Arizona HOA Records Access: What Owners Can See and When

Your right to review HOA records in Arizona

Arizona law treats association records as belonging to the members. With narrow exceptions, all financial and other records must be made reasonably available for examination by any member or the member’s designated representative. The association may not charge for the examination itself. Planned communities follow A.R.S. § 33-1805; condominiums follow A.R.S. § 33-1258.

• Timeline: the association has 10 business days to make records available for review and, if copies are requested, 10 business days to provide them.
• Copy fee: up to 15 cents per page.
• Annual financials: under A.R.S. § 33-1810, a planned community’s annual audit, review or compilation must be completed within 180 days after fiscal year-end and made available to members within 30 days after completion on request.

Records an HOA may withhold

The association may withhold records to the extent they relate to:

1. Privileged communications between the association and its attorney.
2. Pending litigation.
3. Minutes or records of board sessions that are not required to be open under the open meeting law.
4. Personal, health or financial information about an individual member, employee or contractor’s employee.
5. Job performance, compensation, health records or specific complaints about an individual employee or contractor’s employee.

Records also need not be disclosed if disclosure would violate state or federal law. Withholding should be specific: redact the protected portion and release the rest where possible.

What this means for HOA boards

Boards should adopt a simple written records procedure: how requests are submitted, who logs them, how the 10-business-day clock is tracked, how redactions are reviewed, and where records are stored. Organized digital records make compliance easy and build trust. Our HOA records requests guide for boards includes a practical checklist, and internal controls make financial records easier to produce.

What this means for homeowners

Put your request in writing, describe the records as specifically as you can (for example, “2025 general ledger and bank reconciliations for March”), and say whether you want to review them or receive copies. Many routine documents, such as governing documents, budgets and approved minutes, may already be posted in your portal. Our homeowner guide to requesting HOA records walks you through it. If a dispute arises, the ADRE hearing process is available.

How Transcend applies records access law

Transcend logs every records request as a task with its statutory due date. Governing documents, approved minutes and financial reports are posted to the homeowner and board portal, and our AI concierge Bruno can send governing documents and account statements by text or email 24/7, which resolves many requests immediately. Requests that need judgment, such as redactions, go to your community manager and, where needed, association counsel. Monthly financial reports and bank reconciliations from our HOA accounting service keep the books ready to share.

Records most often requested in Arizona HOAs

In our experience, most owner requests fall into a handful of categories, and many can be handled the same day if the documents are already organized:

• The recorded declaration (CC&Rs), bylaws, rules and design guidelines.
• The current budget, most recent reserve study, and annual audit, review or compilation.
• Approved minutes of open board and member meetings.
• Monthly financial statements, bank statements and vendor invoices.
• Major contracts, such as landscaping, pool service, gate maintenance or management agreements.
• Election materials, which must be kept available for at least one year.

Some requests are more sensitive. Delinquency reports, violation files about other owners, personnel issues and attorney letters usually require redaction or may be withheld under the exceptions above. When in doubt, the board should ask counsel before releasing.

Records requests also come up during sales; buyers receive many of the same documents in the resale disclosure package. Keeping one well-organized document library serves both purposes and reduces staff time and owner frustration.

Quick checklist: handling a records request

• Date-stamp the request the day it arrives and calendar the 10-business-day deadline.
• Confirm what the owner wants: review in person, electronic copies, or paper copies.
• Gather the records and flag anything that may fall under a statutory exception.
• Redact only the protected information and release the rest.
• Offer a time to review and quote any copy charges (no more than 15 cents per page) before printing.
• Note in the file what was provided and when.

Owners who aren’t sure what to ask for can start with the documents already posted in the portal and follow up with a specific written request.

Disclaimer

This is general information, not legal advice. Arizona statutes are amended often, and how a law applies to your community depends on your declaration (CC&Rs), bylaws, rules and the specific facts. Your governing documents and an Arizona HOA attorney control. Before acting on a legal question, confirm the current statute text on azleg.gov and talk with your association’s counsel.

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