Pennsylvania guide
Pennsylvania condo buying checklist
Buying a Pennsylvania condo means buying into a building governed by two parallel Title 68 statutes, a strong disclosure regime, but no reserve mandate and no statewide inspection law — with only the Attorney General behind governance enforcement. That puts the weight on the documents and on you.
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This checklist separates what the seller or association must deliver under §3407 (condos) or §5407 (planned communities) from what you should demand on your own, and centers the questions that decide most Pennsylvania deals: what the master insurance actually covers (and whether its deductible blocks financing), whether reserves exist behind an aging building's needs, whether any special assessment is coming, and — in Philadelphia or Pittsburgh — whether facade-inspection obligations are met. Pennsylvania's automatic 5-day cancellation right is a real protection, so use it deliberately the moment the complete certificate arrives.
Determine the statute, then use the 5-day window
The first Pennsylvania question is classification. A condominium falls under the Uniform Condominium Act (Title 68, Ch. 31–34), with its resale certificate in §3407 and insurance floor in §3312. A planned community falls under the Uniform Planned Community Act (Ch. 51–54), with the parallel resale certificate in §5407 and insurance in §5312. A development can also layer a condominium inside a master-planned HOA, producing two sets of documents and two assessment streams. Once you know which act applies, remember the buyer protection that follows: Pennsylvania grants an automatic right to cancel until 5 days after you receive the resale certificate, or until closing, whichever comes first — even if the contract is silent. Calendar that window the moment the complete certificate is in hand.
Documents the seller or association must provide
Under §3407 (condos) or §5407 (planned communities), the resale certificate must include the declaration, bylaws, and rules; the current budget and most recent financial statements; the monthly assessment, any unpaid or special assessments, and other payable fees; capital projects or special assessments planned for roughly the next two years; the current reserve amount and any designated portions; a statement of pending litigation and judgments; an insurance-coverage summary; and any known rule violations, hazardous conditions, or unlawful improvements. It is typically delivered as a single packet, usually within about 10 business days after request. Treat the required certificate as the disclosure floor — strong, but not complete — and read each item for currency and consistency before relying on it.
Documents you should request proactively
Pennsylvania's biggest risks live beyond the statutory floor, so request them yourself: the full master-insurance policy and declarations page and the deductible schedule (the certificate gives only a summary), and confirmation the §3312 waiver of subrogation is actually in the policy; any reserve study and funding plan, since none is mandated and one may not exist; two to three years of board and annual meeting minutes for special-assessment, repair, and litigation discussion; the delinquency or aging report; the management contract (Pennsylvania does not license managers); roof, plumbing, elevator, and structural condition reports on aging stock; and a full pending-litigation summary. In Philadelphia, request PM-315 facade inspection records on buildings six stories or taller; in Pittsburgh, the five-year exterior inspection recertification. Also pull the FEMA flood map for the parcel, since under 2% of Pennsylvania owners carry flood coverage.
The questions that decide the Pennsylvania deal
For every Pennsylvania condo, answer a few questions before you commit. Does the master insurance actually cover the building — is property coverage at least 80% of ACV (§3312), is the deductible above the GSE 5% cap, and is the waiver of subrogation in the policy? Are reserves adequate for the aging roof, elevators, plumbing, and masonry, or near zero with special assessments as the plan (no Pennsylvania mandate)? Is any special assessment approved or pending in the certificate or the minutes? And in Philadelphia or Pittsburgh, are the building's facade-inspection obligations current? Read everything together — the reserve amount against the budget, the insurance summary against the master declarations page, and the assessment line against the minutes. The buyers surprised by a five-figure Pennsylvania assessment usually had the documents but did not read them together, or did not use the 5-day window in time.
Pennsylvania legal references
- 68 Pa.C.S. §3407 — Condominium resale certificate; 5-day cancellation
- 68 Pa.C.S. §5407 — Planned community resale certificate
- 68 Pa.C.S. §3312 — Condominium master insurance (≥80% ACV; subrogation waiver)
- Philadelphia PM-315 — Periodic facade inspections (buildings ≥6 stories / 60 ft)
Informational only. Not legal advice. Always confirm against current statute and counsel.
Need help applying these Pennsylvania statutes to your specific situation? We can connect you with state-licensed counsel and specialists familiar with this exact regulatory environment.
