Pearl City HOAs and condo associations cannot prevent solar installation on single-family dwellings or townhouses owned by homeowners under HRS Sec. 196-7 state preemption.
Pearl City has numerous townhouse complexes and condominium projects near Pearlridge, Waimalu, and Kaonohi where solar interest has grown with rising HECO rates. HRS Sec. 196-7 prohibits community associations from preventing solar device installation on single-family dwellings or townhouses. Any contrary lease or association provision is void. HOAs cannot charge fees for placement and cannot impose restrictions that reduce device efficiency by more than 25 percent or raise costs by more than 15 percent. No Honolulu county ordinance separately addresses this, as it is a state preemption. Individual condo unit owners on shared roofs still face practical structural and common-area limits.
Illegal HOA restrictions are void and unenforceable; owners may seek declaratory relief under HRS Sec. 196-7 to invalidate the offending association rules.
See how other cities in Honolulu County handle hoa restrictions.
See how Pearl City's hoa restrictions rules stack up against other locations.
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