Knowledge hub
Texas HOA law in plain English
What your HOA has to do before it can fine you, and what it can't regulate at all. Every guide cites the statute it explains.
Guides
Tex. Prop. Code § 209.006
The 30-Day Rule (§ 209.006)
What a Texas HOA must do before it can fine you: certified mail, a reasonable cure period, and 30 days for you to request a hearing.
5 min read
Tex. Prop. Code § 209.007
How to Request a Board Hearing to Challenge Fines (§ 209.007)
Your right to a hearing before the board, the deadlines the HOA must meet, and the evidence packet it owes you 10 days in advance.
5 min read
Tex. Prop. Code § 202.023
Can My HOA Ban Security Cameras? (§ 202.023)
Texas law protects security cameras, motion detectors, and perimeter fences on your own property, with a few narrow exceptions.
3 min read
Tex. Prop. Code § 209.0061
HB 614: The Mandatory Fine Policy Rule (§ 209.0061)
Since 2024, HOA boards that fine owners must adopt a written enforcement policy with a fine schedule and make it available to every owner.
4 min read
Tex. Prop. Code §§ 202.007, 202.008
No Fines for Brown Grass During Watering Restrictions (§ 202.008)
A 2025 law bars fines for brown or discolored turf during drought watering restrictions and for 60 days after, and xeriscaping is protected too.
4 min read
Tex. Prop. Code § 209.005
How to Get Your HOA's Records (§ 209.005)
Inspection reports, photos, board notes: how to request them by certified mail and the 10-business-day response deadline.
4 min read
Glossary
- Certified mail
- A USPS service that gives the sender proof of mailing and a delivery record. Section 209.006(a) requires it for the notice an HOA must send before levying a fine.
- Verified mail
- Any mailing method for which USPS or a common carrier provides evidence of mailing. Section 209.006(b)(4) requires the pre-fine notice to go by verified mail to your last known address.
- Return receipt
- Proof that the recipient signed for a certified letter: a green card (PS Form 3811) or an electronic copy of the signature.
- Curable violation
- An ongoing condition you can fix, such as a visible trash can, peeling paint, or a parked car. For these, the notice must give you a reasonable period to cure before any fine (§ 209.006).
- Uncurable violation
- A completed act that can't be undone, such as setting off fireworks or holding a prohibited event. The HOA still owes you certified-mail notice before a fine, but it doesn't have to offer a cure period, and the § 209.007 hearing right is tied to being entitled to cure.
- Cure period
- The time the HOA must give you to fix a curable violation before it can fine you. Texas law requires a "reasonable" period and a stated cure date but sets no fixed number of days.
- Hearing (§ 209.007)
- A meeting with the board, or a board-appointed committee, to discuss and verify facts and resolve a violation. You may request one within 30 days after the notice was mailed.
- Dedicatory instrument
- The HOA's governing documents, such as the declaration (CC&Rs), bylaws, and rules and regulations.
- Enforcement policy
- The written fine policy required by § 209.0061 (HB 614): violation categories, a fine schedule, and hearing information, posted online or sent to owners every year.
- Management certificate
- A filing in the county real property records that lists the HOA's name and mailing address. It's the address your records requests should go to.
- Residential watering restriction
- A temporary limit on irrigating residential lawns, imposed by a city or water utility as a drought measure. It triggers the § 202.008 fine ban for brown turf.
- Security measure
- Under § 202.023, includes security cameras, motion detectors, and perimeter fences. An HOA can't enforce a rule that prevents installing them on your property.
- Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA)
- A federal law that can give active-duty military owners extra protection. HOA violation notices must mention it (§ 209.006(b)(2)(C)).
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