Records & TransparencyWA
Getting Your Washington HOA's Records
By The HOARebel Team · June 2, 2026 · 3 min read
The Washington Uniform Common Interest Ownership Act gives owners a broad right to the association's records on a short, definite clock. For your specific situation, a licensed Washington attorney is the right resource. This is general information, not legal advice.
The statutory right: RCW 64.90.495
Under RCW 64.90.495, the association must keep a long list of records and make them "available for examination and copying by all unit owners." The records it must retain include the "current budget, detailed records of receipts and expenditures," the "[m]inutes of all meetings of its unit owners and board other than executive sessions," the "names of current unit owners" and how the association reaches them, the "original or restated declaration … [and] all amendments," and "financial statements and tax returns of the association for the past seven years."
The timeline: 10 days, and never more than 21
Washington sets a clear deadline. Records must be made available within "10 days' notice unless the size of the request or need to redact information reasonably requires a longer time, but in no event later than 21 days without a court order allowing a longer time." That hard 21-day ceiling is among the more owner-friendly records timelines in the country.
What a board may withhold
The association may redact narrow categories — "[p]ersonnel and medical records relating to specific individuals," contracts and commercial transactions "currently being negotiated," "[e]xisting or potential litigation or mediation," "[l]egal advice or communications … protected by the attorney-client privilege," "[r]ecords of an executive session of the board," and "[i]ndividual unit files other than those of the requesting unit owner." These are exceptions, not a blanket excuse to refuse a whole request.
Copy costs
On cost, the statute is measured: an owner is entitled to one free copy of the owner list each year and free preforeclosure information, and the association "may charge a reasonable fee" for other copies and for supervising the inspection.
What owners commonly request
People reviewing the association's records often look at:
- The current budget, reserve study, and the seven years of financial statements
- Board and member meeting minutes and notices
- The declaration, bylaws, adopted rules, and the schedule of fines
- Vendor contracts, insurance policies, and bank records
- The assessment ledger and any lien or preforeclosure notices for the unit
Records frequently feed other disputes — questioning a fine or the assessment lien usually starts with the underlying documents.
A note for older communities
The 10-day records rule of RCW 64.90.495 is part of WUCIOA, which fully governs communities created on or after July 1, 2018. Owners in older communities may instead rely on the records provisions of RCW 64.38 (HOAs) or RCW 64.34 (condos), plus the Nonprofit Corporation Act — a question for a licensed Washington attorney.
What people generally do
For owners seeking Washington records, a few practical points:
- A written request that cites RCW 64.90.495 and identifies the records specifically is the usual starting point.
- The statute sets a 10-day window with a 21-day outer limit.
- Keeping a copy of the request and any response is common practice.
- A licensed Washington attorney is the resource if a refusal appears unjustified or a deadline passes.