Rancho Santa Fe HOA Guide: Covenant, Art Jury and Fire Rules

The Covenant sets assessments in Article II (Paragraphs 21 to 35). The annual maintenance charge comes from the Board’s budget and is capped at $2.00 per $100 of assessed valuation. It is due in two halves, on November 1 and April 20.

Unpaid charges are a lien and a personal obligation of the owner (Paragraphs 24, 30 and 33 to 34).

The Association also publishes a Regulatory Code, amended August 7, 2025, and Residential Design Guidelines. We read the Regulatory Code in part. We did not read the Guidelines.

As the Association describes it, the Art Jury reviews development and building applications to preserve the “high artistic result” named in the Covenant. Owners apply online through Accela. Fees are paid to the Building Department at 17022 Avenida de Acacias, with checks payable to the RSF Association. A pre-application meeting is optional, and submissions follow the Association’s 2026 Submittal Schedule in a first-come, first-served queue.

Building permits issue separately. Plans reviewed by the County must show County approval markings.

What the Covenant says:

• Plans, including exterior colors and a site plan, go to the Secretary and then the Art Jury (Article III, Paragraph 47).
• Fences, walls, pools and tennis courts count as construction that needs review (Paragraphs 48 and 49).
• Changes to exterior colors or openings need approval (Paragraph 50).
• The Art Jury has five members, and three make a quorum (Paragraphs 55 and 58).
• Appeals go to the Board, which needs a four-fifths vote to modify a decision (Paragraphs 64 to 67).

We could not confirm a phone number for the Building Department. Start with the Association at (858) 756-1174.

Under Chapter 19, Section 19.03 of the Regulatory Code, single-family homes in Residence Districts A, B and C cannot be rented or offered as event venues for a fee. There are exceptions for incidental events hosted by the owner or lessee and for charitable events with no profit.

Fines in Chapter 3, Section 2.C:

• Renting an accessory building to a non-family member: $1,000, then $2,000, then $4,000, plus $4,000 a week while the rental continues.
• Renting part of the main dwelling: $500, then $1,000, then $2,000, plus $2,000 a week.
• The Code says leasing part of an owner-occupied residence for more than 30 days is not prohibited.

Covenant Article IV, Paragraph 88 defines a single-family dwelling as one family and one kitchen, with no more than five persons lodged for hire at one time. Accessory quarters may not be rented outside the family.

We did not find a separate short-term-rental section in the part of the Regulatory Code we could read. The County’s own short-term-rental rules and tax registration could not be confirmed either. Call Code Compliance at (858) 694-2705 or the Zoning Division at (858) 694-8985 before you tell owners anything. Short-term rental noise is a Sheriff matter, according to the County noise page.

Covenant Paragraph 11 says no tree or shrub over five feet tall within 25 feet of a public road may be cut, removed or killed without the Association’s written approval. The Association also controls plantings in sidewalks and adjoining spaces. Paragraphs 8 and 9 require a set share of building cost for ornamental planting.

Chapter 11, Section 5 of the Regulatory Code requires owners to remove dead or dying trees and shrubs, control weeds and maintain landscaping. Trees and vegetation should be trimmed periodically to limit fuel and falling limbs. The landscape fine is $3,000 plus $1,000 a week until corrected.

For trees in the County right-of-way, the County requires a free tree permit to trim, remove or plant. Review takes about two weeks. Call the Land Development Counter at (858) 694-2055. The right-of-way generally runs about 10 feet past the curb face or paved edge, but only a survey confirms it.

The County’s Resource Protection Ordinance protects wetlands, steep slopes, sensitive habitat and historic sites. It is not a general tree ordinance. We found no general County permit for removing trees on private single-family or HOA land.

Chapter 11, Section 2 of the Regulatory Code says:

• Boats, trailers, campers and RVs may not be parked or stored where they can be seen from a street or nearby residences.
• Unused passenger vehicles visible from a street may not be parked for more than 30 days.
• No vehicle on a building site may be used as a dwelling or for sleeping.

The Association’s parking chapter (Chapter 44) was not readable, so confirm anything beyond this with the Association.

On public streets, County Code Section 72.122 bars parking a vehicle in the same place for more than 72 hours. Sheriff Traffic Services is at (858) 974-2099. The County’s oversized-vehicle rules and any private-street enforcement agreement could not be confirmed.

The Rancho Santa Fe Fire Protection District’s program falls under District Ordinance 2022-02. Its defensible space guide describes 100 feet in three zones:

• Zone 0 (0 to 5 feet): remove all combustible vegetation, pull mulch back at least 5 feet, use non-combustible fencing and screen vents.
• Zone 1 (5 to 50 feet): remove dead vegetation and trim branches 10 feet from roofs and chimneys. Propane tanks go 10 feet away and firewood 30 feet away.
• Zone 2 (50 to 100 feet): thin native vegetation by 50% or more and keep leaf litter and mulch to 3 inches at most.

The District also calls for thinning brush within 20 feet of public or private access roads, and for pruning streetscape trees to 13 feet 6 inches of vertical clearance. An annual hazard abatement packet is mailed to owners each spring. We did not find its deadline or fines. The District also offers wildfire preparedness inspections through its Fire Prevention Bureau, and a page on defensible space inspections for sellers.

The District scheduled hearings in May and June 2025 to adopt the State Fire Marshal’s recommended hazard zone maps. Its page did not say whether that happened. Call (858) 756-5971 to confirm.

Separately, the Regulatory Code (Chapter 11, Section 8) requires owners to notify the Manager at least 30 days before a house is vacated. The Association then notifies the Fire Department and Patrol.

The Santa Fe Irrigation District’s water use guidelines ask customers to:

• Irrigate between 6 p.m. and 8 a.m.
• Prevent runoff onto streets and sidewalks.
• Skip irrigation during measurable rain and for 48 hours afterward.
• Wash pavement only for health or safety.
• Use a positive shut-off nozzle when washing vehicles.

The page named no watering days and no current drought stage. Check with the District before a landscape project.

The District lists commercial rebates through SoCal WaterSmart, including landscape transformation from $1 per square foot, controllers at $35 per station and nozzle rebates. Residential turf replacement is at least $2 per square foot, and pre-approval is required before you remove turf. The page does not say whether HOAs qualify. Customers in the unincorporated parts of Rancho Santa Fe may qualify for higher County incentives, so ask the District.

Construction noise. County Code Section 36.409 limits construction equipment to 75 decibels averaged over eight hours between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m., measured at the source’s property line or at any occupied property receiving the noise. Emergency work is excepted. Code Compliance investigates equipment used before 7 a.m. or after 7 p.m. Monday to Saturday, or on Sundays and holidays. Complaints go to (858) 694-2705, need a mailing address and cannot be anonymous. Parties and loud music go to the Sheriff. We could not confirm County leaf blower or general sound limits, and we did not find the Association’s own noise or construction hours.

Special districts. The County’s Private Road and Landscape Maintenance Division runs Permanent Road Divisions, street lighting districts and County Service Areas. They are funded on the property tax bill and created only with owner approval. Call (858) 694-2691. You can look up any parcel’s special taxes and fees on the County’s special assessments site. A Mello-Roos district also appears on the tax bill. Call the Auditor and Controller at (858) 694-2901.