Most HOAs have rules about what people can and can’t put in their yards and this can range from signage to holiday decorations. Whether an HOA should be able to limit decorations isn’t what we want to discuss. Instead, we want to talk about how to encourage your community to celebrate their holidays with decorations that are tasteful and reasonable.
- Don’t micromanage, let reason rule. Your board doesn’t and shouldn’t be telling people what color lights they can use, what types of lights, or how they are hung. For example, if someone hangs lights and puts out a tasteful nativity or menorah, that should be perfectly acceptable. If someone pulls a Clark Griswold and covers every square inch of the house in lights, your board might consider asking that resident to dial it back a bit.
- Establish boundaries. If your HOA has residents who are known for excessive decorations that have caused problems in the past, set reasonable boundaries and compromises so everyone feels they have a chance to decorate and celebrate in their own way. Here are some examples of good boundaries to have:
- Identify when lights can be hung and when they need to be removed. If your community is in warmer weather, 30 days on either side of the holiday is probably reasonable. If you live somewhere with lots of snow and ice, residents will likely need more time before and after snow/ice to hang/remove their lights.
- Are light shows to music OK? If so, set rules on when the show can play so it doesn’t disrupt everyone’s day-to-day life.
- Consider restricting roof-anchored displays, especially inflatable ones. They have a tendency to blow away and cause other hazards. Ask people to keep inflatable decorations in the yard and require them be properly anchored and regularly checked to make sure they don’t blow away.
- Utilize your architectural review committee. It can be nearly impossible to identify what is over-the-top until it happens. Depending on your CC&Rs, your board may be able to have the architectural review committee approve decoration displays in advance. Often what we’ve seen works best is to have residents get approval if it they want to do more than lights on the roof line, one or two simple yard decorations, and lights in trees. If a resident wants something more elaborate, then have your architectural review committee vet it beforehand.
- Don’t be a scrooge. It is so easy to get caught up in what is OK and what isn’t that we forget about the spirit of the season. Choose your battles wisely. While it’s the board’s job to maintain the aesthetics of the community, it is also important to build community goodwill. If going after a neighbor’s decoration will cause more harm to the sense of community than to improve the aesthetics of the community, let it go
This time of year is fun, magical, we encourage you to enjoy the festive holiday decor in your HOA. It is important to set reasonable boundaries, but don’t let the rules turn you into a scrooge. The most effective HOAs are those that build and maintain a good relationship with their community members, so like all decisions, be reasonable and weigh the pros and cons carefully. We hope your community enjoys the lights and magic of the season – Happy Holidays from Spectrum Association Management!
