Guides & resources
Straight answers for the people who run HOAs
810+ plain-English answers for volunteer boards and the residents they serve, without jargon or a sales pitch. Pick a topic to dive in.
Pets, parking & vehicles
Pet limits and breed rules, guest parking, street parking, RVs, boats, trailers, and commercial vehicles.
Can an HOA restrict or ban pets?
What pet rules associations can enforce, why service and emotional-support animals are treated differently, and how to navigate a pet dispute.
Read the answerCan an HOA tell you where you can and can't park?
What parking rules associations can set, where their authority ends at the public curb, and how to handle a parking dispute.
Read the answerCan an HOA stop you from installing an EV charger?
Why a growing number of states protect a homeowner's right to charge an electric vehicle, what an association can still require, and how to get an installation approved.
Read the answerCan an HOA stop you from keeping chickens or other backyard animals?
Whether an HOA can ban backyard chickens, livestock, and bees, where that authority comes from, how it differs from pet rules, the overlap with local zoning, and the narrow exceptions.
Read the answerHow do I start a petition to recall an HOA board member?
How to recall an HOA board member by petition: gathering the required member signatures, the threshold that forces a special meeting, notice and quorum, and the recall vote itself.
Read the answerCan an HOA deny an emotional support animal or service animal?
How service animals and ESAs differ, why a no-pet rule usually has to bend for them, what a board can ask, and the narrow grounds for saying no.
Read the answerRentals, tenants & neighbors
Rental caps, short-term rentals, tenant rules, noise, nuisance complaints, and living next to your HOA in peace.
Can an HOA restrict or ban rentals?
An association may have leasing restrictions, but their validity and application depend on the documents, state law, and ownership history. Rental caps and minimum stays are separate questions.
Read the answerCan an HOA stop you from renting your home on Airbnb or VRBO?
Short-stay rentals can be subject to association and government restrictions. Check the exact duration, frequency, location, and ownership rules before advertising or accepting bookings.
Read the answerCan an HOA evict a tenant, or only the owner can?
Whether an HOA has the power to evict a renter, why the association's legal relationship is normally with the owner and not the tenant, how associations actually enforce rules against renters, the narrow situations where some states or governing documents let an HOA act against a tenant directly, and what landlords owe their community.
Read the answerCan an HOA charge you for a violation by your tenant or guest?
Why HOAs hold the homeowner responsible for what tenants, guests, and family members do, when that's enforceable, and how lease addenda shift the risk.
Read the answerCan an HOA restrict noise, set quiet hours, and fine you for being too loud?
When associations can regulate noise, how their nuisance rules and quiet hours work alongside the city ordinance, and the limits on enforcing something as subjective as 'too loud.'
Read the answerCan an HOA ban smoking, even inside your own condo or yard?
What associations can do about smoking in common areas versus private units, how secondhand-smoke drift becomes a nuisance issue, and where banning it requires a covenant amendment, not just a board rule.
Read the answerHome projects & property rules
Fences, paint, solar, roofs, landscaping, sheds, pools, additions - what needs approval and how ARC review works.
Can an HOA tell you what color to paint your house?
Exterior paint may be subject to architectural standards. Verify the current palette, approval requirement, and written decision before hiring a painter.
Read the answerCan an HOA ban solar panels?
Solar installation rights depend on state law, the recorded documents, and the proposed location. Check those before accepting either a ban or a promise of automatic approval.
Read the answerCan an HOA restrict flags and signs in your yard?
Why the American flag and political signs get special protection, what an association can still regulate, and how to handle a display dispute.
Read the answerCan an HOA stop you from installing a satellite dish or antenna?
The federal OTARD rule protects specified antennas in qualifying locations. Device type, property rights, and the effect of the restriction all matter.
Read the answerHow does HOA architectural review (ARC approval) work?
Check whether approval is required, submit a complete project description, and retain the written decision and conditions before starting work.
Read the answerCan an HOA ban clotheslines and outdoor drying?
Outdoor drying protections depend on the state, equipment, and location. A protected backyard clothesline is not the same as laundry draped over a balcony railing.
Read the answerHOA fines & violations
What an HOA can fine you for, how notices and hearings work, and how to dispute a violation the right way.
Can an HOA fine you, and how much?
When associations can levy fines, the notice they usually owe you first, and the limits on how far it can go.
