Meetings & GovernanceVA
Attending HOA Meetings in Virginia
By The HOARebel Team · June 2, 2026 · 2 min read
Virginia gives owners some of the clearest meeting rights in the country: open board meetings, a guaranteed chance to speak, and the right to record. Knowing what the statute requires helps you press for it. For your specific situation, a licensed Virginia attorney is the right resource. This is general information, not legal advice.
Open board meetings: Va. Code § 55.1-1816
Under § 55.1-1816, "[a]ll meetings of the board of directors … where the business of the association is discussed or transacted shall be open to all members of record." This is the heart of Virginia's transparency: the board cannot conduct the association's business behind closed doors except in the narrow executive sessions the statute allows.
Notice of meetings must be "published where it is reasonably calculated to be available to a majority of the lot owners," and a member who asks in writing each year is entitled to direct notice by first-class mail or email.
The right to comment — and to record
Virginia guarantees owners a voice. The board "shall provide a designated period during each meeting to allow members an opportunity to comment on any matter relating to the association." And owners may document what happens: "[a]ny member may record any portion of a meeting that is required to be open," subject to reasonable rules the board may adopt on equipment and advance notice.
Executive sessions are limited
The board may convene in closed session, but only for specific purposes — personnel matters, consulting legal counsel, and discussing contracts, litigation, or alleged violations, among others. The limit that gives the rule teeth: no "contract, motion, or other action" adopted in executive session is effective "unless the board … reconvenes in open meeting and takes a vote." So decisions cannot be finalized out of the members' view.
What the bylaws and corporation law add
Quorum, proxies, how directors are elected, and member-voting procedures generally come from the declaration and bylaws and the Virginia Nonstock Corporation Act (Title 13.1). Those documents fill in the mechanics around the statutory open-meeting floor, and a licensed Virginia attorney can read them with you.
Transparency through records, too
Virginia's records statute (§ 55.1-1815) gives a parallel form of oversight — books and records on five or ten business days' notice. Minutes and notices obtained that way often reveal how a decision was actually made.
What people generally do
For owners who want a real voice in their Virginia association, a few things commonly matter:
- Whether board meetings are noticed and held open as § 55.1-1816 requires.
- The designated member-comment period, which lets owners raise concerns on the record.
- The right to record open meetings where permitted, following the board's reasonable rules.
- Whether executive-session decisions are ratified by a vote in open meeting.
- Minutes and notices show how decisions were made; a licensed Virginia attorney or the Ombudsman are resources if meetings fall short.