WashingtonWashington law requires associations to answer owners’ written questions
Washington associations must answer owners’ certified-mail questions about governance or operations within 30 days, with extra time allowed in certain cases.
What it does
Owners who send an inquiry by certified mail must receive a recorded response within 30 days. The board may have extra time for review, a complex question, or needed outside advice.
Associations must spread the cost of optional outside advice across the community, not charge it to one unit. The winning party in a dispute about an inquiry is entitled to reasonable legal costs.
Argument forOwners could get a written answer about how their association is run, with extra time allowed when the board needs to review a question or seek advice.
Argument againstOwners may hesitate to pursue a dispute about an inquiry because the losing side could have to pay the winner’s reasonable legal costs.
More detail
Associations must send owners or their authorized agents a recorded response to written inquiries about association governance or operations. This covers unit owners, apartment owners, and other owners in the communities covered by the law, or their authorized agents, when they send an inquiry by certified mail. The association must give a substantive response or tell the inquirer that more time is reasonably needed. The association need not get outside advice to answer unless it is reasonably necessary. It may adopt reasonable rules about how often and how it responds, including a one-inquiry-per-unit or lot limit in a 30-day period; an inquiry may include more than one question. The response is due within 30 days after the association receives the inquiry, with the stated extensions. The sections for apartment, condominium, and homeowner associations expire January 1, 2028; the common interest community section has no expiration date stated here.
Associations must treat certain outside-advice costs as shared expenses, and the winning party in an inquiry-related case is entitled to reasonable legal costs. These rules apply to associations and inquiry-related actions or proceedings covered by the law. The association may not charge one unit alone for costs of discretionary legal or other professional advice. The fee rule applies to an action or proceeding arising from a covered inquiry, including a court case, mediation, arbitration, or administrative proceeding. The cost rule applies when an association obtains discretionary legal or professional advice. The fee rule applies in a proceeding arising from a covered inquiry.
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Where it stands
- Introduced
- Passed House
- Passed Senate
- To Governor
- Became Law
Looking ahead
No hearings or votes scheduled.
History
- 2026
- Mar 23Effective date 6/11/2026.Latest
- Mar 23Chapter 128, 2026 Laws.Major
- Mar 23Governor Bob Ferguson signed.Became Law
- Mar 12Delivered to Governor.To Governor
- Mar 11President signed.Major
- Mar 11Speaker signed.Passed Senate
- Mar 9Passed final passage; yeas, 58; nays, 37; absent, 0; excused, 3.Passed House
- Vote recorded Final Passage as Amended by the Senate (#6). Result: pass.Lower
- Mar 9House concurred in Senate amendments.
- Feb 26Third reading, passed; yeas, 33; nays, 15; absent, 0; excused, 1.Minor
- Vote recorded 3rd Reading & Final Passage as Amended by the Senate (#10). Result: pass.Upper
- Feb 26Rules suspended. Placed on Third Reading.Minor
- Feb 26Committee amendment(s) adopted with no other amendments.
- Feb 24Placed on second reading by Rules Committee.Minor
- Feb 19Passed to Rules Committee for second reading.
- Feb 18Minority; without recommendation.Minor
- Feb 18HSG - Majority; do pass with amendment(s).Minor
- Feb 18Executive action taken in the Senate Committee on Housing at 10:30 AM.
- Feb 4Public hearing in the Senate Committee on Housing at 10:30 AM.
- Jan 26First reading, referred to Housing.Minor
- Jan 22Third reading, passed; yeas, 55; nays, 36; absent, 0; excused, 7.Minor
- Vote recorded 3rd Reading & Final Passage (#3). Result: pass.Lower
- Jan 22Rules suspended. Placed on Third Reading.Minor
- Jan 22Floor amendment(s) adopted.
- Jan 19Rules Committee relieved of further consideration. Placed on second reading.Minor
- Jan 12By resolution, reintroduced and retained in present status.
- 2025
- Feb 14Referred to Rules 2 Review.Minor
- Feb 11Minority; without recommendation.Minor
- Feb 11Minority; do not pass.Minor
- Feb 11HOUS - Majority; do pass.Minor
- Feb 11Executive action taken in the House Committee on Housing at 4:00 PM.
- Feb 4Public hearing in the House Committee on Housing at 4:00 PM.
- Feb 3Public hearing in the House Committee on Housing at 1:30 PM.
- Jan 22First reading, referred to Housing.Introduced
Housing