The nature of short-term rentals is not intuitively harmonious with the community association housing model.  The community association housing model focuses on bringing people together, strengthening neighborhood bonds and promoting a sense of community and belonging. Association homeowners choose where to live and accept contractual and ethical responsibility to abide by established policies and meet their financial obligations to the association.  Board members and managers are guided by their association's governing documents that are created to maintain community standards, protect property values and encourage a sense of community stewardship.  In contrast, short-term visitors with no ties to the community may not be contractually bound to the association's established policies nor invested in the overall good of the community.

The sharing economy phenomenon has significantly transformed the dynamics of renting property.  The use of online platforms to arrange short-term rentals has created a unique housing market where short-term rentals provide considerable income for some community associations' owners, particularly those in vacation destination and resort areas.  Community association owners must determine what short-term rental policy is appropriate for their particular community.