Washington has one of the more prescriptive statutory resale-disclosure regimes among U.S. condo states. RCW 64.34.425 (under the 1990 Condominium Act) requires a detailed resale certificate for any condo resale and gives the buyer a 5-business-day rescission right after delivery. WUCIOA RCW 64.90.640 carries forward parallel requirements for post-2018 associations. The certificate is binding on the association for the amounts disclosed — meaning the association cannot later claim higher figures than what it stated.

For HOAs governed by RCW 64.38 (pre-2018 planned communities), there is no equivalent statutory resale-certificate requirement until SB5796 fully extends WUCIOA by 2028. Many HOAs deliver estoppel letters voluntarily, but the protection is contractual rather than statutory.

What the resale certificate must include

Under RCW 64.34.425 (and the parallel WUCIOA RCW 64.90.640), the certificate must contain:

Current and unpaid assessments. Regular monthly assessments, any special assessments, and the unit's current balance including any delinquencies, late fees, or attorney costs.

Budget and financial statements. The current annual operating budget and recent year-end financial statements (typically the last fiscal year).

Reserve study and reserve balance. Current reserve account balance, recent contributions, and a copy of the most recent reserve study. RCW 64.34.380 requires reserve studies for associations with significant assets, so the absence of a study is a statutory issue.

Insurance coverage. Current master-policy carrier, coverage limits, deductibles, and any unusual exclusions. For Seattle and Bellevue buildings, this is where you confirm earthquake treatment.

Litigation. Any pending lawsuits involving the association — material litigation must be disclosed.

Governing documents. Copies of the declaration, bylaws, current rules, and any amendments not previously delivered.

Transfer fees. Any fees the association charges at sale or transfer (statutorily capped).

Recent actions. Any formal actions taken in the last fiscal year affecting the unit.

How to use the 5-business-day rescission

The rescission clock starts when the buyer first receives the certificate. Practical implications:

Request the certificate early. Build certificate delivery into the contract as early as possible. Late-delivery situations create awkward closing-window arithmetic.

Review the certificate immediately on delivery. The 5-business-day clock runs whether you review or not. A certificate received Friday afternoon gives you through end of business the following Friday.

Focus on the binding items first. Assessments, unpaid balances, and reserve balance are binding on the association. Confirm these are accurate.

Read the insurance section against realistic exposure. Master-policy carrier, deductibles, and exclusions are where Cascadia seismic risk and other coverage gaps surface.

Note any missing required items. A certificate that omits the reserve study, current budget, or litigation summary is non-compliant — a contractual and possibly statutory issue.

Use the rescission window if material concerns emerge. This is the buyer's statutory protection. Use it.

What the certificate does not cover

Even Washington's strong regime has gaps. Specifically:

Master-policy claim history. Not required. Request separately if relevant — particularly for buildings with apparent envelope or water-intrusion history.

Specific seismic-evaluation reports. Not required. Voluntary engineering reports are the document of interest for older buildings.

Detailed minutes. Not required to be in the certificate. Request 18+ months of board and member meeting minutes separately.

Specific delinquency-rate disclosure for the association as a whole. Not required. Useful for assessing financial health.

Developer-transition documentation for recently turned over communities. Not specifically required. Request explicitly for newer buildings.

What changes for older HOAs

Pre-2018 HOAs governed by RCW 64.38 have no statutory resale-certificate requirement currently. SB5796 (2024) is phasing WUCIOA in, including the resale-certificate framework, with full extension by 2028. For 2026 HOA transactions, request the equivalent documentation contractually — there is no statutory backstop yet.

How CondoSignal uses the certificate

We read the resale certificate as the foundation document, then cross-check the binding items (assessments, balances, reserve) against the financial statements, the insurance section against the master-policy declarations page, and the litigation section against publicly recorded matters. We flag certificates that omit required items, deliver materially late, or contain narrative descriptions inconsistent with the underlying documents. The goal is to make the certificate's strength work for the buyer — and to surface the gaps where the statutory protection ends and contract diligence has to take over.