Washington HOA & Condo Laws
Washington governs HOAs and condominiums through two primary statutes: the Condominium Act (RCW 64.34) and the Uniform Common Interest Ownership Act (RCW 64.90, also known as WUCIOA). All Washington communities will operate under WUCIOA by January 1, 2028 under ESSB 5796. Key areas include resale certificate requirements, meeting notice rules, owner rights, reserve study obligations, and assessment collection procedures.
ESHB 1500 (Chapter 194, Laws of 2026), effective June 11, 2026, amended RCW 64.90.640: the buyer cancellation window in (3)(b) now runs in five BUSINESS days (previously five plain days); the $275 preparation-fee cap in (2)(b) now covers only the direct costs of copying and providing the information and may not include charges for documents maintained in electronic form available to unit owners; item (h) now requires the most recent financial audit report available; item (u) adds all currently-effective board policies/procedures/resolutions and the full most current reserve study; the certificate must state NONE or RECORDS UNAVAILABLE for each category not provided; new (2)(c) prohibits requiring a unit owner to contract with or establish an account with a third party to pay for or accept delivery of the certificate; new (3)(a)(ii) shields purchasers from unidentified alteration violations; new (4) makes fee-charging authorized agents responsible for timeliness and reasonable care, enforceable with attorney fees. Subsections renumbered: delivery duty is now (2)(a), fee caps (2)(b).
WA RCW 64.90.600(2) replaced three exemptions with four new ones; (3) narrowed resale-certificate requirements to condominiums only; (4) substituted purchaser waiver requirement with unavailability standard including ten-day delivery deadline and five-year enforcement inactivity.
RCW 64.90.470 fundamentally restructured: property insurance threshold lowered from full replacement cost to 80 percent of actual cash value; liability insurance reference changed from 'governing documents' to 'declaration'; fidelity insurance and unit-owner subrogation waivers added; new detailed provisions for insurance proceeds, rebuilding obligations, and unit reallocation added in subsections (4)–(11).
How HOAs and condominium associations charge, collect, and enforce regular and special assessments. Covers dues billing, delinquency notices, late fees, lien filing, judicial and non-judicial foreclosure, statute of limitations, and …
Actions limited to six years — Written contracts →
Washington's 6-year statute of limitations on actions upon written contracts. Interpreted by Kiona Park Estates v. Dehls (2021) to apply to HOA assessment lien enforcement …
Foreclosure mediation program →
Washington Foreclosure Mediation Program requirements. SB 5686 expanded this program to cover HOA assessment lien foreclosures.
Horizontal Property Regimes Act →
Washington's original condominium statute, enacted in 1963 and modeled on the early federal "Section 234" condominium framework. Governs apartment-style condominiums (horizontal property regimes) formed before …
Washington Condominium Act →
The Washington Condominium Act, enacted in 1990, governs condominiums whose declarations were recorded between July 1, 1990 and July 1, 2018. Based on the Uniform …
Unit owners' association — Powers →
Enumerates the powers of a Washington condominium unit owners' association under the Condominium Act. Includes the power to adopt budgets, levy assessments, employ managers, regulate …
Board of directors and officers →
Governs the powers and duties of condominium boards of directors under the Washington Condominium Act. Authorizes the board to act on behalf of the association, …
Lien for assessments — Notice of delinquency — Second notice →
Washington Condominium Act assessment lien and delinquency notice provisions. Parallel to RCW 64.90.485 for condos formed under the older statute.
Reserve account — Reserve study — Annual update →
Washington Condominium Act reserve study and reserve account provisions. Encourages a reserve account funded for thirty-year major maintenance, repair, and replacement of common and limited …
Resale of unit →
Washington Condominium Act resale certificate requirement. Enumerates 20 paragraph-level disclosure items (a)–(t) that must appear in a condominium resale certificate, including assessment balances, reserve study …
Homeowners' Associations Act →
Washington's Homeowners' Associations Act, enacted in 1995, governs planned-community HOAs whose declarations were recorded before July 1, 2018. Establishes the foundational framework for Washington HOAs …
Board of directors — Standard of care — Restrictions — Budget — Removal from board →
Sets the fiduciary standard of care for HOA board members under the Washington Homeowners' Association Act, restricts certain board actions, defines the budget adoption and …
Liens for unpaid assessments — Notice of delinquency — Second notice →
Washington HOA Act assessment lien and delinquency notice provisions. Parallel to RCW 64.90.485 for HOAs formed under the older statute.
