Can your homeowners association make you to take your holiday lights down in Kansas?

By Lindsay Smith – The Wichita Eagle (TNS)

Dec. 31—It’s the time between Christmas and New Year’s where you ask yourself: How late is too late to take down your Christmas lights?

Some people may take them down the day after Christmas, but it’s not uncommon to see holiday lights on your street well into January. But if you have a homeowners association, deciding when you take down your holiday decorations may not be completely up to you.

Homeowners associations are self-governing bodies generally put in place to maintain the aesthetic and property values of neighborhoods. The Kansas Uniform Common Interest Owners Bill of Rights sets specific regulations for groups like HOAs in the state, including residents’ rights when under one.

Kansas law says that an association can “adopt rules to establish and enforce construction and design criteria and aesthetic standards.” The association can also adopt procedures to enforce said rules.

It’s also a requirement for HOAs to allow any owner to comment on “any matter affecting the common interest community or the association” during its annual meetings or any special meetings called.

While rules vary depending on the HOA, it’s not uncommon for HOAs across the country to have specific rules when it comes to holiday lights — like how early you can put them up and how long you to take them down. According to one HOA accounting service, it’s most common for the rules to say that residents can put up holiday lights starting 30 days before the holiday and must take them down by the second week of the new year.

Not complying with HOA rules can lead to fines for the homeowner and possible legal action. HOAs must notify homeowners of violations ahead of time to give them time to fix the situation before those actions take place.

So if you are governed by an HOA, you might want to check their specific rules before deciding to keep up your Christmas lights for an extra week.

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