Nevada HOA Landscaping Law: NRS 116.2112 and the Turf Removal Rules
NRS 116.2112 — SB 384 (2021) (effective 2021)
Nevada Revised Statutes §116.2112 prohibits HOAs from requiring homeowners to install or maintain water-intensive landscaping, including front yard turf. SB 384 (2021) specifically banned HOAs from requiring front yard grass on new residential construction starting in 2022, reflecting Southern Nevada's water conservation goals under the Colorado River compact obligations. HOAs also cannot penalize homeowners who remove turf and replace it with qualifying water-smart landscaping.
What Your HOA Cannot Do Under Nevada Law
- ✓Require a homeowner to install or maintain front yard turf (post-2022 for new construction; increasingly restricted for existing homes)
- ✓Penalize a homeowner for replacing lawn with water-smart, drought-tolerant landscaping
- ✓Enforce a CC&R provision that conflicts with state water-conservation landscaping law
What Your HOA May Still Regulate
- –Set appearance and maintenance standards for replacement landscaping
- –Require that landscaping be properly maintained and not look abandoned
- –Set design standards that do not require turf
- –Approve or review landscaping plans through an architectural review process
The law limits what HOAs can prohibit, not what they can regulate. Keeping your landscaping maintained and intentional-looking is the most effective way to avoid friction under any HOA regime.
Official source: NRS 116.2112 text. This page is educational context, not legal advice. For enforcement questions, consult a Nevada HOA attorney.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the Nevada turf ban apply to existing HOA communities?
SB 384 primarily targeted new residential construction. For existing homes in HOA communities, NRS 116.2112 prohibits HOAs from penalizing homeowners who choose to remove turf and install qualifying water-smart landscaping. If your HOA has rules that require you to maintain a lawn, those rules may conflict with state law.
What is "water-smart landscaping" under Nevada law?
Nevada's Southern Nevada Water Authority (SNWA) and state law generally define water-smart landscaping as drought-tolerant plants native to or adapted for the Mojave Desert region, low-water groundcovers, mulch, and permeable hardscape. Artificial turf is not prohibited and is common in Nevada, but living xeriscape plants are strongly preferred under conservation programs.
Can my Las Vegas-area HOA reject my xeriscape plan?
An HOA can review and comment on landscaping plans through an architectural review process, but cannot reject a plan solely because it replaces turf with drought-tolerant plants. The SNWA Water Smart Landscapes program has specific plant requirements that, if followed, provide a strong basis for an HOA approval request.