Do Townhomes Have HOA Fees in Massachusetts?

TL;DR

• Most Massachusetts townhomes do have an association, and the large majority are legally condominiums with monthly condo fees rather than a classic HOA.
• A smaller share are fee-simple townhouses, some with a homeowners association and some, like older attached row houses, with no association at all.
• Read the master deed, bylaws, budget and reserves before you buy, because the fee affects both your lifestyle and your loan approval.

In most cases, yes. If you are asking "do townhomes have hoa" fees in Massachusetts, the honest answer is that the large majority of townhouses here are legally condominiums, which means a condo association and a monthly condo fee rather than something called an HOA.

The exceptions matter, though. Some townhouses are fee-simple homes with a separate homeowners association, and some older attached row houses in Greater Boston have no association at all. Which one you are looking at changes your costs, your insurance and your mortgage approval.

Why the Word "Townhouse" Tells You Very Little

Townhouse is an architectural description: a multi-level home that shares one or two walls with neighbors. It says nothing about how the property is legally owned.

In Massachusetts, ownership usually falls into one of three buckets:

• Condominium townhouse. Created under the state condo statute, Chapter 183A. You own your unit, and you share ownership of the land, roof, siding and grounds with other owners. This is the most common setup by a wide margin.
• Fee-simple townhouse with an HOA. You own the structure and the lot beneath it outright, and a homeowners association handles shared roads, landscaping or amenities. This shows up more often in newer planned developments.
• Fee-simple townhouse with no association. Common in older city neighborhoods with attached brick or wood row houses. You and your neighbors handle shared walls and roofs by agreement or by habit.

The listing may say "townhouse" in all three cases. The deed and the recorded documents tell you which one it really is.

Do Townhomes Have HOA Fees, and What Do They Cover?

When a fee exists, it pays for whatever the association is responsible for. In a condo townhouse that often includes exterior maintenance, roof replacement, snow removal, landscaping, the master insurance policy and contributions to a reserve fund for future repairs.

In a fee-simple community with an HOA, the fee is usually narrower. You may be responsible for your own roof and insurance, with the HOA covering only common land and private roads.

Here is the practical point: two townhouses at similar prices can carry very different monthly costs. As an illustrative example, a unit with a higher fee that includes the roof and master insurance may cost less over ten years than a unit with a low fee where you pay for those things yourself.

What to Review Before You Make an Offer

In my experience, buyers spend far more time on kitchens than on condo documents, and the documents are where the surprises live. Ask for these early:

• Master deed, declaration of trust and bylaws. They define what you own, what the association owns, and the rules on rentals, pets and renovations.
• Current budget and recent financials. Look at how much goes into reserves. A thin reserve fund often leads to special assessments.
• Meeting minutes. These reveal planned roof jobs, disputes, insurance claims or deferred maintenance.
• The 6(d) certificate. Massachusetts requires this statement confirming the seller has no unpaid common charges. Your closing attorney will order it.
• Owner-occupancy and litigation details. Lenders review these through a condo questionnaire, and problems can complicate financing.

Small self-managed associations, such as a two- or three-unit conversion, deserve extra attention. They often run with no professional manager and modest reserves, which can work well among cooperative owners and poorly among uncooperative ones.

How the Fee Affects What You Can Borrow

Lenders treat the association fee as part of your monthly housing cost. That means it counts against your debt-to-income ratio exactly like your principal, interest, taxes and insurance.

A townhouse with a lower price and a high fee can reduce your buying power more than you expect. Before you fall for a unit, plug the full monthly cost, including the fee, into a mortgage payment calculator. Then compare it with recent townhouse and condo sales nearby so you know the price is in line.

If you are new to the process, the first-time buyer guide walks through how fees, taxes and insurance stack up in a Massachusetts approval.

Bottom Line

Most Massachusetts townhomes come with an association fee because most are condos, but the structure, coverage and health of that association vary widely. Judge a townhouse by its documents and full monthly cost, not its label or list price. If you want help reading condo documents on a specific property, you can set up a buyer consult here.

Common Questions

Is a townhouse the same as a condo in Massachusetts?

Not always, but usually. Townhouse describes the building style, while condominium describes the legal ownership. Most Massachusetts townhouses are recorded as condos under Chapter 183A, so you own your unit and share ownership of land, roofs and other common elements with the other owners.

Do lenders count condo or HOA fees when approving a mortgage?

Yes. Lenders add the monthly association fee to your housing payment when calculating your debt-to-income ratio. A higher fee lowers the loan amount you qualify for, so a cheaper townhouse with a large fee can be harder to finance than its price suggests.

Can condo fees go up after I buy a townhouse?

Yes. The association board sets the annual budget, and fees can rise with insurance, maintenance or reserve needs. Owners can also face special assessments for big repairs. Reviewing several years of budgets and meeting minutes shows how the fee has moved and what projects are coming.

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Plato Asadov (Aflatun Asadov)
Licensed Massachusetts Real Estate Salesperson, Lic. #9579004
Brokered by Steve Bremis Realty Group. Equal Housing Opportunity.
Phone: 617-302-7222 · Email: plato@realestoria.com · realestoria.com
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This article was drafted with AI assistance from Plato's research tools and reviewed by Plato before publishing. Information deemed reliable but not guaranteed; it is general education, not advice for your specific situation.