A: Under federal law, residents in community associations have the right to install satellite dishes. This is true even if the association documents seem to restrict that right. The law overrides the community rules. The only exceptions are for legitimate safety concerns or to preserve certain historic properties.
A dish can be installed on the part of the building that the person owns or has exclusive control over. A dish can go on a balcony if it’s owned by the association but is used only by a single owner. The association does have the right to require that the dish be registered and can restrict the location as long as the restriction does not interfere with access to the signal.
While the board may require the owner to register the dish, the board doesn’t have the right to approve the use of the dish, charge an application fee or require the owner to wait before installing one.
Property owners can’t install the equipment on common areas, such as the roof of a condominium building, unless the association agrees to it. These rules also apply to other types of antennas. If the association provides for a common antenna or cable to get local stations, the unit owners can’t install their own equipment to get the same signal. But a satellite dish can be installed because it is a different signal, and the law allows the choice.
— Gary M. Singer, Tribune News Service