HOAs are known for their strict aesthetic rules, from governing grass lengths to dictating paint colors on houses. Those rules often go beyond the visual and create headaches for homeowners trying to upgrade their homes to be more comfortable or efficient.
In Seattle, a condo owner is facing one such headache from their HOA over trying to keep their home cooler when the weather heats up, which has become a more frequent issue. Axios reported in July that heat waves have been more intense and lasted longer in the area, with 17 of the top 20 hottest days occurring within the last 20 years.
On the r/HOA subreddit, the person asked how to approach their HOA to install a ductless heat pump in their condo, noting the rules don't "allow us to permanently attach anything to the outside of the building or put holes in the … walls to the outside." They hoped they could cite safety, as their unit is in an older building with no air conditioning but still has heated baseboards.
HOAs are notorious for preventing or stalling eco-friendly and money-saving upgrades for residents' homes. One homeowner in Arizona shared a similar story of wanting to add solar window film on their front-facing windows to help their house stay warm in winter and cooler in the summer, but they faced pushback from the HOA. These kinds of restrictions prevent homeowners from saving money on their energy bills, which in turn forces more resource usage to generate electricity that can damage the environment.
The condo owner may have recourse soon. The city passed a new efficiency standards bill earlier this year that will require all large buildings to be net zero by 2050. The guidelines should be easy to meet for newer buildings, with things such as improved insulation and heat pumps essentially being standard. Older buildings, including the one the Reddit user lives in, may have issues and begin facing fines if they don't hit targets by 2031.
That's a little far off for the Redditor, but commenters had a few helpful suggestions to bring the HOA around to their side.
The poster asked if they should just go to a meeting and suggest a rule change, but one person advised: "That's certainly a start, but it's not that simple. Read your HOA's governing documents. Those are what must be changed. And the documents will [indicate] a process for changing them."
"Depending on your state, there might be a law that requires HOA to allow 'green' energy upgrades like solar. Heat pumps might be included," another encouraged.
Another person directed them to a Washington bill that restricts HOAs from pushing back on heat pumps. "Work with your board to establish a process following the existing architectural review or construction application process, hiring professionals, perhaps with insurance and liability assignment as necessary for water intrusion. It will take a lot of time and be expensive, but should be possible," they added.
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