Assessments and capital contributions →
WUCIOA provisions governing assessment timing, allocation methods, working capital contributions, special assessments for negligence damage, and the fee-free payment method requirement.
Liens — Enforcement — Notice of delinquency — Second notice →
Governs assessment liens, late fees, and the collection process including foreclosure rights for unpaid assessments.
Other liens →
Governs liens against the association other than assessment liens, including money judgments against the association and security interests in common elements. Allocates a judgment against …
Budgets — Assessments — Special assessments →
WUCIOA provision establishing the budget ratification procedure. Requires boards to distribute proposed budgets to owners within 30 days of adoption, schedule a ratification meeting within …
Financial statements — Association funds →
Requires associations to prepare annual financial statements on an accrual basis, mandates audits for associations with annual assessments of $100,000 or more (waivable for associations …
Kiona Park Estates v. Dehls →
RCW 4.16.040's 6-year statute of limitations on written contracts applies to HOA assessment lien enforcement under legacy RCW 64.38. A recorded declaration is a written …
Sang Geon Lee v. Palisades Condominium Owners' Association →
Condominium association board members owe fiduciary duties to unit owners when managing common finances. The board's duty of care requires reasonable investigation before approving special …
Riverview Community Group v. Spencer & Livingston →
Restrictive covenants in CC&Rs run with the land and are enforceable by the HOA against subsequent purchasers. Covenant enforcement must be consistent — selective or …
Panorama Village Condominium Owners' Association v. Allstate Insurance →
The Washington Supreme Court established standards for condominium association insurance obligations and common element maintenance responsibilities under the Condominium Act. Associations must maintain insurance coverage …
Shorewood West Condominium Association v. Sadri →
The Washington Supreme Court addressed the scope of condominium association authority to levy special assessments and collect delinquent amounts. Associations must follow the procedures specified …
Riss v. Angel →
The Washington Supreme Court held that HOA assessment liens created under CC&Rs are equitable liens that attach to the property and have priority established by …
Statutory requirements for reserve studies, reserve funding, component inventory, funding plans, and board fiduciary duty regarding major repair and replacement obligations.
Management of trust assets by fiduciary — Prudent Investor Rule →
Washington's adoption of the Uniform Prudent Investor Act. Establishes the standard of care a fiduciary (including a trustee holding HOA reserve funds) must apply when …
Washington Trust Act →
Washington's trust administration statute, based on the Uniform Trust Code. Governs trustee duties, beneficiary rights, accounting, modification, and termination of express trusts. Relevant to community …
Reserve account — Reserve study — Annual update →
Washington Condominium Act reserve study and reserve account provisions. Encourages a reserve account funded for thirty-year major maintenance, repair, and replacement of common and limited …
Resale of unit →
Washington Condominium Act resale certificate requirement. Enumerates 20 paragraph-level disclosure items (a)–(t) that must appear in a condominium resale certificate, including assessment balances, reserve study …
Reserve study →
Requires associations to conduct reserve studies identifying major components and estimated replacement costs.
Reserve study — Contents →
Specifies the required contents of a WUCIOA reserve study. The study must identify each major reserve component, state its estimated remaining useful life and replacement …
Statewide structural-inspection mandates for condominium and cooperative buildings — milestone inspections, load-bearing-system inspections, inspector qualifications, reporting and disclosure obligations, and the reserve-funding duties that follow findings.
