Records & TransparencyMD
Getting Your Maryland HOA's Records
By The HOARebel Team · June 1, 2026 · 2 min read
The Maryland Homeowners Association Act gives owners a right to the association's books — and unlike many states, it puts that right on a clock. For your specific situation, a licensed Maryland attorney is the right resource. This is general information, not legal advice.
The statutory right: Md. Real Property §11B-112
Under §11B-112, the association's books and records must "be made available for examination or copying" by lot owners, mortgagees, or their authorized representatives during normal business hours and on reasonable notice. The right covers the records "kept by or on behalf of" the association — so a management company holding the books cannot be used to put them out of reach.
Maryland's delivery deadlines
What sets Maryland apart is that the statute attaches deadlines, not just a general "reasonable time" standard:
- After a sale — records a new owner requests must be made available within 15 business days after the lot is conveyed.
- Financial statements and minutes — when requested, these are due within 21 days if they were prepared within the past three years, or 45 days if older.
Those windows give an owner a concrete benchmark when a board stalls.
Fees and free examination
The association may charge reasonable copying costs, but the statute keeps the basic right affordable. Owners generally cannot be charged simply to examine financial statements in person, and electronic delivery of records is not turned into a profit center. A copying charge that looks more like a barrier than a cost recovery is the kind of thing an owner can push back on.
What the association may withhold
§11B-112 lets the association withhold a defined set of sensitive records:
- Personnel records — though salary information is generally not shielded
- Medical records
- Personal financial records of individual owners
- Business negotiations in progress
- Communications with legal counsel
- Closed meeting minutes, unless unsealed by a vote of the board
These exceptions are specific; they do not authorize a blanket refusal.
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 lot
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 county land records (Circuit Court Clerk), and many are searchable through the Maryland Land Records online system. Because the recorded declaration created the community and its assessment obligations, it is often the first document owners obtain.
If records are withheld
Owners commonly put requests in writing, cite §11B-112 and the applicable deadline, identify the records specifically, and keep a copy of the request and response. If a refusal appears unjustified, a licensed Maryland attorney can explain the available remedies.