Find a Pennsylvania specialist →Reviewer's checklist
- Determine whether the property is a condominium (§3407 / §3312) or a planned community (§5407 / §5312)
- Confirm the full §3407 / §5407 resale certificate was delivered (usually within ~10 business days)
- Calendar the automatic 5-day cancellation window from receipt of the complete certificate
- Pull the master-insurance declarations page; check the deductible against the GSE 5% cap and 80%-ACV floor
- Confirm the master policy contains the §3312 waiver of subrogation
- Read the disclosed reserve amount and any study against the budget's reserve contribution
- Request two to three years of minutes, the delinquency report, and a full pending-litigation summary
- Request roof / plumbing / elevator / structural condition reports given aging Pennsylvania stock
- In Philadelphia (PM-315, 6+ stories) or Pittsburgh (5-year), confirm facade-inspection compliance; pull the FEMA flood map
Want this same review on your actual documents? We do it free, with page citations you can verify.
Get My Free Risk Report →Source documents
- Declaration & bylawsthe rules
- Budget & financialsthe money
- Reserve studythe big repairs
- Meeting minuteswhat the board fears
Cross-reference
The risk lives in the contradiction between documents.
An assessment in the minutes but not the estoppel; a reserve the budget never funds.
Risk report
Severity-graded across 8 categories.
Every finding cites the document, page number, and quoted text.
How CondoSignal reviews this
We read the reserve study, operating budget, and 24 months of meeting minutes together — pennsylvania condo buying checklist risk usually lives in the contradiction between documents, not in any single one of them. Every finding cites the source document, the page number, and the quoted text behind it.
See our 8-category framework →Risk Intelligence
Review the documents before your contingency ends
Most buyers get 7–14 days to review condo documents. Upload the packet — we read the reserve study, budget, minutes, and insurance summary and flag the risks, every finding linked to the exact page. Free.
Expert Matching
Need a real estate lawyer or mortgage specialist?
We can connect you with vetted real estate lawyers, mortgage brokers, and insurance brokers familiar with the specifics of condo and HOA transactions.
- HOA lawyer
- Mortgage broker
- Insurance broker
Related risk areas
Read these next to round out your due diligence
Condo Resale Certificate Review
In Texas, a resale certificate is the statutory document that gives a prospective condo or HOA unit buyer a snapshot of the association's financial and legal standing at the moment of sale.
Condo Insurance Requirements
Most condo buyers spend more time choosing their unit's paint colors than understanding how insurance works in a condominium.
HOA Fee Analysis
Monthly HOA and condo fees are a fixed ownership cost that compounds over your entire holding period.
Related reading
Guides for Pennsylvania buyers and owners
The Complete Condo Buying Checklist (2026)
A four-phase due diligence framework — pre-offer through post-closing — covering documents, fees, reserves, insurance, lender requirements, and governance risk.
Philadelphia PM-315 Facade Inspections: What Condo Buyers Should Verify
Philadelphia's PM-315 ordinance requires facade inspections every 5 years for buildings 6+ stories. Here is what to read in the report and how it affects your purchase.
Pennsylvania Flood Risk for Condo Buyers: Schuylkill, Susquehanna, and What Master Policies Don't Cover
Hurricane Ida and increasingly common river flooding have made flood coverage a critical Pennsylvania diligence item. Here is what to verify before closing.
What to Look for in Condo Documents: A Buyer's Complete Guide
A resale package contains roughly a dozen documents. Learn what each one discloses, what most buyers overlook, and which sections to read closely before you close.
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Reviewed by Kirk Hasley, Founder. Every claim here is checked against current Pennsylvania statute and primary sources, using the same documented review framework we run on every file. Last reviewed June 13, 2026.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Risk Intelligence
Review the documents before your contingency ends
Most buyers get 7–14 days to review condo documents. Upload the packet — we read the reserve study, budget, minutes, and insurance summary and flag the risks, every finding linked to the exact page. Free.
Expert Matching
Need a real estate lawyer or mortgage specialist?
We can connect you with vetted real estate lawyers, mortgage brokers, and insurance brokers familiar with the specifics of condo and HOA transactions.
- HOA lawyer
- Mortgage broker
- Insurance broker