Ten-Year Structural Defects Warranty →
Establishes a minimum ten-year warranty for structural defects in residential condominiums — any defect in materials and labor that results in the failure of a …
Construction Defect Disputes — Multiunit Residential Buildings (Building Enclosure Requirements) →
Washington's building-enclosure regime for multiunit residential buildings, enacted in 2005 after the leaky-condo era. Requires building enclosure design documents before construction (RCW 64.55.020), inspection of …
Board and owner meeting requirements — open meeting mandates, advance notice periods, agenda requirements, minimum owner comment periods, executive session limits, remote participation, and materials access rules.
Board Meetings — Notice and Conduct →
Requires 14-day advance notice for board meetings, open meeting access for owners, remote participation, and limits on executive sessions.
Quorum →
WUCIOA default quorum requirements for unit owner meetings (20 percent of votes) and board meetings (majority of voting power) when organizational documents are silent. Last …
Shorewood West Condominium Association v. Sadri →
The Washington Supreme Court addressed the scope of condominium association authority to levy special assessments and collect delinquent amounts. Associations must follow the procedures specified …
Director elections, board member removal votes, governing document amendments, secret ballot requirements, quorum rules, proxy voting, electronic voting, and inspector of election requirements.
Washington Nonprofit Corporation Act →
Washington's modern nonprofit corporation statute, enacted in 2021 (Chapter 176, Laws of 2021) and effective January 1, 2022. Replaces the old RCW 24.03 with a …
Definitions →
Defines the foundational terms used throughout the Washington Nonprofit Corporation Act, including "corporation," "board of directors," "director," "member," "voting power," "bylaws," "articles of incorporation," and …
Board members, officers, and committees →
Governs the composition, duties, and authority of an association's board of directors, officers, and committees under WUCIOA. Covers election procedures, qualifications, terms, removal, and the …
Quorum →
WUCIOA default quorum requirements for unit owner meetings (20 percent of votes) and board meetings (majority of voting power) when organizational documents are silent. Last …
Unit owner voting →
WUCIOA provision governing voting procedures, ballots, and quorum requirements for common interest communities. Includes secret ballot requirements for director elections, removal votes, and governing document …
Unit owner rights to inspect association records — financial statements, meeting minutes, governing documents, contracts, and correspondence. Response timelines, allowable copying fees, and executive session materials exceptions.
Association records →
Requires associations to maintain records for specified periods and make them available to owners upon request.
Association authority to enforce governing documents through fines, suspension of privileges, and legal action. Covers fine limits, hearing requirements, notice-and-opportunity procedures, and limitations on enforcement authority.
Definitions →
Defines the foundational terms used throughout the Washington Nonprofit Corporation Act, including "corporation," "board of directors," "director," "member," "voting power," "bylaws," "articles of incorporation," and …
Actions limited to six years — Written contracts →
Washington's 6-year statute of limitations on actions upon written contracts. Interpreted by Kiona Park Estates v. Dehls (2021) to apply to HOA assessment lien enforcement …
Foreclosure Fairness Account →
Establishes the state account funded by residential mortgage loan origination fees that supports Washington's foreclosure mediation program. Distribution: 50% housing counseling, 16.5% civil legal aid, …
Unit owners' association — Powers →
Enumerates the powers of a Washington condominium unit owners' association under the Condominium Act. Includes the power to adopt budgets, levy assessments, employ managers, regulate …
Board of directors — Standard of care — Restrictions — Budget — Removal from board →
Sets the fiduciary standard of care for HOA board members under the Washington Homeowners' Association Act, restricts certain board actions, defines the budget adoption and …
Reserve study — Contents →
Specifies the required contents of a WUCIOA reserve study. The study must identify each major reserve component, state its estimated remaining useful life and replacement …
Kiona Park Estates v. Dehls →
RCW 4.16.040's 6-year statute of limitations on written contracts applies to HOA assessment lien enforcement under legacy RCW 64.38. A recorded declaration is a written …
Resale certificate and transfer disclosure requirements at the time of unit sale. Covers disclosure timing, content, fee caps, delivery deadlines, buyer rescission rights, and association liability for inaccurate information.
