Westchase is a deed-restricted community. This means that property owners are subject to certain restrictions regarding the use and maintenance of their property. All purchasers agree to abide by these restrictions when they close on their home in Westchase. The homeowner restrictions and the rules for the operation of the WCA are largely contained in three main governing documents:

* The Articles of Incorporation, filed in compliance with Florida Statutes.
* The By-Laws, as amended and adopted June 22, 2006.
* The Declaration of Covenants, Conditions, and Restrictions (CCRs) revised and recorded with the Clerk of Courts in May, 2007.

These documents have been amended several times. Each time an amendment is made a new copy of the documents is filed with the appropriate governing body - either the Department of State or the Hillsborough County Circuit Court. Homeowners should be provided with current copies of the three documents described when they close on property in Westchase. Additional copies can be purchased from the WCA office or at the Swim and Tennis Center.

As the WCA grew in size and number of homeowners, amendments to the documents were made including a provision to increase the number of directors. Until more than 50% of the planned units (homes) were sold the developer appointed all directors. In October 2000, the developer formally transferred control of the Association to the homeowners. The first community-wide election of directors took place in December 2000. The term of a Director is two years; however in the first election, half the positions were set at one year. This was to assure continuity by having only half the nine Board seats subject to change each year. Board elections are now held annually in September. Any member of the WCA in good standing is eligible to run.

Other Documents
Another important document is the Single Family Residential Guidelines (Guidelines). The Guidelines were created by the Developer to provide details to Builders and Homeowners not included in the CCRs. The Reclaimed Water contract is a document between Hillsborough County, the CDD(s) and the original developer which provides stipulations for the Westchase reclaimed water system.