HOA records request letter

Owners generally have a legal right to see their association’s records. Pick your state and the records you want, and we’ll draft a clear written request.

Details

State

Your name

Your property address

Association name

Records to request Current annual budget and the most recent year-end financial statements Most recent reserve study and current reserve fund balance Board meeting minutes for the past 12 months Annual meeting minutes and election results Current insurance policies or certificates Contracts with the management company and major vendors Declaration (CC&Rs), bylaws, rules, and all amendments Records of any pending litigation involving the association My own account ledger, violation history, and correspondence file

Anything else

How do you want the records?

Your letter

[Your name] [Your property address in the community] October 4, 2026 Board of Directors [Association name] c/o [Management company, if any, and address from your governing documents] Re: Request to inspect and copy association records Dear Board of Directors: As an owner of [property address], I request access to the following association records under section 720.303(4) and (5), Florida Statutes and the association’s governing documents: • Current annual budget and the most recent year-end financial statements • Most recent reserve study and current reserve fund balance • Board meeting minutes for the past 12 months Please send copies, electronically if possible. If there is a copying charge, please tell me the amount before copying. I ask that the association respond within 10 business days after the board receives this request, as the statute requires. If any record is being withheld, please identify it and state the reason. Thank you for your help. Sincerely, [Your name] [Phone] · [Email]

Replace anything in [brackets]. Send it the way your governing documents or state law require, and keep a copy and proof of delivery.

By the HOA Plainly editorial team · Last reviewed September 29, 2026 · How we research

Why ask in writing

A written request starts the clock under most state laws, shows exactly what you asked for, and gives you proof if the association doesn’t respond. In Florida, the statute gives extra weight to requests sent by certified mail, return receipt requested. In Texas, the statute describes requests sent by certified mail. Check your governing documents for the address the association uses for owner correspondence, which is often the management company.

Deadlines in four states

Arizona. A.R.S. § 33-1805: the association has ten business days to make records available for examination, and ten business days to provide copies when asked. It may not charge for making records available for review, and may charge no more than fifteen cents per page for copies. Some records, such as attorney-client communications and pending litigation, may be withheld.
California. Civil Code § 5210: records from the current fiscal year must be made available within 10 business days of the association’s receipt of a proper request, and records from the previous two fiscal years within 30 calendar days.
Florida. Fla. Stat. § 720.303(5): official records must be made available within 10 business days after the board receives a written request. If a request sent by certified mail, return receipt requested, isn’t honored in that time, the law presumes the failure was willful, and the owner can recover actual damages or minimum damages of $50 per calendar day for up to 10 days, starting on the 11th business day.
Texas. Prop. Code § 209.005: an owner may request records by certified mail. Within 10 business days the association must provide the records or give dates for inspection. If it can’t, it must send written notice and produce the records no later than 15 business days after that notice.

Other states have their own rules, and some leave details to the governing documents. See our state HOA law pointers for links to each statute.

What to ask for

Start with the records that tell you about money and decisions. That means the budget, year-end financials, reserve study, and recent board minutes. Add contracts and insurance if you’re looking at a specific issue, and your own account ledger and violation file if you’re disputing a charge. Narrow, specific requests get faster answers than “all records.”

What associations can withhold

Every state allows some records to be withheld or redacted. Common examples are communications with the association’s lawyer, records about pending litigation, personnel files, and other owners’ personal information. Arizona’s § 33-1805, for example, lists privileged attorney communications and pending litigation among the exceptions. Our letter asks the association to name anything it withholds and say why.

If the association doesn’t respond

Follow up in writing and refer to your first letter and its date. Some states give owners specific remedies. Florida provides minimum damages when a certified-mail request goes unanswered, for example. Others have an ombudsman or state agency. If records are central to a larger dispute, it may be time to talk to a lawyer. Read how to request HOA records.