Improved residential real property — Seller's duty — Format of disclosure statement →
Washington's general seller-disclosure statute for residential property transfers. Requires the seller to deliver a completed Form 17 disclosure statement (covering title, water/sewer, structural, systems and …
Resale of unit →
Washington Condominium Act resale certificate requirement. Enumerates 20 paragraph-level disclosure items (a)–(t) that must appear in a condominium resale certificate, including assessment balances, reserve study …
Unit resales — Resale certificate →
WUCIOA resale certificate requirement — the primary statute governing resale disclosures for condominium, HOA, and planned-community unit sales in Washington, as amended by ESHB 1500 …
Statutory insurance requirements for HOAs and condominiums — property insurance, liability coverage, directors and officers, fidelity bonds, flood insurance, and cyber liability. Coverage minimums, deductible assessments, and claims procedures.
Resale of unit →
Washington Condominium Act resale certificate requirement. Enumerates 20 paragraph-level disclosure items (a)–(t) that must appear in a condominium resale certificate, including assessment balances, reserve study …
Unit resales — Resale certificate →
WUCIOA resale certificate requirement — the primary statute governing resale disclosures for condominium, HOA, and planned-community unit sales in Washington, as amended by ESHB 1500 …
Board member fiduciary obligations — duty of care, duty of loyalty, business judgment rule, conflict of interest disclosure, and personal liability exposure. Statutory duties imposed on directors and officers of …
Management of trust assets by fiduciary — Prudent Investor Rule →
Washington's adoption of the Uniform Prudent Investor Act. Establishes the standard of care a fiduciary (including a trustee holding HOA reserve funds) must apply when …
Number of directors →
Sets the minimum number of directors a Washington nonprofit corporation must have. Public charities under IRC §509(a)(1)–(4) must have at least three directors; other nonprofit …
Board of directors — Standard of care — Restrictions — Budget — Removal from board →
Sets the fiduciary standard of care for HOA board members under the Washington Homeowners' Association Act, restricts certain board actions, defines the budget adoption and …
Board members, officers, and committees →
Governs the composition, duties, and authority of an association's board of directors, officers, and committees under WUCIOA. Covers election procedures, qualifications, terms, removal, and the …
The foundational documents governing common interest communities — declarations (CC&Rs), bylaws, articles of incorporation, rules and regulations, architectural guidelines, and resolutions. Document hierarchy, amendment procedures, and recording requirements.
Unit owner voting →
WUCIOA provision governing voting procedures, ballots, and quorum requirements for common interest communities. Includes secret ballot requirements for director elections, removal votes, and governing document …
Association records →
Requires associations to maintain records for specified periods and make them available to owners upon request.
How HOAs amend their governing documents — voting thresholds, recording requirements, notice procedures, and limitations on what can be amended. Covers both CC&R amendments and bylaw changes.
Unit owner voting →
WUCIOA provision governing voting procedures, ballots, and quorum requirements for common interest communities. Includes secret ballot requirements for director elections, removal votes, and governing document …
Assessment lien filing, priority, extinguishment, and foreclosure procedures. Minimum thresholds for foreclosure, pre-foreclosure notice requirements, mediation mandates, super-priority provisions, and the interaction between HOA liens and mortgage liens.
Actions limited to six years — Written contracts →
Washington's 6-year statute of limitations on actions upon written contracts. Interpreted by Kiona Park Estates v. Dehls (2021) to apply to HOA assessment lien enforcement …
Foreclosure mediation program →
Washington Foreclosure Mediation Program requirements. SB 5686 expanded this program to cover HOA assessment lien foreclosures.
Foreclosure Fairness Account →
Establishes the state account funded by residential mortgage loan origination fees that supports Washington's foreclosure mediation program. Distribution: 50% housing counseling, 16.5% civil legal aid, …
Lien for assessments — Notice of delinquency — Second notice →
Washington Condominium Act assessment lien and delinquency notice provisions. Parallel to RCW 64.90.485 for condos formed under the older statute.
Liens for unpaid assessments — Notice of delinquency — Second notice →
Washington HOA Act assessment lien and delinquency notice provisions. Parallel to RCW 64.90.485 for HOAs formed under the older statute.
