Owners’ records · Georgia
Georgia HOA records inspection requests: how a board should respond
Updated · For volunteer boards
The short version
- For an association incorporated as a Georgia nonprofit, a member’s right to inspect records comes from § 14-3-1602, which turns on written notice and a stated purpose for some records.
- From January 1, 2027, SB 406 adds a right for owners to inspect and copy association and accounting records on written demand, including three years of finalized financial statements.
- A written request starts a clock you can manage. Log it the day it arrives, acknowledge it in writing and keep a list of what you provided.
- Names, addresses and anything your governing documents or your attorney say to protect need a decision before you hand them over.
Not legal advice. This page is general information for volunteer boards. It is not legal advice, and laws and documents differ. Ask your association’s attorney before you act on it.
Where an owner’s right comes from
Georgia has three layers, and a board should know which apply. Most associations are incorporated as nonprofit corporations, so the Nonprofit Corporation Code gives members a right to inspect and copy. The Property Owners’ Association Act adds a narrow right to documents. And SB 406 adds a broader owner right that begins on January 1, 2027.
Your own declaration and bylaws can add to these. They cannot take away what the statute gives, and your attorney can tell you how they fit together.
The Nonprofit Code: written notice, five business days
Under § 14-3-1602, a member who gives written notice or a written demand at least five business days ahead may inspect and copy a defined set of records. That list includes the articles, the bylaws, minutes of member meetings for the past three years, and communications to members.
The five business days are the member’s lead time, not a deadline for you to deliver. Offer a reasonable time and place within that window, and put it in writing.
“A member is entitled to inspect and copy, at a reasonable time and location specified by the corporation, any of the records of the corporation described in subsection (a) of this Code section if the member gives the corporation written notice or a written demand at least five business days before the date on which the member wishes to inspect and copy.”
Records that need a stated purpose
Some records, including accounting records, excerpts from board minutes and the membership list, can be inspected only if the member meets a further test. The demand must be in good faith, for a proper purpose connected to the member’s interest, and describe the purpose and the records with reasonable particularity.
The association may place reasonable restrictions on how those records are used and shared. Whether a purpose is proper is a judgment call, and a good moment to involve your attorney.
“The member’s demand is made in good faith and for a proper purpose that is reasonably relevant to the member’s legitimate interest as a member;”
“The corporation may impose reasonable restrictions on the confidentiality, use, or distribution of the records described in subsection (c) of this Code section.”
Copies of the articles and bylaws
The Property Owners’ Association Act speaks to the governing documents specifically. The sentence below is about the articles and bylaws, and it allows a reasonable charge for copies.
“and copies thereof shall be furnished to any lot owner on request upon payment of a reasonable charge therefor.”
What SB 406 adds from January 1, 2027
SB 406 lists twelve owners’ rights, and the first is a right to inspect and obtain copies on written demand. It defines the accounting records an owner may ask for. Because the Act takes effect on January 1, 2027, boards have time to prepare a standard response before it applies.
The same law requires the association to keep records about assessments, fines, fees, liens and foreclosures for at least ten years, which makes a ten-year retention rule for those files a sensible default.
“Inspect and obtain copies of owners' association records, accounting records, and other records of the owners' association upon written demand and in compliance with the laws of this state and the governing documents. Such accounting records shall be the finalized balance sheet, budget, profit and loss statements, and bank statements for the past three years;”
“An owners' association shall maintain for not less than ten years at an office located in this state or, if it has no office in this state, its principal office all records, including electronic records and records in any other format, relating to any assessments, fines, fees, liens, and foreclosures.”
What we cannot tell you
The statute text we hold does not set a number of days within which the association must respond to a SB 406 demand, a maximum copy charge, or what to redact. Do not assume one. Check your governing documents, and ask the association’s attorney, before you set a response time or a fee in writing.
What to do next
- 1Log the request the day it arrives: who asked, what they asked for, and how it came in.
- 2Reply in writing within a few days, confirming what you received and proposing a time and place.
- 3Sort the records into categories: documents any member may see, and records that need a stated purpose.
- 4For the second group, ask for the purpose in writing if the request did not state it, and consult your attorney if it is unclear.
- 5Review what you will provide, and remove anything your documents or attorney say to protect.
- 6Provide the records, note what you gave and when, and keep the request and the log together.
What HomeownerHub does about this
- Records requests are listed under Tickets, with Georgia’s five-business-day rule shown on each request. Minutes, financial records and the owner list also show that they need a stated purpose.
- Owners can ask for association records from their portal, and the board marks each request fulfilled when it is done.
- The board can print a three-year financial packet (balance sheets, income statements and adopted budgets) to answer a records request.
- The owner roster is a copy of the owner list you can safely hand to an owner who asks. It shows names and addresses only, never phones, shares or balances, and every export is recorded.
The board approves every draft. HomeownerHub prepares paperwork and cites the law; it does not file for you or give legal advice.
Frequently asked questions
- How long do we have to respond to an owner’s records request in Georgia?
- The Nonprofit Code section we hold lets a member inspect after at least five business days’ written notice. The statute text we hold sets no delivery deadline for an SB 406 demand, so check your governing documents and ask your attorney.
- Does an owner have to say why they want the records?
- For the accounting records, board minute excerpts and the membership list, the Nonprofit Code requires a good-faith, proper purpose that is stated with reasonable particularity.
- Can we charge for copies?
- The Act allows a reasonable charge for copies of the articles and bylaws. For other records, it does not say in the text we hold, so check your documents.
- What financial records can an owner demand from 2027?
- Under SB 406, accounting records are the finalized balance sheet, budget, profit and loss statements and bank statements for the past three years.
- How long must we keep records of fines and liens?
- SB 406 requires at least ten years for records relating to assessments, fines, fees, liens and foreclosures, from January 1, 2027.
Keep reading
- GuideGeorgia owners’ rights 2027 (SB 406)From January 1, 2027, SB 406 gives owners twelve listed rights, from records to meetings to foreclosure process.
- GuideGeorgia HOA owner complaint process (SB 406)An owner who says they were damaged by the association’s action or inaction can file a written complaint with the Secretary of State within 180 days.
- GuideGeorgia HOA registration 2027 (SB 406) guideFrom January 1, 2027, an owners’ association must be registered with the Georgia Secretary of State, or must opt out in writing.
- GuideGeorgia HOA annual meeting quorum and proxiesUnless your instrument or bylaws say otherwise, the Georgia statute’s default quorum for a meeting of owners is persons entitled to cast more than one-third of the votes.