The term "CC&R" refers to a governing document titled "Declaration of Covenants, Conditions & Restrictions." This document is also known by the name "Declaration" and the "Covenants."
A covenant is a legal obligation imposed in a deed by the seller of a home and/or property upon the buyer to do or not to do something. Such restrictions are enforceable on future buyers of the property. Examples might be to maintain a property in a reasonable state of repair, to preserve a sight-line for a neighboring property, not to run a business from a residence, or not to build on certain parts of the property. Many covenants are very simple and are meant only to protect a neighborhood from homeowners destroying trees or historic things or otherwise directly harming property values. Some can be more specific and strict, outlining everything a homeowner can do to the exterior of their home, including the number of non-familial tenants one may have, acceptable colors to re-paint the home, exactly when holiday decorations are allowed up, vehicle placement or repair on the property, satellite dish placement, etc.