Putting political signs and flags on your yard could backfire with HOA, neighbors and more
With a high-stakes presidential election less than three months away, voters are expressing their enthusiasm for Team Trump or Team Harris with political signs, flags, and banners of all sizes in their front yards.
But many are learning the hard way that displaying your political leanings can backfire — badly.
Paul Wood Bonilla of Lodi, CA, was recently told by his homeowners association to take down three Trump signs on his property.
According to CBS News Sacramento, the HOA claimed that Bonilla’s signs exceeded maximum size limits set by the Davis-Stirling Act.
Bonilla eventually (and reluctantly) agreed to take down two of the three signs, but argued, “Would they do that if it said Kamala Harris on here?”
And even in cases where HOAs aren’t cracking down, you could brew some bad will with your neighbors.
After Birmingham, MI, resident Nikki Sapiro Vinckier planted signs in her yard promoting Harris for president, she received a critical yet anonymous note from a neighbor.
Vinckier responded by plastering her entire yard in signs — in pink, no less, to promote reproductive rights — telling the Detroit Free Press, “my goal is to start a conversation” and “stay lighthearted.”
Sometimes these neighbor-on-neighbor feuds can garner national headlines, as it did for Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito and his wife, Martha-Ann.
Around the time of the 2020 presidential election and the attack on the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, their neighbor Emily Baden in Alexandria, VA, had posted anti-Trump signs on her lawn.
In response, Martha-Ann raised an upside-down American flag in front of her house, a symbol often embraced by 2020 election deniers.
“My wife is fond of flying flags,” the justice wrote in a statement to explain his wife’s actions. “I am not.”
“This was one of the craziest things I’ve ever experienced in my life,” recalls Baden, who has since moved to San Francisco.
All of this begs the question: What are the rules for posting signs, flags, and other forms of political expression on your own property?
The rules for posting flags and political signs in your yard
While homeowners may have a constitutional right to place a sign supporting their top political candidate in their yard, this freedom might be at odds with your own neighborhood’s rules.
“Many HOAs have strict guidelines for displaying political signage and flags,” says real estate investor Jerry O’Reilly, of Cash Buyers Home Crew in Houston.
O’Reilly knows what he’s talking about: He himself lives in a neighborhood governed by an HOA.
“I’m not allowed to have flags without a flag mounting on the house that meets certain requirements,” he explains.
Although his HOA does not have sign size restrictions, he says many others do.
In many subdivisions across the U.S., “you may have contractually agreed to give up some of your rights, one of which may be placing signage in your yard,” says Bruce Ailion of Re/Max Town & Country in Atlanta. “You could be fined if you violate that covenant.”
While such rules might seem overbearing, in today’s politically polarized environment, keeping your political opinions out of your yard could be a simple way to avoid unnecessarily rubbing your neighbors the wrong way.
“I have specifically had clients want to move out of their recently purchased homes due to flags in the neighborhood they found offensive,” says Sam Fitz-Simon, a real estate agent with Compass in Danville, CA.
That’s because buyers don’t just buy a home — they buy into a neighborhood, Fitz-Simon says.
“Even one sign can cause someone to feel uncomfortable,” he adds.
What home sellers should keep in mind
If you’re trying to sell your house before the election, remember that political signs can quickly turn off potential buyers.
That’s why most real estate agents tell their clients to ditch them.— especially in photos and advertisements.
“Political signs can absolutely have a negative impact on a house sale,” says Fitz-Simon. “I always advise my clients to keep everything inside and outside the home as neutral as possible. Political affiliations tend to do the direct opposite of that.”
Your neighbor’s political views can also kill a deal.
One of O’Reilly’s buildable lots has lingered on the market for months, and he thinks he knows why.
“The house next door flies a massive political party flag every day,” he says. “I’m sure this has dampened the interest of many prospective buyers.”
Steps to take before putting up a sign or flag
If you live in a neighborhood with an HOA, read your bylaws carefully before you fly your flag or plant a sign in your yard.
Want to fly an American flag on your property? Check out the U.S. Department of Defense’s “Do’s and Don’ts for Displaying Old Glory” first.
If you have a neighbor whose sign bugs you, you can either report it to your HOA (if you have one), talk to your neighbor in a civil manner, or look the other way when you pull into your driveway.
Before you fly a flag or put up a sign in your yard, consider whether or not it’s worth the potential hassles or headaches.
For some, it certainly will be — but for others, the answer will be a hard no.
“I’ve never had a political sign in my yard, and I don’t see a time when I ever will,” Ailion says.
