HOA RV Storage Rules?

[bcheever]

Do you have HOA regulations about parking RVs in your neighborhood, and if so what are they?

We live in a historic neighborhood that prohibits storing RVs. I'm working on some recommendations for our HOA board - the idea is something reasonable that is generous in giving folks time to load and unload and top off the charge on their batteries, but reassure nervous homeowners about people living in their trailers or blocking traffic on our narrow streets.

Would appreciate hearing any thoughts on a fair way to do this for all involved. Thanks!

[Lucky Skunk]

If the streets are narrow I would think about safety and the ability for EMS vehicles to quickly get to their destination. A drivable RV, maybe. A trailer, maybe not. Again, safety. I live in Northern California and the possibility of a fire and needing to evacuate is real. Do I want to be blocked in because my neighbor wants to charge his batteries?

I have a townhome in a situation like this. Narrow streets. The rule is no one should park in front of their garages except to load and unload. Of course, people choose to park there all day, sometimes overnight. It would create a safety issue if EMS needed to come through. Although these times are rare, is that not why the rule is there to begin with?

My opinion, don’t ask your neighbors to accept anything more than to unload. “And to charge your batteries”? No.

[jondrew55]

Our HOA is actually fairly even handed about this. We'd occasionally leave our Airstream in the driveway for up to a week while working on it or or doing whatever and never a peep. Then one day we get a letter several days after we'd put it back in storage. I questioned the policy and a week or so later got a clarification that it was acceptable to "occasionally" keep an RV outside your home for up to 3 days prior and 3 days after a trip. I can get my trailer in my driveway. My neighbor across the street will park his Entegra in the street for a a day or two when he gets ready. We've also got some other folks with RVs and 5th wheels that show up occasionally.

All in all I can't complain. The RV rules were in place before we moved here. They seem to be fairly and evenly applied.

[Mike1997]

The widow I bought my Airstream from lived in a gated subdivision near Raleigh. They had the Airstream stored in a tobacco barn across town. She said their rules were that an RV could not stay at the house longer than 24hrs which was enough time to load or unload from their trips. The same for boats and trailers in the driveway. Anything longer they had to notify security and get a special permit.

[Dennis C]

I’m the president of my HOA. We live in a small, gated community. I didn’t write the bylaws and covenants, but it’s my responsibility to ensure that they’re followed. Our HOA doesn’t allow any vehicles to be parked outside in the neighborhood. This includes cars; they must be parked in the garage. We make an exception if there are visitors for an event or a weekend, but nothing more. People who own travel trailers are allowed to bring them into the neighborhood to pack and load them, and we allow them to stay in the driveway for one night.

[KCurtis]

24 hour rule. We can park it in the street in front of our driveway. This rule was designed with the thought of arriving late afternoon or evening and unloading the items, doing a quick cleaning, etc… Then taking the RV to storage sometime that day. This works well for us. For our longer trips I am able to send an email letting them know we will need an extra night as well.

[jondrew55]

Also, we have covered storage with electric now. I rarely bring the camper home at all. I just pack my stuff in the car and pick up the camper (with the fridge already cooled down) and leave from there. When we get back, if we're too lazy to clean the fridge out, we just leave it plugged in and come back in a day or two. Mostly come home just to wash it although I just bought a 12 V pump and am going to try washing it at the storage place.

[Mikebrady62]

We are the same as most everyone else.
Our last neighborhood HOA rule was 24 hours before and after each trip in the driveway or in the street. Our new neighborhood is 3 days before and after but must be in your driveway. Some abuse it in the summer for well over a week but never the rest of the year.
We added to house to accommodate ours year-round.

I never can figure out how to rotate the picture

[switz]

Our HOA near Apache Junction, AZ allows my rig (52 feet long for the Classic and pickup and 41 feet long with the 23D and Land Cruiser) to come to our house to load/unload but can not be left in the street overnight. We have seen rigs on the side streets over night, but we are on one of the major streets. We also have a busy body chap on our street.

[Luna1967]

We’re allowed to store RVs in our subdivision as long as they can’t be seen from the street. We’re very fortunate to be able to keep our 17 foot 1967 Caravel Down our long drive and next to the house. There’s a three day maximum that we are allowed to keep an RV on the street. Interestingly enough, we have to move the RV to a different location as free three days. Presumably, this could be done indefinitely! Currently our little trailer is on the street, after having come back from having her roof resealed, until we get building supplies into the house that will need to come through the space that she’s usually parked in. Our HOA is a little disheveled right now so I’m not gonna worry about the three day rule. Fortunately my neighbors are lovely and gracious.

[smmckean]

Our HOA allows 3 days; but it could be extended within reason with a phone call to the property manager (example a short repair, or a camping friend visiting) Our rules do allow a (shop/RV/boat garage) not to exceed 50% of the residence floor plan, and not taller than a 2 story, and it must be of the same siding (stone/brick) and same paint colors. By having the garage, who cares how long the repair takes, ease of loading/unloading, opening the awnings to dry after a wet trip home, no worries about vandalism or weather exposure. My RV garage is 30X50 so I can park my truck next to the Airstream as well when it is time to sell; a Class A will fit.

