Yes. Any visitor can open a parcel in a covered county and read three rules with their sources.

How do I know a rule is right?

Every rule shows the recorded wording and the page it came from. When a scan is too faint to read with confidence, we mark the rule uncertain and leave it out.

What if my county is not covered?

The coverage page lists the counties we read and the ones coming next. You can ask for yours there.

Does Setback replace the HOA's own documents?

No. Setback reads what is recorded at the county. An association can also keep rules, bylaws and fee schedules that are not recorded. Ask the association for those.

Is this legal advice?

No. Setback shows you what the recorded documents say. For a dispute or a question about enforcement, talk to a real estate attorney.

Check the HOA rules on a house before you buy

Published October 19, 2026.

How do I find the HOA rules for a house before I buy?

Search the address or parcel number on Setback. If the county is covered, you see the recorded covenants that bind the lot, each rule in plain English, and the page it came from. The first three rules are free; the full report needs a plan. Setback is the right tool when the rules are in recorded declarations and amendments, which is most subdivisions. It is not the right tool for a county we do not cover yet, for a condo run through a management company that holds its own rules, or for a dispute, where you need a lawyer.

What you get

Every recorded declaration, covenant and amendment that binds the parcel, with its recording number and date.
Each rule in plain English: rentals, pets, parking, fences, exterior changes, business use and more.
The quoted clause and the page it came from, so you can check the wording yourself.
A preview of three rules with no account. The full report with every rule on the Base or Pro plan.

What the report shows

The report opens with the documents on record for the parcel: the declaration, each amendment, and their recording numbers and dates. That list alone answers whether the lot has covenants at all. Many lots have recorded covenants but no association, and the report says which it is.

Below the documents, each rule gets one row: the subject, such as fences, parking, pets, rentals or home businesses; the rule in plain English; and the sentence from the recorded page it comes from, with the page number. You read the covenant's own words next to our reading of them, so you can check us.

A rule we could not read with confidence is marked uncertain rather than guessed. The preview shows the documents on record and the first three rules with no account. A Base or Pro plan opens every rule on the parcel, and each county updates every night from new recordings.

How it works

Type the address or parcel number into the search box, or click the parcel on the map. Open the search
Open the preview to see the first three rules and the documents on record.
Choose a plan to read every rule, the clauses behind them, and the recording numbers.

Where it works

See the coverage page for the counties we read.

Pricing

Base is $29 a month and Pro is $59 a month. Payments open soon. See the plans

Questions

Is the preview free?: Yes. Any visitor can open a parcel in a covered county and read three rules with their sources.
How do I know a rule is right?: Every rule shows the recorded wording and the page it came from. When a scan is too faint to read with confidence, we mark the rule uncertain and leave it out.
What if my county is not covered?: The coverage page lists the counties we read and the ones coming next. You can ask for yours there.
Does Setback replace the HOA's own documents?: No. Setback reads what is recorded at the county. An association can also keep rules, bylaws and fee schedules that are not recorded. Ask the association for those.
Is this legal advice?: No. Setback shows you what the recorded documents say. For a dispute or a question about enforcement, talk to a real estate attorney.