This bill strengthens a homeowner's right to inspect and obtain association records — the practical transparency tool owners rely on to audit their HOA's spending and decisions.
In short: Strengthens a homeowner's right to inspect and obtain association records.
Introduced — no action Pro-HOA industry
SB1456 spells out exactly which association records condominium and planned community owners are entitled to receive and puts more documents within reach. It keeps the existing ten-business-day response deadline and the 15-cents-per-page copy cap, but adds a new exemption letting associations refuse records they already provided to that owner. Records posted online count as reasonably available.
For homeowners: Pro-HOA industry: the bill's signature new mechanics all restrict copy access, an exemption letting the association refuse records 'previously provided' to that owner, a clause deeming online-posted records 'reasonably available' so copies can be withheld, and a three-year cap on accessible minutes and board-action records, each a classic transparency-narrowing device. The enumerated records list largely restates existing access, so the marginal effect is to hand boards new tools to withhold, which dominates the modest copy-fee cap it keeps.
What the bill actually does, point by point — from the Arizona Legislature’s official fact sheet.
- Defines 'financial and other records' to include the declaration, the bylaws, the names and property addresses of all owners, and other governing records.
- Requires access to meeting minutes and records of board action for the previous three years, plus any electronic record of board action for the previous three years.
- Requires access to operating budgets, current assessments, and three years of financial statements.
- Requires access to current contracts and insurance policies with specified details.
- Adds a new exemption allowing the association to refuse a request, or part of it, for records previously provided to that same owner.
- Provides that records made available online are deemed reasonably available.
- Keeps the ten-business-day response deadline, the 15-cents-per-page copy cap, and no fee for in-person review.
The A.R.S. sections this bill amends, adds, or repeals — taken from the bill text. Click one to read the current law.
Organizations and industry insiders who registered a position on this bill through the Legislature’s public Request to Speak system — simply where each stood: For, Against, or Neutral. Individual homeowners are not listed. Whether this bill helps or hurts homeowners is our own read, shown by its label above — a group’s position doesn’t set our call. Each row links to that entity’s report card and to the source at azleg.gov.