As of last Friday, 4.8 million homeowners are now allowed to install artificial grass on their property regardless of what their homeowners associations say. Governor Jerry Brown signed a bill that will override all homeowners’ associations bylaws that prohibit the installation of artificial grass as a landscaping choice.
Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez, who is the one responsible for authoring AB 349, presented the bill as a response to the four year old drought. The passing of this new bill will nullify all HOA prohibition on artificial grass or any other type of synthetic products that mimic real grass. “The grass may be fake, but the amount of water a homeowner can save by installing it is very real,” says Gonzalez.
In addition, once the drought is declared over, HOA’s will not be able to order the removal of any drought resistant landscaping improvements that have been installed during that time.
This bill was inspired by the serious and ongoing drought in California. The state has estimated that outdoor water irrigation is responsible for 43% of water usage. Artificial grass is a solution for those who prefer the look of a lush green lawn compared to other waterless options such as rock or DG. Considering the number of homes that are governed by homeowner associations this is a big opportunity for more homeowners to remove their existing lawns and replace them with any type of drought tolerant landscaping.
