Does An HOA Have The Right To Enforce Parking Rules?

The HOA’s job is to protect property values and to make sure that the neighborhood is a desirable place to live.  That means maintaining and improving the exterior of each home, setting ground rules for shared spaces, enforcing the covenants, and making safety a priority.

 

As highlighted on the homeowners association website, though your HOA may not have an explicit parking rule, it still has every right to enforce parking rules as part of its other mandates.  There are many reasons why HOA’s do this and here are some of the most common ones.

 

If a neighborhood has many cars parked along the street, it can detract from its overall aesthetic and make the neighborhood look less desirable.  But preventing cars from being parked on the street isn’t always about aesthetic, it might also be about safety.

 

If someone parks on the street and their car won’t start, this may block access for emergency responders, especially if there’s already limited space.  According to the homeowners association website, when it comes to city streets, associations do not have a right to force compliance since they do not own the streets.  However, they can enforce parking rules on private roads.

 

In this case, it might be difficult to enforce this rule since most HOA’s don’t know who is using which home’s driveway.  But if it ends up being an issue for the HOA, it probably wouldn’t be too difficult to locate the cars in question.

 

While these rules may seem a bit strict, many neighborhoods can enforce parking rules without much trouble as they are in place for good reasons.  Depending on which state you live in and what authority the HOA has through their governing documents, they could have the final say in where residents and visitors are allowed to park.  If you aren’t sure, check the homeowners association website to learn more so you and others avoid any inconvenience!