The default in Arizona is access. Under §§ 33-1805 (HOA) and 33-1258 (condo), "all financial and other records of the association shall be made reasonably available for examination" by any member, or by anyone the member designates in writing. The association can't charge you anything just to look, and it has ten business days to fulfill your request to examine records. If you want copies instead, the association has a separate ten business days to provide them, and it can charge no more than fifteen cents per page. This isn't a courtesy the board is extending, it's a statutory deadline running against the association from the day you ask.
Related to records, if you're buying or selling, §§ 33-1806 (HOA) and 33-1260 (condo) require the association (or seller, for smaller communities) to hand over the declaration, bylaws, rules, the current operating budget, the most recent annual financial report, the most recent reserve study if one exists, and a summary of pending lawsuits, within ten days of a notice of pending sale. That's a useful cross-reference even outside a transaction: it tells you exactly what documents the statute already assumes exist and should be producible on request.
What the board can legally withhold
The right to examine records isn't unlimited, but the exceptions are narrow and specific, not a blanket "that's confidential." Sections 33-1805(B) and 33-1258(B) let the association withhold only: privileged attorney-client communications; records of pending litigation; minutes or records of a closed board session that wasn't required to be open in the first place (see the elections guide for what that covers); personal, health, or financial records of an individual member or employee; and records relating to an individual employee's job performance, compensation, health, or specific complaints against them. The association also isn't required to disclose anything that would violate state or federal law. If a board cites a reason outside that list to withhold something, that denial is worth challenging directly, in writing, citing the statute.
The authority
The statutes behind this
Cited by name as authority, for your own reading. Informational only, not legal advice.
A.R.S. § 33-1805
HOA records access: no charge to examine, ten business days to fulfill an examination request, ten business days for copies at up to fifteen cents a page, and five narrow categories the association may withhold.
A.R.S. § 33-1258
The condominium parallel, with the identical ten-business-day windows and withholding categories.
A.R.S. § 33-1806
Requires the association or selling member to furnish the declaration, bylaws, current budget, most recent financial report, and reserve study within ten days of a pending-sale notice; § 33-1260 is the condo parallel.
Step by step
How to request HOA or condo records in Arizona
A clean, statute-anchored records request that invokes § 33-1805 (HOA) or § 33-1258 (condo) and starts the ten-business-day clock.
- 01
Put your request in writing and date it
Email or mail (certified is ideal) a dated written request. This is what starts the ten-business-day clock and gives you proof if the board stalls.
- 02
Name the specific records
Ask for specific documents: financial records, board and member minutes, contracts, the operating budget, the reserve study, rather than a vague request for "everything."
- 03
Cite the statute and the deadline
Reference § 33-1805 (HOA) or § 33-1258 (condo) and note that the association has ten business days to fulfill an examination request, and a separate ten business days for copies.
- 04
Push back on vague withholdings
If the board withholds something, ask it to identify which of the five specific categories in §§ 33-1805(B) or 33-1258(B) applies. A general "that's confidential" doesn't satisfy the statute.
- 05
Escalate a blown deadline
If the association misses either ten-business-day window, that's a straight statutory violation. Raise it in writing with the board, and consider it alongside any related fine dispute under the fines guide.
Straight answers
Common questions
What records can I see from my Arizona HOA or condo association?
Under §§ 33-1805 (HOA) and 33-1258 (condo), all of the association's financial and other records are reasonably available for your examination, subject to five narrow withholding categories like privileged legal communications and individual employee records.
How long does the association have to respond to a records request?
Ten business days to let you examine the records, and a separate ten business days to provide copies if you request them, under §§ 33-1805 and 33-1258.
Can the association charge me just to look at records?
No. Sections 33-1805 and 33-1258 say the association can't charge for making material available to examine. It may only charge up to fifteen cents per page for copies.
What can the board legally withhold?
Only five categories: attorney-client privileged communications, pending litigation materials, minutes of a closed session that wasn't required to be open, an individual's personal or financial records, and records about an individual employee's job performance or complaints against them.