It is an out of sight - out of mind task that is extremely important from a fire safety perspective. Over time, wood smoke lays down a flammable layer of material on the inside of the chimney and acids in the smoke will rust out the chimney cap. If the build up catches fire, the heat can spread to surrounding wood structures. An uncapped chimney admits rain that rusts metal fireboxes, flues and wood stoves. It also allows birds to nest within the chimney, leading to a possible flue blockage, and allows potentially hazardous embers to escape.
Chimney caps are available at most home centers and fireplace-supply stores.
Installation is quick and involves simple hand tools, provided you can safely access the roof. Check your flue and measure its outside diameter before shopping. This is also an ideal time for the association to have all chimneys inspected to ensure they are fire safety compliant. This is a cost which the association should budget for and schedule annually. If inspection reveals need for cleaning, cleaning costs are a homeowner responsibility.