How to Request HOA Documents Before Buying a Condo
How to request HOA documents before buying a condo: who asks, what to put in the contract, a sample request you can copy, state deadlines, and what to do if the HOA is slow.
Quick answer
As a buyer you usually request HOA documents through the seller, because state law puts the duty on the seller and the association answers to owners. Write a document review period into your offer, ask the seller's agent to order the resale package as soon as the contract is signed, and send a written list of anything not in the package, such as minutes and the reserve study. Most states give the association about 10 days to respond.
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Who Requests HOA Documents, and From Whom
The association’s duty to share records runs to its owners. Until you close, you are not an owner, so the request almost always goes through the seller. That is also how most state laws are written. In Texas, Virginia, Washington and Illinois, for example, the selling owner asks the association for the resale package and passes it to the buyer.
In practice the request takes one of three paths:
- The seller’s agent orders the resale package from the management company, often through an online ordering portal. This is the most common path.
- The seller asks the board directly, in a self-managed building with no manager.
- Your agent or closing attorney requests it on the seller’s behalf, with the seller’s written permission.
The package covers the basics. It rarely includes everything a careful buyer wants, such as two years of minutes or the full reserve study. For those you send a second, written request, again through the seller. This guide covers how to make both requests. For what to look for once the documents arrive, use the due diligence guide.
Step by Step: How to Request HOA Documents
1. Put a document review period in your offer
Before you sign, make sure the purchase contract gives you time to review the association’s documents and a way out if you do not like what you find. Some states set this by law (see the table below). Where they do not, it has to be in the contract. Ask your agent to tie the review period to the day you receive the documents, not the day you sign.
2. Ask the seller to order the resale package right away
The clock on your review period often starts when the package arrives, and the association has days to prepare it. Ask the seller’s agent to order it the day the contract is signed, and to send you the order confirmation so you know the date.
3. Send a written list of what is not in the package
Read the package index first, then ask for what is missing. A short, specific list gets a faster answer than “everything.” The documents buyers most often have to ask for separately are:
| Document | Why you want it | Our guide |
|---|---|---|
| Board minutes, last 24 months | Shows repairs, disputes and assessments being discussed before they are voted | Reading meeting minutes |
| Full reserve study, not just the summary | Shows percent funded and big projects coming | Reserve study red flags |
| Master insurance policy declarations page | Shows coverage type and the deductible | Master policy vs HO-6 |
| Current and prior year budget | Shows whether dues keep up with costs | Special assessments |
| Any engineering, structural or milestone inspection report | Shows building problems the reserve study may not price yet | Reserve study red flags |
| Details of any lawsuit | Shows money at stake and effect on financing | HOA litigation |
| Rules and any amendments since the declaration | Shows pet, rental and renovation limits | Board approval process |
4. Track the deadline in writing
Write down the date each request went out and the date the law or your contract gives the association to respond. If the review period is running and documents are still missing, ask your agent in writing to extend it.
5. Read and follow up quickly
When the documents arrive, start with the resale certificate. Our guide to reading a condo resale certificate shows what to check first. Send any follow-up questions within the review period, not after it.
Sample Request You Can Copy
Send this from the seller, or from an agent with the seller’s permission. Keep it in writing, by email or the manager’s portal, so there is a record of the date.
Subject: Document request for [Unit number], [Association name]
Hello [Manager or board contact],
I am the owner of [Unit number] and have a contract to sell it. The buyer’s review period ends on [date]. In addition to the resale package ordered on [date], please send the following:
- Board meeting minutes for the last 24 months, including the annual meeting
- The full current reserve study, including the component list and funding plan
- The declarations page of the master insurance policy, showing the deductible
- The current and prior year budgets
- Any engineering, structural or milestone inspection report from the last five years
- A summary of any lawsuit the association is part of
Please send the documents to me and to [buyer’s agent email]. If any item is not available or will be withheld, please say which and why. If there is a fee, please tell me the amount before you prepare the copies.
Thank you, [Seller name], [phone]
Deadlines and Fees by State
State law sets how fast the association must answer and what it can charge. A few examples, taken from our state guides:
- Texas: the resale certificate is due within 10 days of a written request (§ 82.157). Texas guide
- Virginia: the resale certificate is due within 14 days of a written request (§ 55.1-2309). Virginia guide
- Washington: the resale certificate is due within 10 days of the owner’s request, and the fee is capped at $275 (RCW 64.90.640). Washington guide
- California: the association must provide the disclosure documents within 10 days of the owner’s request, for a reasonable, itemized fee (Civil Code 4530). California guide
- Illinois: the board must provide the Section 22.1 package within 10 business days of a written request, for a capped fee. Owners asking for other records under Section 19 get an answer within 10 business days, or the request counts as denied. Illinois guide
- Arizona: owners can examine association records within 10 business days of a request, and copies cost no more than 15 cents a page (A.R.S. 33-1258). Arizona guide
- Florida: the seller must give the buyer the governing documents, the latest financial statement and budget, and the Frequently Asked Questions and Answers sheet (s. 718.503(2)). Florida guide
If your state is not listed, open the state guides or look up the records section of your state’s condo act.
If the HOA Is Slow or Refuses
- Follow up in writing and quote the deadline from your state’s law.
- Ask the seller’s agent to escalate to the management company’s supervisor or the board president.
- Extend your review period in writing before it ends. Do not let it lapse while you wait.
- Treat a refusal as information. A board that will not share minutes or the reserve study is telling you something. Several of our guides list that as a red flag on its own.
- Talk to your attorney if a document the law requires never arrives. In some states a missing document extends the buyer’s right to cancel.
Questions to Ask
- What is the date the resale package was ordered, and when is it due?
- Which documents are in the package, and which must be requested separately?
- Is there a fee for extra documents, and who pays it?
- Will anything be withheld, such as executive session minutes, and why?
- Has the board discussed any large project, loan or assessment that is not yet in the minutes?
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a buyer request HOA documents directly?
Usually not. The association's duty to share records runs to owners, and resale laws put the duty to deliver documents on the seller. Some managers will send documents to a buyer's agent with the seller's written permission. Ask the seller to authorize it in writing early.
How long does the HOA have to send documents?
It depends on the state. Many states allow about 10 days for the resale package, including Texas, Washington and California. Virginia allows 14 days. Illinois allows 10 business days for both its resale package and owner records requests. Your contract may also set its own timeline.
Who pays for HOA documents when buying a condo?
The seller usually pays for the resale package, because the law requires the seller to provide it. Extra documents may carry copy fees. Some states cap these fees, so check your state guide and your contract.
What HOA documents should I ask for before buying?
Start with the resale package. Then ask for at least 24 months of board minutes, the full reserve study, the master insurance declarations page, the current and prior budgets, any inspection or engineering reports, and details of any lawsuit.
What if the HOA will not give me the minutes?
Ask in writing through the seller, and cite your state's records law. If the board still refuses, treat it as a red flag and talk to your agent about extending the review period or walking away.
Important: This article is for educational purposes only and is not legal advice. Records and resale disclosure laws, deadlines and fees vary by state and change over time. Always read your purchase contract and the association’s governing documents, and check the current law for your state. For advice on a specific purchase, talk to a real estate attorney licensed in your state.
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Who writes CondoWorkbook
CondoWorkbook guides are written and published by S-Block Technologies. Each guide is based on how condo declarations, CC&Rs, bylaws and master insurance policies usually split repairs, and on the state laws it names. We update a guide when a law changes or a reader tells us something is wrong. We are not lawyers, and no lawyer reviews these guides, so always check your own documents.
Last updated . Corrections: business@sblocktechnologies.com. More about us
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