Ever see a sign like that? Pretty common in most of the Yuppie complexes here in southern California.
Electronic gates, razor wire inside the boundry hedges, air conditioning, swimming pool, wall to wall dust collectors and no car repairs allowed.
It's all bullshit. Or a matter of definition.
What happens if you got a flat? How you going to change the tire if 'Car Repairs Are Forbidden'?
Turns out -- as proven by a couple of court cases -- your landlord can NOT prevent you from changing a flat tire or replacing a burned out headlamp, tail light and so forth. This sort of thing is not considered 'repair' in the accepted sense but a form of REQUIRED maintenance needed to ensure the safe operation of the vehicle, not only on the public streets but on the private property represented by the typical Yuppie ghetto.
The intent of the 'no repair' rules are clearly meant to keep inconsiderate tenants from turning the place into a grease pit.
And that's where those oil-suckers come in.
So long as you keep a low profile you will find you can do most of your required maintenance without triggering the ire of either the landlord or the Tenants Committee (heaven help you if you got both). And if they want to make an issue of it, go for it. There are attorneys who specialize in the rights of renters. Have a chat with one. See if local case law supports the Health & Safety provisions of vehicle ownership. If so, odds are all you'll need is a letter from your attorney to their attorney to get them off your back.
Alas, common sense turns out to be remarkably uncommon stuff in modern-day America. Pulling your engine does NOT qualify under the accepted definitions of maintenance needed to ensure safe operation of the vehicle. What qualifies are MINOR items such as lights, tires and fan belts, and the replenishment of fluids... engine oil, tranny juice, coolant, windshield washer fluid, brake fluid and so forth. Indeed, thoughtful VW owners who live in such wretched places have been doing such maintenance as a matter of course without creating a fuss.
-Bob Hoover