# Washington HOA Heat Pump Rights (2026)

> Under the Washington Uniform Common Interest Ownership Act, Revised Code 64.90.580, an association cannot prohibit or unreasonably restrict an owner from installing a heat pump on individually owned property. The protection covers air source, ground source, and mini-split systems. As of January 1, 2026, this rule reaches all Washington common interest communities, not just newer ones, because the older parallel statute was folded into WUCIOA on that date. The association can still set reasonable rules on placement, screening, and noise, but it cannot use those rules to effectively block an installation. For a buyer who wants to electrify heating and cooling, this is one of the clearest owner protections in Washington law.

_Source: https://hoanotes.com/hoa/washington/heat-pumps/ | Last reviewed 2026-06-03_

## What the law protects

Washington names heat pumps specifically, which is unusual. On property you own, an HOA cannot prohibit or unreasonably restrict a heat pump, whether it is an air source unit, a ground source system, or a mini-split. A blanket ban on exterior mechanical equipment cannot be used to block one.

The reach of the rule changed at the start of 2026. Heat pump protection used to sit in an older statute that applied only to some associations; as of January 1, 2026, it lives in WUCIOA and covers every Washington common interest community. The association keeps reasonable control over placement, screening, and noise, but not the power to say no outright.

## What to check in the disclosure packet

If you want to electrify heating, read these before you make an offer:

- Any blanket ban on exterior HVAC or mechanical equipment, which cannot block a protected heat pump.
- Placement, screening, or noise standards, and whether they effectively prevent an install.
- Whether the home already has a heat pump and whether it was approved.
- Board minutes for any heat pump or HVAC dispute.

## Why this matters to your offer

Heat pumps are central to how many Washington buyers plan to heat, cool, and cut energy costs, and the law protects them by name. A rules document that still bans all exterior equipment is out of step with the current statute.

An HOA Notes brief reads the architectural rules against the heat pump protection, flags a blanket ban that cannot stand, and cites the page behind each finding.

## What the statute says

**Washington Revised Code 64.90.580** (Heat pump installation rights). An association cannot prohibit an owner from installing a heat pump on individually owned property; heat pumps (including air source, ground source, and mini-split systems) are explicitly protected under WUCIOA (RCW 64.90.580), which since January 1, 2026 governs all Washington common interest communities for this purpose (the former RCW 64.38.180 was repealed on that date); this protection reflects Washington's clean energy policy encouraging electrification of heating. The association may impose reasonable restrictions on the placement, screening, and noise standards for heat pump equipment on owner-controlled property; it may require that exterior equipment meet reasonable aesthetic standards provided it does not effectively prohibit installation.

## Washington HOA heat pumps: common questions

### Can a Washington HOA ban a heat pump?

No. Under Revised Code 64.90.580, an association cannot prohibit or unreasonably restrict a heat pump on individually owned property, including air source, ground source, and mini-split systems.

### Does the protection cover my older community?

Yes. As of January 1, 2026, the heat pump protection in WUCIOA reaches all Washington common interest communities, not just newer ones.

### What can the HOA still regulate?

Reasonable rules on placement, screening, and noise, as long as they do not effectively prohibit the installation.

## Sources (verified 2026-06-03)

1. Revised Code of Washington 64.90.580 (heat pumps), Washington State Legislature. Verified 2026-06-03. https://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=64.90.580
2. WUCIOA for all: heat pump installations and sustainable living, Trestle Community Management. Verified 2026-06-03. https://www.trestlecm.com/wucioa-for-all-heat-pump-installations-and-sustainable-living/
3. Washington HOA law changes 2026 (ESSB 5129 and WUCIOA compliance), CommunityPay. Verified 2026-06-03. https://www.communitypay.us/blog/washington-hoa-law-changes-2026/

HOA Notes is not a law firm and this is not legal advice.