Michigan HOAs lose veto power on rooftop solar panels, home electric car charging stations and more

LANSING, MI – Homeowners associations across the state of Michigan just lost the right to block energy-efficient features in their neighborhoods, such as solar panels on roofs.

Governor Gretchen Whitmer today, July 8, 2024, signed a bill previously passed by both the state House and Senate to void all HOA regulations against a wide range of energy-efficient home improvements. The bill covers a range of high- and low-tech home improvements, from rooftop solar panels and electric car chargers to clotheslines and rain barrels.

Under the new law, HOA officials are also prohibited from charging fees for installing energy-efficient measures, nor are they permitted to require reports after installation or monitor homeowners’ energy usage.

The bill’s sponsor said the governor’s signing of the bill would make it easier for homeowners to upgrade their homes and reduce their energy costs.

“Simply put, Michigan homeowners should not face artificial barriers when it comes to reducing their energy use, saving more of their hard-earned money and helping to keep Michigan’s environment healthy,” Democratic Rep. Ranjeev Puri of Canton said in a statement.

In addition to solar panels, electric vehicle chargers, clotheslines and rain barrels, the law also covers air source heat pumps, ground source heat pumps, reflective roofs, energy efficient appliances, windows and insulation, and solar water heaters. HOAs can no longer prevent homeowners from installing these items.

Whitmer said signing this bill into national law was part of an effort to “really make people’s lives better.”

Last year, Puri told his fellow lawmakers that every proposed improvement had been blocked by a Michigan HOA – often in his district – and his constituents were not happy. The dilemma came up at every coffee hour he hosted, Puri said.

Last November, the state’s Democratic-controlled House of Representatives passed the bill on a 56-54 vote along party lines. That situation was repeated last month when the state’s Democratic-controlled Senate passed the bill on a 20-18 vote along party lines.

The new state law creates a new law called the Homeowners’ Energy Policy Act. It goes into effect in 90 days.

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