What is Rules and Regulations?
Also called: Operating rules
Rules and regulations are board-adopted policies that add day-to-day detail to the CC&Rs, such as pool hours, guest parking limits, and trash placement times.
Rules and regulations fill the gap between broad covenants and daily life. The CC&Rs might say the common areas must be used 'in a manner that does not disturb other owners'; the rules say the pool closes at 10pm and no glass containers are allowed on the deck.
Because the board can adopt or change rules without an owner vote, most states impose procedural guardrails: advance notice to owners, an open board meeting, and sometimes a comment period. Rules adopted without that process are frequently unenforceable.
A rule cannot expand the association's authority beyond what the CC&Rs grant. If the covenants never restricted exterior paint colors, the board generally cannot create that restriction by rule alone.
- Adopted by the board, not by owner vote — but usually require notice first.
- Cannot contradict or exceed the authority granted by the CC&Rs.
- Most frequently the source of resident confusion, since they change most often.
Go deeper
Related terms
Answers straight from your own documents
Melo tells residents what Rules and Regulations means in your community — citing the exact page of your CC&Rs, budget, or rules.