Watering a lawn can use up to 75% of a home's water, costing up to $819 a year. Not only is watering grass a huge waste of money, but it is also a huge waste of valuable resources during extreme heat and droughts.
In a recent Reddit post, a homeowner asked fellow r/eastbay followers, "Is it permitted in Alameda County for an HOA to demand a lush green lawn from every resident during this heat wave?"
Feeling pressured to follow HOA rules when they conflict with common sense and sustainability practices causes major headaches and burdensome costs. Fortunately, there are effective ways to approach your HOA with your concerns and enact change that benefits your wallet, neighbors, and the planet.
Reddit users were quick to respond to the original poster's question and share resources about water use prohibitions for homeowners associations.
In California, where the original poster resides, there are laws asserting that HOAs can not fine homeowners for reducing or eliminating watering lawns during declared drought emergencies. But outside of an official emergency, HOAs may be able to take advantage of loopholes in the system and still require homeowners to keep grass watered and green.
Yet people with experience with HOAs and California water laws offered the original poster some hope about saving money, conserving water, and the alternative possibilities of growing a wild yard.
"California state law … explicitly prohibits HOAs from making residents do this," one Redditor wrote. "It doesn't matter if your CC&Rs include a 'must maintain natural grass on your property' clause — the state law overrides it. If your HOA even tries to enforce this rule, you can report them to the government, and they can face serious fines and penalties."
A Reddit user wrote: "You can call your water company to report the HOA for excessive water use. If you want to give your HOA the legal finger, you can actually rip out your lush green lawn for native California drought-friendly plants instead."
"It's a bad time of year to put in a new yard, but you can let the grass die and then put in a good xerophilic native plant garden or something else beautiful afterwards," suggested another Redditor. "The HOA might have restrictions as to something like wood chips, but they cannot require you to use a lot of water in your yard."
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