Start with the city or county zoning code for that specific property, then check the HOA if there is one. Zoning and municipal code govern whether animals are allowed and in what numbers. Rural areas often have few restrictions, while suburban areas tend to have specific rules about what and how much you can keep. Zoning also has special categories worth knowing; equestrian-zoned areas specifically allow horses where most residential zoning would not. If the property is in an HOA, read the association's rules separately, because an HOA can prohibit something the city otherwise permits. We have seen neighborhoods where the city allows backyard chickens but a nearby association does not, so both layers have to line up. The safest sequence, all before you are in contract: 1. Confirm the zoning designation. 2. Read the city or county ordinance for that use. 3. Read the HOA CC&Rs if one applies. Do it in that order and a plan for animals will not collide with a rule you find out about after you have already committed to the purchase.