Covenants & Dues

WHAT ARE HOA COVENANTS? CC&R MEANING AND MORE

What are CC&Rs? CC&Rs refer to a planned community’s Declaration of Covenants, Conditions, & Restrictions. This is a legal document that defines the guidelines homeowners must adhere to in the neighborhood. They outline the rights and obligations of homeowners to the association and vice versa. In essence, these are the rules of your community.

Are neighborhood covenants legally binding? In most cases, once you buy a home within an HOA, you automatically become a member. That means you must start to abide by the covenants laid out within the association’s CC&Rs, which are legally binding and enforceable.

WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF HOA COVENANTS?

Homeowners associations serve a specific function — to govern and regulate the community with the ultimate goal of protecting or improving property values. One way HOAs do this is through creating and enforcing covenants.

Property use and appearance covenants, for instance, primarily focuses on maintaining curb appeal. When curb appeal drops, so do property values. HOA covenants also protect homeowners’ rights to quiet enjoyment of their property. Beyond that, covenants allow associations to navigate and resolve disputes in a standard format.

COMMON RESTRICTIVE COVENANTS EXAMPLES

Restrictive covenants limit the things you can do with your property. These types of HOA covenants can also require you to perform specific tasks as a homeowner and member of the community. Common HOA CC&R examples include the following:

• Property maintenance. The HOA may require you to maintain your lawn or landscaping as well as apply a fresh coat of paint to the outside of your home every once in a while. Many associations, though, provide such services as part of HOA dues.
• Exterior appearance. HOAs commonly place limitations on the appearance of your home’s exterior. This includes what color paint you can use and whether you can hang towels on your balcony. Some HOAs might restrict you from hanging your clothes out to dry, but there are states that protect your right to dry as well.
• Property alterations and additions. Many associations place restrictions on what you can change or add to the exterior of your property. Exterior renovations or constructions are usually subject to the evaluation of the Architectural Review Committee and the approval of the HOA board.
• Pet restrictions. Some HOA covenants don’t allow specific pet types or breeds and even place a limit on the number of pets you can have.
• Vehicle restrictions. There are associations that have restrictive covenants concerning where you can park your vehicles, what type of vehicles you can leave parked in your driveway, and whether guests can park overnight.