Liens — Enforcement — Notice of delinquency — Second notice →
Governs assessment liens, late fees, and the collection process including foreclosure rights for unpaid assessments.
Other liens →
Governs liens against the association other than assessment liens, including money judgments against the association and security interests in common elements. Allocates a judgment against …
Kiona Park Estates v. Dehls →
RCW 4.16.040's 6-year statute of limitations on written contracts applies to HOA assessment lien enforcement under legacy RCW 64.38. A recorded declaration is a written …
Riss v. Angel →
The Washington Supreme Court held that HOA assessment liens created under CC&Rs are equitable liens that attach to the property and have priority established by …
SB 5686 — Expanding and funding the foreclosure mediation program →
Expands Washington's Foreclosure Mediation Program to cover unit owners facing assessment lien foreclosure by HOAs, condominiums, and planned communities. Creates a mandatory meet-and-confer process, caps …
HB 1482 — Restricting association foreclosures →
Restricted HOA and condominium association foreclosures by imposing minimum thresholds (3 months or $2,000 in unpaid assessments), mandatory pre-foreclosure notice requirements, and board approval. The …
Association authority to review and approve owner modifications to units and common elements. Covers architectural review committees, approval procedures, denial appeals, and statutory limitations on what can be prohibited (e.g., …
Resale of unit →
Washington Condominium Act resale certificate requirement. Enumerates 20 paragraph-level disclosure items (a)–(t) that must appear in a condominium resale certificate, including assessment balances, reserve study …
Electric vehicle charging stations →
WUCIOA provision on electric vehicle charging station installations. Restricts associations from unreasonably prohibiting or regulating EV charging stations, with special exemptions for single-family homes, site …
Heat pumps →
WUCIOA provision establishing owner rights to install heat pumps. Associations may not prohibit or unreasonably restrict the installation of heat pumps, though reasonable safety and …
Rules governing modifications to common elements — who can authorize changes, owner approval thresholds, limited common element reassignment, and the treatment of owner-initiated improvements that affect common elements.
Electric vehicle charging stations →
WUCIOA provision on electric vehicle charging station installations. Restricts associations from unreasonably prohibiting or regulating EV charging stations, with special exemptions for single-family homes, site …
Heat pumps →
WUCIOA provision establishing owner rights to install heat pumps. Associations may not prohibit or unreasonably restrict the installation of heat pumps, though reasonable safety and …
Mandatory and optional alternative dispute resolution procedures — internal dispute resolution, mediation, arbitration, and limitations on litigation. Covers meet-and-confer requirements, mediation timelines, and enforcement of ADR outcomes.
Foreclosure mediation program →
Washington Foreclosure Mediation Program requirements. SB 5686 expanded this program to cover HOA assessment lien foreclosures.
