Palmetto Dunes Property Owners Association (PDPOA)

Palmetto Dunes is a residential resort community of about 2,000 acres in the middle of Hilton Head Island, with three miles of beach and an 11-mile lagoon system. The property owners association is the organization that looks after the shared parts of it: the walkways, bike paths, beachfront, lagoons and bridges, the gates and security, and the rules that apply to owners, renters and visitors alike.

What the Palmetto Dunes POA Does

A board of directors made up of property owners, elected by the members and serving without pay, runs the association. Its staff work in five departments: communications, finance, maintenance, planning and property operations, and security and the Pass Office. It also enforces the community’s rules and can cite a vehicle or property that breaks them.

Every property owner pays an annual assessment, due on or before March 1. It pays for the upkeep of the common areas and for services the board decides on, security included. The association does not publish the amount outside its owner portal, so ask your agent or the office for the current figure.

Building or Changing a Home: the Architectural Review Board

Changes to a property go through the association’s Architectural Review Board, a panel of three to seven members that enforces the community’s building standards. If you plan an addition, a renovation or an exterior change, talk to the board before you start.

Gates, Decals and Guest Passes

The association issues a windshield decal for each owner vehicle, so owners do not use guest passes. New owner decals are issued every even year, you show the vehicle’s registration for each one, and courtesy decals are available for immediate family. Guests need a pass, which owners can request ahead of time through the association. The step-by-step, plus what visitors do at the gate, is on the Palmetto Dunes security page.

Renting Out a Palmetto Dunes Home: the Association’s Rules

Owners who rent for fewer than 30 days must register with the Town of Hilton Head Island. That takes a short-term rental permit on top of the annual business license, and both run from May 1 to April 30. The association adds its own rules: post the required safety signage, show guests the “Welcome to Palmetto Dunes” video, answer security within one hour if a problem at the property is not resolved, and rent the entire property to one party at a time. You cannot rent a room, a portion of the home or a guesthouse while you stay on the property.

The association posts the current version of these rules on its short-term rental page. Neighbors report nuisance problems with a rental to the Town’s hotline, (843) 341-6864. If you would rather have someone handle the permits and guest rules, see Palmetto Dunes property management, and browse the rentals themselves on Palmetto Dunes rentals.

Leamington Has Its Own Association

Leamington is a gated neighborhood inside the resort, with its own association and its own rules, including no short-term rentals on its residential side. Leamington owners deal with both associations.

Buying in Palmetto Dunes

Buyers should ask for the association’s current assessment and rules before making an offer. The Palmetto Dunes real estate page has the listings search and what a portal leaves out.