"We're moving, but we want to keep the house in Pecan Square and rent it out. Is there anything the HOA can do to stop us?"
I get some version of that question every month from owners in the master-planned communities around Northlake, Argyle and Flower Mound. Lantana, Pecan Square and Harvest are some of the most sought-after neighborhoods in Denton County, and renters love them for the same reasons owners do: pools, trails, events and good schools. But all three are HOA communities, and HOA leasing rules are the thing that most often catches a first-time landlord off guard. Here's what I'd check before you list.
The Short Answer
In Texas, an HOA generally can't approve or reject your tenant, but it can restrict leasing through its recorded documents, and those restrictions can be strict. Texas Property Code Section 209.016 says an association may not require your applicant or tenant to be submitted to it for approval, and may not require you to hand over a tenant's credit report or rental application. The same section says nothing in it stops an HOA from adopting or enforcing restrictions "relating to occupancy or leasing," and it lets the HOA ask for each adult resident's contact information plus the lease start date and term. So the real question isn't whether the HOA can screen your tenant. It's what your community's declaration says about leasing, and whether your lease matches it.
Pecan Square: A New Leasing Amendment Owners Need to Read
Pecan Square in Northlake is a good example of why you can't rely on what the rules were when you bought. In August 2026, the developer recorded a Fourth Amendment to the Pecan Square declaration covering leasing and rental requirements. Among other things, the recorded amendment says:
- Twelve-month minimum lease: A lease must be for at least 12 consecutive months, and anything shorter is treated as a prohibited short-term rental.
- Owner occupancy first: After buying a lot, the owner must live in the home for 12 consecutive months before it can be used as a rental.
- No investor purchases: A home can't be sold to a buyer who intends to use it primarily for rental income, and the association may ask a buyer to certify in writing that it will be their primary residence.
- Whole-home, written leases only: No renting rooms, no subleasing, one lease at a time, and the lease must be in writing.
- Lease copies on request: On written demand, the owner must give the association a copy of the lease, and the names and phone numbers of adult residents, within 14 business days.
- Real penalties: After any notice required by law, the association may fine the owner $500 per day for a violation of these leasing provisions and may block the tenant from the common areas.
The amendment also has a legacy clause for homes that were already leased when it was recorded, and exceptions such as short seller leasebacks. If you own in Pecan Square, read the full document on the HOA's site, or let us walk through it with you, before you sign or renew a lease. The community's FAQ also says signs advertising a home for rent aren't allowed, and the HOA verifies a tenant's residency with a copy of the lease before handing over amenity access.
Lantana and Harvest: Same Homework, Different Documents
Lantana is a 1,780-acre master-planned golf course community in southwestern Denton County with about 4,000 single-family homes and roughly 15,000 residents, according to the Lantana Districts site. Harvest is Hillwood's 1,200-acre agrihood in Argyle and Northlake, zoned for both Argyle ISD and Northwest ISD (Hillwood Communities). Harvest even has a neighborhood built for long-term lease only, BB Living at Harvest, which tells you how strong rental demand is there, and it also means you'll be competing with professionally managed new-construction rentals.
I'm not going to summarize either community's leasing rules from memory, because that's exactly how owners get burned. Rules change by amendment, and some sections or villages have their own documents. Pull the current declaration, any amendments, and the rules and fine policy from the association, and check each item below.
Your Pre-Leasing HOA Checklist
- Minimum lease term: If the documents require 6 or 12 months, your lease has to match, including renewals. Letting a lease roll month-to-month can create a violation you didn't intend.
- Waiting periods and rental caps: Some communities require you to own or live in the home for a set time first, or limit how many homes can be leased at once.
- Short-term rental bans: Many Denton County HOAs prohibit Airbnb-style stays outright. Assume "no" until the documents say otherwise.
- Tenant registration: Know what information the HOA can ask for and by when, and send it on time. Under Section 209.016, that's contact information and lease dates, not your tenant's credit report or application.
- Amenity access: Find out how tenants get pool and fitness center access, and whether you give up your own access while the home is leased. Renters ask about this on day one.
- Parking, trash and yard rules: These are the violations I see most. Pecan Square, for example, requires trash containers to stay out of view from the street except around pickup day.
- Fines and who pays: The HOA fines you, the owner, not your tenant. Your lease should attach the HOA rules, require the tenant to follow them, and make tenant-caused fines the tenant's responsibility.
- Your mailing address: Texas Property Code Section 209.006 generally requires the association to send written notice and give you a chance to cure many violations before it fines you. If that notice goes to a vacant house or an old address, you can miss the window.
The Property Management Angle
HOA problems are almost always preventable. They happen when the lease doesn't match the declaration, when the tenant never got the rules, or when violation letters sit unopened. When we take on a home in an HOA community, we review the leasing restrictions before we market it, write the lease to match, give the resident the community rules at move-in, and handle HOA notices so small issues get fixed before they turn into fines. We also screen every applicant against the same written criteria through our tenant screening process, because the best way to avoid HOA trouble is a resident who takes care of the home.
This post is general information, not legal advice. Read your community's recorded documents, and talk with a Texas attorney about your specific situation.
Thinking About Renting Out Your Home in Lantana, Pecan Square or Harvest?
Parker and I bring 22+ years of combined property management experience. We've leased more than 500 homes, average about 12 days on market and have earned 70+ five-star reviews. We handle residential homes only, so single-family rentals are all we do.
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If you own a home in Northlake, Argyle, Flower Mound, Roanoke, Keller, Haslet or Justin, I'm happy to put together a free, no-obligation rental analysis, including a look at your HOA's leasing rules. Call (304) 878-8629 anytime, or learn more about our Northlake property management and Denton property management services.