Read the answerCan an HOA tow your car?
When an association can have a vehicle towed, the notice it usually owes you, and what to do if it happens to you.
Read the answerWhat process does an HOA have to follow before it can fine you?
Check the authority to fine, the applicable penalty limits, and the required notice, cure, hearing, and decision procedures. The sequence and deadlines depend on the governing law and documents.
Read the answerHow do you dispute an HOA violation notice?
Identify the notice’s stage and deadlines, respond to the specific allegation, request the applicable review process, and keep track of the written decision.
Read the answerHow does HOA dispute resolution work - mediation, arbitration, and ADR before a lawsuit?
Internal review, mediation, and arbitration serve different purposes. Check which process applies, what it costs, whether the outcome binds you, and which deadlines continue running.
Read the answerCan you withhold HOA dues during a dispute?
A complaint does not automatically suspend assessment obligations. Separate the disputed charge from other dues, verify your options, and avoid assuming that withholding or “paying under protest” preserves every right.
Read the answerHOA dues, fees & money
Assessments, special assessments, late fees, liens, foreclosure, budgets, reserves, and where the money actually goes.
What are HOA dues and where does the money go?
Read the budget, check your share of the costs, and understand what your assessment includes.
Read the answerWhat is a reserve study and does our HOA need one?
What a reserve study tells you, what it cannot guarantee, and how a board can use it.
Read the answerCan an HOA really foreclose on a home over unpaid dues?
An assessment debt can put a home at risk. Check the notice, the account, and the rules that apply before a deadline passes.
Read the answerWhat happens if you don't pay your HOA dues?
An unpaid assessment can lead to additional charges and collection action. Check the account, notices, and applicable procedure; there is no single nationwide timetable.
Read the answerHow much can an HOA raise dues, and can they do it without a vote?
What limits exist on assessment increases, when a member vote is required, and why dues go up in the first place.
Read the answerWhat is an HOA special assessment, and can they make you pay it?
Why a one-time charge lands, when a member vote is required, and what happens if you can't cover it.
Read the answerHOA boards & governance
Board duties, elections, meetings, quorum, minutes, bylaws and CC&Rs - how a community is actually run.
HOA management software: what to test before you buy
Use five realistic tasks to compare HOA software, check the full cost, and find out what happens when you need your records back.
Read the answerTaking over HOA management: a practical first 30 days
A handover plan for incoming managers and volunteer boards, covering access, opening balances, unfinished work, and the first resident announcement.
Read the answerWhat should an HOA monthly management report include?
Give the board a concise account of decisions needed, financial exceptions, open maintenance, and commitments due before the next meeting.
Read the answerWhat are the responsibilities of an HOA board?
A practical starting point for managing association money, property, decisions, and records.
Read the answerHow do you run a good HOA board meeting?
Prepare a usable agenda, follow your meeting rules, and leave with clear decisions and follow-up work.
Read the answerShould our HOA self-manage or hire a management company?
Compare the work, available volunteers, and contract scope before deciding who should manage the association.
Read the answerLiving with an HOA
Everything else about HOA life - buying into one, leaving one, your rights as an owner, and how it all works.
How does fair housing law apply to HOAs?
Why the federal Fair Housing Act binds associations, what counts as discrimination, how assistance animals and accessibility accommodations work, and how boards stay on the right side of it.
Read the answerCan you refuse to join an HOA?
Why HOA membership is usually mandatory and tied to the home, the rare cases where it's voluntary, and the one moment when you actually get to choose.
Read the answerWhat is an HOA estoppel letter and why does it matter at closing?
An estoppel certificate supplies specified account and property information for a transaction. Its coverage, effective period, fees, and reliance protections depend on the applicable law.
Read the answerHow do you start an HOA?
The legal steps to form a homeowners association, the documents it takes, and the funding decisions that determine whether it survives.
Read the answerCan you dissolve an HOA, and how?
Why dissolving an association is genuinely hard, the votes and legal steps it takes, and what happens to the shared property and debts.
Read the answerCan an HOA stop you from running a business out of your home?
How 'residential use' clauses apply to home offices and home businesses, where the line usually falls, and how this differs from city zoning.
Read the answerState HOA-law library
High-level summaries of what each state asks of associations, for all 50 states plus D.C.
Software that helps you follow the rules
Keep community records, resident requests, and board tasks together with OurHOA.