Records & TransparencyCT
Getting Your Connecticut HOA's Records
By The HOARebel Team · June 1, 2026 · 3 min read
The Connecticut Common Interest Ownership Act gives owners a direct right to the association's records — and it builds in a scheduling deadline so a board cannot simply slow-walk a request. For your specific situation, a licensed Connecticut attorney is the right resource. This is general information, not legal advice.
The statutory right: Conn. Gen. Stat. § 47-260
Under § 47-260, "[a]ll records retained by an association shall be available for examination in person or electronically and for copying by a unit owner or the owner's authorized agent during reasonable business hours or at a mutually convenient time and location, upon thirty days' notice in a record reasonably identifying the specific records requested." The right runs to the owner or an authorized agent, so an attorney or representative can do the reviewing — and it covers electronic examination, not just paper.
Connecticut's scheduling deadline
What sets Connecticut apart is that the statute puts the board on a clock to respond. After receiving the request, the association must give the owner "two dates on which the records may be examined, copied, or both, no later than five business days following receipt of the notice." So while the inspection itself runs on 30 days' notice, the association cannot ignore the request — it has to come back within five business days with concrete dates.
Copies and fees
A right to copy under § 47-260 "includes the right to receive copies by photocopying or other means, including copies through an electronic transmission if available upon request." The association "may charge a reasonable fee for providing copies … and for supervising the unit owner's inspection." A fee that looks more like a barrier than a genuine cost recovery is the kind of thing an owner can push back on.
What the association may withhold
Section 47-260 lets the association withhold a defined set of sensitive records, including those concerning:
- Contracts, leases, and other commercial transactions currently being negotiated
- Existing or potential litigation or mediation
- Communications with the association's attorney protected by attorney-client privilege
- Records of executive sessions
These exceptions are specific — they do not authorize a blanket refusal, and they line up with the narrow reasons a board may meet in executive session under § 47-250.
What owners commonly request
People reviewing the association's books often look at:
- Annual budgets, reserve studies, and financial statements
- Bank statements, vendor contracts, and bids
- The declaration, bylaws, adopted rules, and any fine schedule
- Board and member meeting minutes and notices
- Assessment ledgers and lien notices for the unit
Records frequently feed other disputes — questioning a fine or the assessment lien usually starts with the underlying documents.
For the recorded documents themselves
The recorded declaration and amendments are also available from the town clerk's land records where the community is located. Because the recorded declaration created the community and its assessment-and-lien framework, it is often the first document owners obtain.
What people generally do
Owners seeking Connecticut records often put the request in writing, cite § 47-260, identify the records specifically, calendar the five-business-day response window, and keep a copy of everything. If a refusal appears unjustified, a licensed Connecticut attorney can explain the available remedies.