The Pros and Cons of Community-Wide Garage Sales

May 2025

Tags: Privacy, Guests

Some of our readers live in communities that set a single date for owners to have garage sales, with the idea that it builds community and allows the neighborhood to be filled with visitors only one day a year.

Here, we ask our experts the pros and cons of setting a community-wide date and their advice for setting parameters and encouraging camaraderie.

You Need to Know Your Community

When it comes to deciding to host a neighborhood-wide garage sale, it's a matter of whether it's a fit for your association, says Gregory R. Eisinger, a partner at Eisinger Law who represents condos and HOAs throughout the state; he also teaches a course on condo law at Nova Southeastern University, Shepard Broad College of Law and Florida state-approved condominium and HOA board certification courses.

“It really depends on the community,” he says. “This is a business decision for your board. I live in a gated community. The association debated having a community garage sale where we opened the gates, and a lot of people complained. Some said, ‘That's why we live in a gated community.'”

Andrea L. O'Toole, a community association lawyer for 15 years and the founder and shareholder at Andrea L. O'Toole PC in Lafayette, Calif., has seen both sides of the argument. “I do have associations that have prohibitions on garage sales in their documents, and usually that's in gated communities. They just don't want to have to deal with the issues that come with that.

“Some communities will never allow it,” she adds. “That's just not the community they are. In an upscale, gated community, a community-wide sale would never be on their radar.

“I also have associations that say they'll do one or two neighborhood-wide sales a year, in part to build community,” says O'Toole. “From the association's perspective, that's to minimize parking, traffic, and security concerns if you have a gated community. The decision also includes aesthetic concerns. You don't want people to leave their stuff on their yard for days after the sale.”

It's a Judgment Call, But Offer Guidance

This isn't really a legal issue, says Eisinger. “If a client came to me for advice, I'd tell them, ‘Board, you have a business decision to make,'” he explains. “If you're supposed to be a gated community and now you're doing something that potentially lets people in who aren't supposed to be allowed in, there could be liability to the association for negligent security.

“I know some boards say they don't want to host these because they get more people in the community than they want, too much traffic, and the possibility of accidents,” he adds. “Let's say someone is hit by a car driven by someone attending a garage sale. That's me thinking like a lawyer. I also have people who say, ‘Yes, there are risks, but a majority of my community want it. It's a good thing.'

“So just like anything in the association world, on community-wide garage sales, boards are forced to make a business decision,” says Eisinger. “One way or other, I don't think it's a bad decision. This can be a positive thing for a community, and if you have a community that's set up for it—that's not gated and there are public roads, for example—there's more reason to allow it.

“That's why I think this should be decided on a case-by-case basis based on the culture of the community and the tolerance of certain risks by the board,” he notes. “I don't think there would be personal liability for a board member for making this decision if a legal issue arose from the garage sale.”

In O'Toole's experience, most associations don't regulate garage sales at all. “It's kind of a nonissue,” she says. “It just doesn't come up that often.”

That said, she has advice to help set expectations and avoid conflict. “If you're going to do a community-wide sale, do it on certain dates throughout the year during certain periods of time,” she suggests. “Discuss what kind of signage owners can put up, perhaps saying, ‘Here's how you can advertise it.'

“Overall, I think you should just regulate date, time, and manner issues,” O'Toole adds. “For instance, some might say you can put stuff for sale in your driveway but not on your lawn. That's often a rule if the association is responsible for maintaining front yards. Sometimes they say owners must put up barriers to keep people from going on grass. If it's a condo, they might shut down a portion of the parking lot or put the sale on common area grass.

“Also, if you're having the event to build community, you might want to do other things at the same time,” says O'Toole. “Where I lived, which wasn't an HOA, we had a community-wide garage sale. We'd get bouncy houses and sell baked goods. There was a neighborhood pool you could pay money to join, and all the money raised would go to pay to help maintain the pool.

“I think those types of events are nice,” she states. “We've strayed far away from community these days, and so many people are angry and hate everyone. I think if you can find ways to do it, it's good.”

Reposted from HOALeader.com

The information contained, and the opinions expressed, in this article are not intended to be construed as investment advice. Housz, Inc. does not guarantee or warrant the accuracy or completeness of the information or opinions contained herein. Nothing herein should be construed as investment advice. You should always conduct your own research and due diligence and obtain professional advice before making any investment decision. Housz, Inc. will not be liable for any loss or damage caused by your reliance on the information or opinions contained herein.

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