Inclement weather and high winds in South Florida often send backyard trampolines flying away, causing severe damage to neighboring homes or other structures.
Homeowners Associations have the right to prohibit and limit any, and all small structures. It is common for HOAs to prohibit trampolines, play sets and other small structures due to all the liabilities that may come with having them. An HOA can restrict and regulate all structures, as long as the regulations/restrictions are listed in the HOA’s governing documents.
Some potential HOA safety regulations that associations may require owners to follow, in regard to trampolines include:
- Require the owner to have Liability Insurance coverage for the trampoline and all small additional structures in case of any incidents. This will also protect the association from any claims, the neighbors and owners in case of any incidents.
- Regulate the placement of the structure. Trampolines should be placed away from any structures, fencing, trees and any common community areas. The placement of small structures is crucial for lowering the risks during inclement weather.
- Limit the size of small structures. The larger the structures, the more damage they can potentially cause to the owners, neighbors and the community. In case of serious storms, the larger the structure, the more difficult it would be to dissemble and store. Therefore, it may be smart for associations to limit the trampoline sizes to include only small and medium sized-trampolines.
- Anchor trampolines to the ground with anchor kits to prevent them from flying away during high winds.
- Regulate by weather. Associations may also consider requiring owners to dismantle their structure during a season, like hurricane season. Requiring associations to dismantle and store the structures when severe storms are expected is also an option.
Does your HOA have a policy for trampolines? Let us know in the comment section below