Arizona · ARS § 33-1805

Arizona HOA records requests: what the law actually requires

A plain-language guide to Arizona's planned-community records-access statute - the deadline, the fee cap, and what happens if a board misses it.

Statute
A.R.S. § 33-1805
Deadline to examine
10 business days after the request
Deadline for copies
10 business days after the request
Copy fee cap
15¢ per page (examination itself: no charge)
Enforcement
Arizona Dept. of Real Estate administrative hearing (ALJ), civil penalties possible

What the law says

Arizona's planned-community statute, A.R.S. § 33-1805, gives any member (or someone the member designates in writing) the right to examine the association's financial and other records. The board has 10 business days to make the records available for examination once asked, and another 10 business days to provide copies if the member wants them.

"All financial and other records of the association shall be made reasonably available for examination by any member or any person designated by the member in writing as the member's representative." — A.R.S. § 33-1805

Examining the records costs nothing. If the member wants copies, the association can charge up to 15¢ per page - nothing more, and nothing for the right to look in the first place.

What counts as a "record"

The statute is broad: financial records (budgets, financial statements, reserve studies), governing documents (declaration, bylaws, rules), board meeting minutes, and contracts the association is a party to are all generally covered. A handful of categories - like records of a pending legal matter, or personnel records - are typically excluded or handled differently; if a board withholds something, ask which specific exemption it's relying on.

What happens if the board misses the deadline

Arizona handles most HOA disputes, including records-request violations, through the Arizona Department of Real Estate's administrative hearing process rather than regular court - a homeowner can file a petition and have an administrative law judge decide the case. If the ALJ finds a violation, they can order the association to comply and impose a civil penalty. This process is generally faster and cheaper than filing a lawsuit, though it has its own procedures and filing fees.

A simple template for the request itself

A written request starts the 10-business-day clock and creates a paper trail. Copy, fill in the brackets, and send it (email or mail, whichever the association's governing documents specify or accept):

[Date] [Association Name] c/o [Board / Management Company Name] [Address] Re: Records Request Under A.R.S. § 33-1805 Dear Board of Directors, Pursuant to A.R.S. § 33-1805, I am requesting to examine the following association records: - [e.g., meeting minutes for the last 12 months] - [e.g., the current operating budget and most recent financial statement] - [e.g., the reserve study, if one exists] Please let me know when and where I may examine these records, or provide copies at the statutory rate of no more than $0.15 per page. Under the statute, the association has 10 business days to respond to this request. Thank you, [Your name] [Your address] [Your contact information]

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This page is a plain-language reference, not legal advice, and is not a substitute for reading the current statute or consulting an Arizona attorney about your specific situation. Statutes change - verify the current text at azleg.gov before relying on anything above. Last checked July 2026.