Open House Sign Rules: Cities, HOAs and How Long Signs Can Stay Up

Open house signs are usually allowed, but rarely without limits. Many cities set the days and hours signs can be out, how many you can use, and where they can go. Some ban balloons and flags on them. HOAs can add their own rules on top.

Breaking these rules can mean confiscated signs, fines and, in some places, losing the right to put out signs at all. Here’s what the rules usually cover and how to check the ones that apply to you.

This article is general information, not legal advice. Rules vary by city, county, HOA and brokerage. Check the rules for each property.

What city rules usually cover

City sign codes often treat open house signs as temporary directional signs or real estate signs. The details vary, but most cover the same topics.

Days and hours

Many cities allow open house signs only during set times, usually weekends and holidays, sometimes with one weekday for agent tours. Hours are often limited to daytime.

Two examples:

Dublin, California allows open house signs on Saturdays, Sundays, holidays and one agent tour day per week, from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., according to Bay East Association of Realtors.
Cerritos, California allows them on Wednesdays from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and on weekends from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., per the city’s website.

Number of signs

Some cities cap the number of signs per open house. Dublin allows up to six per property. Cerritos allows two for the same open house between intersections on the same side of a main street, and one per change of direction inside a neighborhood.

Size

Directional signs are often limited in height and area. Cerritos, for example, limits them to 36 inches above the curb and less than five square feet.

Placement

This is where most violations happen. Common rules:

No signs in medians, on sidewalks or anywhere they block traffic or pedestrians
No signs that block drivers’ view at corners and driveways
Nothing attached to trees, utility poles, traffic signs, benches or fire hydrants
Signs in the strip between the curb and sidewalk may be allowed, but sometimes only with the adjacent owner’s permission
No signs on private property without the owner’s permission

Balloons, flags and attachments

Some cities ban balloons, flags, pennants and streamers on open house signs. Cerritos is one. Where that’s the rule, keep balloons and flags in the yard of the listing itself, and check whether the city’s general sign code allows them there.

Penalties

Cities can remove signs that break the rules. Cerritos holds confiscated signs for 10 days, charges $20 each to get them back, and fines $50 for a first violation and $100 for each additional one within a year. Dublin can bar repeat violators from putting out signs in the city at all.

HOA rules

Homeowners associations often have their own sign rules, and they can be stricter than the city’s. Common HOA limits:

No directional signs inside the neighborhood, or only on open house days
Limits on the size and type of the yard sign
Bans on balloons, flags or banners
Required removal within a set time after the open house

Ask the seller for the HOA’s rules, or check with the management company, before listing.

Brokerage and MLS rules

Your brokerage may have its own sign standards, such as approved sign designs, required license information and policies on balloons. Some MLSs also have rules on signs and riders. Check both before ordering signs.

How to check the rules for a property

Find the city or county. Make sure you know whether the property is inside city limits or in an unincorporated area, since the rules differ.
Search the sign code. Search “[city name] open house sign ordinance” or look up the city’s code online and search for open house, real estate sign, directional sign and temporary sign.
Ask your local Realtor association. Many associations track sign rules for the cities they serve and post updates when rules change.
Check the HOA. Get the rules from the seller or the management company.
Keep a cheat sheet. If you work in several cities, keep a one-page list of each city’s days, hours, sign limits and balloon rules.

Good habits that keep you out of trouble

Put signs out no earlier than allowed, and pick them up as soon as the open house ends.
Keep signs out of medians and off poles, even where others put them there.
Put balloons and flags on the listing property, not on street signs.
Ask before placing a sign on someone’s lawn.
Number your signs and keep a list of where each one went, so none are left behind.

The bottom line

Open house signs are allowed in most places, but cities and HOAs often limit the days, hours, number, placement and attachments. Check the rules for each property, put signs out only when allowed, and keep balloons and flags on the listing itself.

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