Washington guide
Washington condo document review
Washington condo document review operates under one of two condominium statutes — WUCIOA (RCW 64.90) for post-2018 condos or the 1990 Condominium Act (RCW 64.34) for 1990–2018 stock — both of which require a detailed resale certificate with a 5-business-day buyer rescission right. The certificate is binding on the association for the amounts disclosed.
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Verify which statute governs and use the rescission window for substantive review.
Resale certificate under RCW 64.34.425 / WUCIOA 64.90.640
The certificate must include current and unpaid assessments, current operating budget, recent financial statements, current reserve balance and contributions, the reserve study, master-policy insurance details, pending litigation summary, transfer fees, and copies of declaration, bylaws, and current rules. It is binding on the association for the assessment figures disclosed. The buyer has 5 business days after first receiving the certificate to rescind.
Which statute governs
Verify before anything else. WUCIOA applies to associations created on or after July 1, 2018. RCW 64.34 applies to 1990–2018 condos. The 1963 Horizontal Property Act (RCW 64.32) applies to older inventory but is repealed by January 2028. Each carries different reserve, insurance, lien, and governance provisions.
Reserve study compliance under RCW 64.34.380 / WUCIOA 64.90.545
Associations with significant assets must maintain reserve studies — initial professional inspection, annual updates, on-site updates every 3 years. Compliance is statutory. A study older than 3 years on-site is a statutory issue. Verify the update history.
Seattle-specific items
For older Seattle buildings, also request voluntary seismic-evaluation reports, recent envelope-related engineering, master-policy earthquake treatment, and any recent special-assessment history. None of this is statutorily disclosed in the resale certificate, but all materially affects the diligence picture.
Washington legal references
- RCW 64.34 — Washington 1990 Condominium Act
- RCW 64.34.425 — Resale certificate requirements
- RCW 64.90 — Washington Uniform Common Interest Ownership Act (WUCIOA)
- RCW 64.90.640 — WUCIOA resale certificate
Informational only. Not legal advice. Always confirm against current statute and counsel.
Need help applying these Washington statutes to your specific situation? We can connect you with state-licensed counsel and specialists familiar with this exact regulatory environment.
Find a Washington specialist →Reviewer's checklist
- Verify which statute governs (WUCIOA, RCW 64.34, or RCW 64.32)
- Request the resale certificate under RCW 64.34.425 or WUCIOA RCW 64.90.640
- Use the 5-business-day rescission window — review the certificate immediately on delivery
- Verify reserve study compliance (initial, annual, triannual on-site)
- Confirm master-policy details including earthquake treatment
- Request 18+ months of board minutes (not in the certificate)
- For older buildings: request voluntary seismic and envelope reports
- Request explicit delinquency-rate disclosure
- Address contract allocation of any assessment levied between certificate and closing
- For recently transitioned: request developer-turnover documentation
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Related risk areas
Read these next to round out your due diligence
HOA document review
An HOA document review reads the full association document set — declaration or deed restrictions, CC&Rs, bylaws, resale or disclosure certificate, current budget, audited financials, meeting minutes, and any enforcement history — and surfaces the items that actually affect your ownership cost, your usage rights, and your exposure to surprise assessments.
Reserve studies
A reserve study tells you what the association expects to spend on long-term capital repairs and replacements, and whether it is funding those obligations adequately.
Insurance risk
The association's master insurance policy determines what your personal HO-6 policy needs to cover — and what it does not.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Risk Intelligence
Get Your Free Condo Risk Report
Upload condo or HOA documents for a free risk review. We read reserve studies, budgets, meeting minutes, insurance summaries, and assessment exposure — every finding linked to the exact page.
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