Many homeowners live in neighborhoods governed by homeowners associations. These groups hold a lot of power over everything from garden size to lawn watering to the ability to install solar panels. One homeowner new to HOA governance took to Reddit for advice on how to handle lawn alternatives.
In a post on r/NoLawns, the original poster explained they were hoping to plant a more natural lawn using something such as clover. "I can't find any specific laws or cases regarding whether my HOA can actually stop me from using a native species yard. Does anyone have experience with this?"
The folks on the subreddit were more than happy to lend advice, and many people weighed in.
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Should HOAs be able to force homeowners to change their yards?
Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. |
Absolutely not 💯 One person gave a step-by-step course of action: "Research your CC&Rs like others have stated for what is accepted and what is not. Draw a landscape plan. … You'll need the names of plants at minimum, but pictures always help for 'non-traditional' plants." They added that a watering schedule, maintenance plan, and supplemental information about the benefits of the project would go a long way if the OP used the proper forms and played by the HOA's rules.
Someone else suggested checking statutes: "Look at federal, state, and county laws. HOA isn't above that."
"Look into a native carex," another commenter wrote. "It will look a bit like long grass."
Carex is a type of sedge that can be a nice lawn alternative. These plants mimic the look of a traditional grass lawn but need much less maintenance. Native plants are well adapted to their local habitats, meaning they won't need as much water, fertilizer, or pesticides to thrive.
For those folks who have to deal with an HOA, there are options for navigating the rules. Working with your neighbors and community, you may even be able to advocate for changes to bylaws that help you and make it easier for everyone to make eco-friendly choices.
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