Indio, CA HOA Rules: CC&R Enforcement (2026)
Key Facts
- What's barred
- HOA CC&Rs mandating water-thirsty landscaping
- Governing section
- Indio Municipal Code § 54.064.1(B)
- Enforcement
- City compliance orders, civil penalties
- Adopted
- Ord. 1528 (2008), amended Ord. 1762
Summary
Indio's water conservation code makes it unlawful for any homeowners association's CC&Rs to require water-intensive landscaping or prohibit low-water-use landscaping, overriding conflicting private covenants within city limits.
Prohibition on certain covenants conditions and restrictions, all development. It shall be unlawful for covenants, conditions and restrictions of any development project or homeowners association to require the use of water-intensive landscaping or prohibit low water use landscaping.
(C) Landscaping equipment.
(1) Water meters. Separate landscape water meters shall be installed for all projects except for single family homes. All commercial, industrial and apartment buildings must have separate meters for landscaping installed by January 1, 2013.
(a) All meters are the property of the Indio Water Authority.
(b) Consumers, contractors, or any other person shall not tamper with or make inoperable any permanent meter that is installed to record water usage.
(c) All new construction shall have separate landscaping meters.
(d) Portable meters shall be installed on hydrants to record water use for construction use, air quality dust control or any other water use deemed acceptable by the Indio Water Authority. Meters shall be obtained from the Indio Water Authority.
(e) Only Indio Water Authority meters shall be used to record water usage in the Authority’s service area.
(2) Controllers. Automatic evapotranspiration, ET, controller systems or moisture sensing devices shall be required for all irrigation systems and must be able to accommodate all aspects of the design.
(3)
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4796010; v13 updated 2026-02-04; through 02-04-2026).
Full Breakdown
Under Indio Municipal Code § 54.064.1(B), it is unlawful for the covenants, conditions and restrictions (CC&Rs) of any development project or homeowners association to require water-intensive landscaping or to prohibit low-water-use landscaping. The provision sits inside the city's landscape and water conservation chapter (§ 54.064.1, adopted by Ord. 1528 and amended by Ord. 1762) alongside water-waste-prevention rules and equipment standards, and is enforceable by the city through notices of violation, compliance orders, cease-and-desist orders and administrative civil penalties under § 54.064.1(D)-(F), meaning city code enforcement, not the HOA, has authority to act when a private CC&R conflicts with this landscaping rule.
Violations & Fines
Violations may draw a notice of violation, a compliance order, a cease-and-desist order or an administrative civil penalty; unresolved violations can be declared a public nuisance subject to summary abatement (§ 54.064.1(D)-(F)).
Frequently Asked Questions
Can my HOA require turf lawns or ban drought-tolerant landscaping in Indio?
Who enforces this if my HOA cites me anyway?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Indio
California rules heatmap·Compare Indio to another location·View the California hoa rules overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.
CC&R Enforcement in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Riverside County handle cc&r enforcement.