• Homeowners Associations (HOAs) are entirely voluntary communities of private homeowners who create their own rules that apply to all property owners.
• Because they are entirely voluntarily agreed upon, these rules can satisfy the preferences of those who voluntarily live in the community. No rule can ever violate the Legal Principle, but homeowners are free to consent to whatever rules they prefer. Whatever rules are agreed upon by members of a particular community must not create substantial risks or constitute a nonconsensual initiation of physical force against anyone who is not a voluntary member of the HOA.
• For example, property owners may voluntarily agree in advance to entirely ban gun ownership, drugs, gambling, prostitution, abortion, etc., in their private community. They are also free to set specific requirements for living in the community, such as mandatory gun ownership. Generally speaking, homeowners in a community are free to unanimously agree in advance to virtually any rules they choose, so long as the Legal Principle is not violated.
• HOAs, therefore, allow people who have a strong preference for some particular lifestyle to create a community that serves their interests. They remain free to construct the communities they prefer so long as they do not violate the Legal Principle.