Homeowners Associations (HOAs) – Wildfire Evaluations and Resources

Your safety is our priority, passion, and mission - but we need your help!

Over the past few years we have all seen the devastating impact of wildfires. To help protect your family, friends, homes, businesses and community, the San Rafael City Council has adopted new vegetation standards. Fire knows no boundaries and therefore vegetation standards now apply to all structures and property Citywide, including Homeowners Association (HOA) common areas and HOA exclusive-use areas. 

As of April 2022, all property owners in the City of San Rafael are required to adjust their landscape to comply with wildfire safety vegetation standards in regards to San Rafael Municipal Code Chapter 4.12.

The City of San Rafael can provide assistance in meeting these requirements through HOA common area evaluations, door-to-door assessments for HOA residents to review exclusive-use areas, Community Educational Presentations with our staff, help to formulate a long-term annual maintenance work plan and setting fire risk reduction priorities, guidance on how to become a Firewise USA community site, help with organizing invasive broom pulling events for your HOA community including the lending of broom pulling tools, grants, direct assistance,  and Chipper Days.  You can learn more about our Wildfire Hazard Enforcement Process here.

How Can I Get Started Protecting My Home and HOA Common Areas?

Defensible Space and Home Hardening are critical to help protect your family, home, HOA common areas, and community from wildfire. To learn more about how to reduce wildfire risk, the support available, and information about our other wildfire risk-reduction efforts, please visit the links provided, contact your HOA board representatives, or contact us.  If you are a representative of the Homeowners Association or Neighborhood Association and would like to arrange for an evaluation of the common areas, please complete an HOA/NA Intake Form to get started.  Together, we can help San Rafael adapt to living with fire.