[Bonanza]

I have never heard about any grass vs. planted areas being measured to see if a certain percentage of their yard was grass.

I think the main thing is that your yard (front and back) is kempt. If you do something attractive with edging, some stones and some mulch, perhaps a boulder or two and with some shrubs interspersed, you can end up with something very eye-catching and low maintenance. I doubt that anyone would object -- OR measure what you have done.

Unfortunately, we are not permitted to put in synthetic turf. I believe the courtyard villas are the only ones that have it. It is a dumb rule because the better turf looks better than grass and you can not even tell what it is unless you bend down to actually feel it! It definitely is a water saver which is a plus all around, although to install it is expensive. If anyone is interested in why we can't have it, PM me and i will tell you why, but I'm not able to print it here.