely. Our team can help migrate your community's data — including homeowner records, governing documents, financial history, and meeting minutes — from your existing platform or spreadsheets. We handle the heavy lifting so the transition is seamless.

Porchlight covers the full spectrum of community management: board governance, meeting management, online voting, action item tracking, people management, financial transparency, CC&R management, violation tracking, contractor and bid management, community websites, interactive maps, events, and perks — all in one platform.

Yes. Porchlight includes secure online voting with quorum tracking, proxy management, and auditable results. Elections and votes are fully compliant with SB 5129 requirements, and homeowners can participate from any device.

Yes. Every community on Porchlight gets a professional, SEO-optimized website with a custom domain — no design skills required. The website automatically surfaces community news, events, documents, and contact information for residents and prospective homeowners.

Porchlight helps you schedule board meetings, send compliant notices that meet SB 5129 requirements, manage agendas, and publish minutes — all from a single workflow. Meeting records are automatically archived for transparency and compliance.

Yes. Porchlight provides a structured workflow for tracking property violations from initial notice through hearing and resolution. Every step is documented with photos, correspondence, and timestamps — creating a defensible audit trail that protects both the board and homeowners.

Senate Bill 5129 is Washington state legislation that strengthens governance, financial transparency, and homeowner protections for community associations. Porchlight was built with these requirements in mind — our platform includes automated compliance tracking, compliant notice workflows, transparent financial reporting, and election tools that meet every SB 5129 requirement.

Yes. Porchlight automatically monitors regulatory deadlines and notifies your board when action is needed. Whether it's meeting notice requirements, election timelines, or financial reporting deadlines, you'll always know what's coming and what needs attention.

Yes. Porchlight's voting and election tools are designed to comply with WUCIOA (RCW 64.90) and SB 5129, including support for quorum requirements, proxy voting, secret ballots, and auditable election results.

Porchlight offers flexible pricing based on your community's size and needs. Contact our team for a personalized quote — we'll recommend the right plan for your community and walk you through everything that's included.

No. Porchlight includes unlimited free users for homeowners, tenants, and board members. Every resident in your community can access the platform at no additional cost — because community software should serve the whole community.

We offer both monthly and annual plans. Annual plans come with a discount, but there are no long-term lock-in contracts. We believe you should stay with Porchlight because it works for your community, not because of a contract.

We offer personalized demos so you can see exactly how Porchlight works for your community before committing. Request a demo and our team will set up a tailored walkthrough for your board.

Yes. Porchlight uses industry-standard encryption, secure cloud infrastructure, and role-based access controls to protect your community's data. We take security seriously because your residents' information deserves the same level of care you put into managing your community.

Your community owns its data — always. If you ever decide to leave Porchlight, we'll provide a complete export of all your records, documents, and financial data. No lock-in, no data hostage situations.

Porchlight is designed to be the single platform your community needs, but we understand some communities have existing tools they rely on. Contact our team to discuss your specific integration needs and we'll work with you to find the best path forward.