Foreclosure Fairness Account →
Establishes the state account funded by residential mortgage loan origination fees that supports Washington's foreclosure mediation program. Distribution: 50% housing counseling, 16.5% civil legal aid, …
SB 5686 — Expanding and funding the foreclosure mediation program →
Expands Washington's Foreclosure Mediation Program to cover unit owners facing assessment lien foreclosure by HOAs, condominiums, and planned communities. Creates a mandatory meet-and-confer process, caps …
HB 1482 — Restricting association foreclosures →
Restricted HOA and condominium association foreclosures by imposing minimum thresholds (3 months or $2,000 in unpaid assessments), mandatory pre-foreclosure notice requirements, and board approval. The …
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Chapter 18.27 RCW is the Washington Contractor Registration Act. It requires contractors operating in Washington to register with the Department of Labor & Industries, carry …
Washington Cooperative Association Act →
Washington's cooperative corporation statute. Covers formation, membership, governance, member rights, capital structure, mergers, and dissolution of cooperative associations. Relevant to housing cooperatives in Washington — …
Business opportunities — Corporate opportunity doctrine →
Codifies the corporate opportunity doctrine for Washington nonprofit corporations. A director or officer who learns of a business opportunity related to the corporation must offer …
Articles of dissolution →
Provides the procedure for a Washington nonprofit corporation to dissolve by filing articles of dissolution with the Secretary of State after dissolution is authorized. Lists …
Washington Law Against Discrimination (WLAD) →
Washington's state anti-discrimination statute, broader than the federal Fair Housing Act. Prohibits discrimination in housing, employment, and public accommodations on a broader range of protected …
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RCW 64.38.065 (effective until January 1, 2028) encourages — but does not require — a homeowners association governed by chapter 64.38 RCW to establish a …
Washington Uniform Common Interest Ownership Act (WUCIOA) →
The Washington Uniform Common Interest Ownership Act (WUCIOA). Enacted in 2018 (Chapter 277, Laws of 2018), WUCIOA replaces the patchwork of pre-existing condominium and HOA …
Adjustment of dollar amounts →
WUCIOA's inflation adjuster. The dollar amounts in RCW 64.90.360(4) (plat and miscellaneous community exemption), RCW 64.90.530(2) (the $100,000 audit trigger), and RCW 64.90.640(2) (resale certificate …
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RCW 64.90.365 extends nine specified WUCIOA sections — including the reserve-study requirement at RCW 64.90.545, the executive-board rules at RCW 64.90.445, and the meeting and …
Election of preexisting common interest communities, plat communities, miscellaneous communities →
RCW 64.90.370 lets a common interest community created before July 1, 2018, or a plat or miscellaneous community, amend its declaration to opt into specified …
Insurance →
RCW 64.90.470 sets the insurance requirements for a unit owners association under WUCIOA. The association must maintain property insurance on the common elements and commercial …
Reserve study—Demand—Enforcement →
Owner demand and enforcement provisions for the WUCIOA reserve obligations. Unit owners holding at least twenty percent of the votes may demand that the cost …
Reserve account—Reserve study—Reserve disclosure—Liability →
Liability shield for the WUCIOA reserve obligations. Monetary damages and other liability may not be imposed on the association, its officers or board members, or …
Applicability — Waiver →
RCW 64.90.600 sets the scope of the WUCIOA resale certificate and disclosure sections (RCW 64.90.605 through 64.90.695). The subchapter applies to all units subject to …
Implied warranties of quality — Exclusion or modification →
Governs when a condominium declarant may exclude or modify WUCIOA's implied warranties of quality. For small buildings (12 or fewer units and four or fewer …
Washington Cemetery Act →
Washington's cemetery regulation statute. Governs licensing, perpetual care funds, pre-need sales, endowment requirements, and consumer protection for cemetery operators. Relevant to community associations only in …
ESSB 5129 — Concerning common interest communities →
HB 1500 — Concerning resale certificates for units in common interest communities →
ESSB 5796 — WUCIOA for All — Applying WUCIOA to all common interest communities →
Restricted HOA and condominium association foreclosures by imposing minimum thresholds (3 months or $2,000 in unpaid assessments), mandatory pre-foreclosure notice requirements, and board approval. The …
The "WUCIOA for All" bill. Establishes a full transition to the Washington Uniform Common Interest Ownership Act (RCW 64.90) by January 1, 2028. Repeals the …
Accelerates specified WUCIOA sections — only those enumerated in RCW 64.90.365 — to pre-July 2018 Washington common interest communities beginning January 1, 2026. The chapter …
Expands Washington's Foreclosure Mediation Program to cover unit owners facing assessment lien foreclosure by HOAs, condominiums, and planned communities. Creates a mandatory meet-and-confer process, caps …
Widens the implied-warranty opt-out in RCW 64.90.675: a declarant of a small condominium building may substitute an insurance-backed express warranty (1-year workmanship and materials, 2-year …
Engrossed Substitute House Bill 1500 (Rep. Reed, prime sponsor; co-sponsors: Entenman, Gregerson, Peterson, Fosse, Farivar, Doglio, Alvarado, Hill, Berry, Simmons, Ormsby, Macri). Amends RCW 64.90.640 …
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