[Escape_Plan]

We live in Sun City, AZ. There are a loosely defined set of CC&Rs that you sign to "acknowledge" when you move in to this 55+ community. There are no HOA fees (well, most places do not have HOA fees, some of the duplexes and apartments have fees to cover lawn maintenance). One of those "rules" is 3 days prior to and following a trip that your RV/trailer can be parked in the street. However, many people with larger frontages or corner lots have built separate driveways and garages to store travel trailers in. The issue is even if you have space to build the driveway you also have to build a garage since storing of RVs/trailers/boats beside your house is not allowed according to the CC&Rs and it only takes one busy body in the neighborhood. Now, if you build a garage, there are of course property line offsets to be considered (five feet from all other properties) and the highest point of the garage cannot be higher than the highest point of your house which almost eliminates garage storage for 5th wheels and motorhomes. Being a 55+ community, most houses are single story ranch sale homes. I'm fortunate in that I have a corner lot with a a separate side entrance driveway deep enough to park my 27' GT, however, I do not have a garage. I sought three estimates to build a garage and they ranged from $25,000 to $45,000 (prior to the current rise in cost of materials). Currently, I have the GT in storage at the Sun City RV Compound, a gated security patrolled storage area for Sun City residents. That costs me $150/year. It's not covered, but I am on the wait list for the covered storage, which is $250/year. So, at $25K for a garage, I could store my GT in covered storage for 100 years. I don't think I'll be building a garage.

[Fungus]

48-hour limit if visible from the street. Seven travel trailers come and go, that I know of. Most of those are in storage except for loading and unloading. The remainder are visible from the street. Since we experience hail/wind storms I wouldn't want my shiny aluminum can sitting in the driveway uncovered.

The restriction applies to boats and other trailers, too, but we have violators with those.

Although not enforced for quite some time, enforcement is on the agenda for discussion this year. There seems to be some disagreement about what "visible from the street" means. I don't mind a restriction but would rather the limit be a week. Sometimes it's nice to use the AS for a spare bedroom. Lot sizes are one acre or larger, so I expect multiple RV garages being built if we start enforcing the 48-hour limit. And in some cases (mine), the garage would be more obnoxious to the neighbors than the trailer sitting visible for a week. Current bylaws do not provide for fining or any enforcement mechanism other than court.

We also have the rule that all vehicles must be garaged overnight but that will never be enforced...too little garage space to house the fleets with teenage drivers.

[Lensman]

Our HOA states it like this.
Parking on Owner's lots.
1. Recreational Vehicles on Driveways: Any truck, mobile home, travel trailer, boat or similar equipment on the driveway of any LOT in excess of 48 hours within a 7 day period may be subject to the parking violation enforcement and fine schedule.

[greghoro]

No HOA but there is a city ordinance.

24.7.2 Recreational Vehicle Restrictions

On any residential lot within any residential or institutional district, a maximum of one (1) recreational vehicle per dwelling unit on said lot may be parked out-of-doors in conformance with the following restrictions:
A . The owner of the recreational vehicle must be an occupant of the home where the vehicle is parked.
B . Any non-motorized or motorized recreational vehicle shall be parked or stored only behind the front of a house and shall be set back at least five feet (5') from the rear lot line, and three feet (3') from the side lot line. On corner lots, the vehicle shall also be located behind the wall of the
house adjacent to the side yard facing a street.
C . Any recreational vehicle owned by guests of the home may be parked anywhere on a lot up to fourteen (14) days every six (6) months.
D . Notwithstanding anything in this section to the contrary, any recreational vehicle may be parked anywhere on a lot for a period not to exceed seventy-two (72) hours for the purpose of loading, unloading, maintenance or repairs of said vehicle . A recreational vehicle may be parked for a greater period of time for the purpose of loading, unloading, maintenance or repairs, provided the owner of said recreational vehicle receives permission from the Director of the City's Building & Code Enforcement Department .
E . All recreational vehicles shall be properly licensed and registered .

[DonRich7878]

If the community you live in is unable accept your life style and your toys, don't take it personal, it isn't worth the fight. Even if you get your way, half of your neighbors will hate you and blame you for lowering their property values. You will be happier if you find a community that will be proud to have your Airstream parked openly in their neighborhood, then any HOA mandated utopia...

[civeng99]

Couldn’t agree more. It amazes me that anyone willingly lives where there is an HOA.

Originally Posted by DonRich7878

If the community you live in is unable accept your life style and your toys, don't take it personal, it isn't worth the fight. Even if you get your way, half of your neighbors will hate you and blame you for lowering their property values. You will be happier if you find a community that will be proud to have your Airstream parked openly in their neighborhood, then any HOA mandated utopia...

[jondrew55]

Originally Posted by civeng99

Couldn’t agree more. It amazes me that anyone willingly lives where there is an HOA.

My HOA is fine. We've been here 20 years and only minor skirmishes. The alternative could be people parking cars on the lawn and anything under the sun the local code enforcement crew won't bother going after. I'd prefer to have a enough property to build a garage on, but it's not going to happen so I found a nice storage place. Not ideal, but it works. We knew the HOA rules before we bought the place.

[MikeandCarol]

Our restrictions allow RV storage on the property as long as it can’t be seen from the street. 72 hours for parking in the driveway. Our restrictions committee is very reasonable (I’m on it). We allow up to a week for maintenance work, or guests camping in the driveway. Our son parked his trailer in our driveway over Thanksgiving for 6 days, no problem. Different HOA’s have different personalities, some strict and some flexible. Flexible is better.

[Geseaman]

I also live in a subdivision with rules regarding RV’s. When I moved in we were allowed 24 hours to load and unload. However, we were at odds with the township rules which allowed 3 days. We amended the rules to be consistent with the township and now allow 3 days. I still have to store the Airstream off site but the added time allows for load/unload, wash/wax, whatever.