California HOA laws

California HOA and Condo Laws, in Plain English

California has 3 statutes that govern community associations: Davis-Stirling Act, Commercial CID Act, and Assessment and payoff statement. Here is what each covers, who it applies to, and the rules that come with a sale, with a link to the official text of every one.

A summary for boards and owners, not a substitute for the statute or your attorney. Every act links to its official text, and the association that acts on a rule is responsible for reading it.

The actsWhen a home sellsQuestions

HOA laws

California

CA
Davis-Stirling Act Commercial CID Act Assessment and payoff statement
Resale documentEscrow Disclosure Documents
Fee capNo fixed dollar cap
Deadline10 days
Buyer may cancelNo statutory right tied to this document

The Acts, and Who Each One Covers

Community type decides which act applies, and a community created before an act took effect may still be under the older one. The declaration says which.

Civil Code 4000-6150 (Davis-Stirling Act)

CondominiumsHOAs and planned communitiesCooperatives

The Davis-Stirling Common Interest Development Act is California's primary statute for condominiums, planned developments (homeowners associations), and stock cooperatives. It governs how these communities are created and operated, including board governance and elections, assessments and collections, financial and records disclosure to members, dispute resolution, and the documents an association must provide when a unit or lot changes ownership.

  • Civil Code 4525 (Resale disclosure documents)

    Requires an association to give a prospective buyer a defined package of governing, financial, and assessment-related documents before a sale of a unit or lot closes. Applies to condominium and planned-community (homeowners association) communities under the Davis-Stirling Act.

    Official text

  • Civil Code 4530 (Fee schedule and delivery deadline)

    Sets the general timeframe within which an association must deliver the resale disclosure documents once requested, and limits what it may charge for preparing and providing them. Applies to condominium and planned-community associations.

    Official text
Read Civil Code 4000-6150 on the state's site

Civil Code 6500-6876 (Commercial CID Act)

Commercial industrial

The Commercial and Industrial Common Interest Development Act is a parallel statute modeled on Davis-Stirling that governs common interest developments made up of commercial or industrial lots rather than residences. It covers formation, association powers and management, record keeping, and conflict-of-interest rules, but it does not carry the same board election or resale disclosure requirements that apply to residential communities.

Read Civil Code 6500-6876 on the state's site

Civil Code 4525(a)(4) (Assessment and payoff statement)

CondominiumsHOAs and planned communitiesCooperatives

As part of the resale disclosure package, the association must provide a written statement of the property's current assessments and any unpaid assessments, fees, or fines, which escrow relies on as the payoff or demand statement to close the sale. Applies to condominium and planned-community associations.

Read Civil Code 4525(a)(4) on the state's site

When a Home Sells in California

California law has the association furnish escrow disclosure documents to the buyer, under Civil Code 4525. The figures below come from the rules Havn applies to every order.

What California calls the resale document
Escrow Disclosure Documents
Fee cap
No fixed dollar cap
Delivery deadline
10 days
Buyer's right to cancel
No statutory right tied to this document

The full California resale rules, who pays, and how to order are on the California escrow disclosure documents page. Every state's cap and deadline sit side by side in the fee and deadline table.

California HOA Law Questions

Which law governs condominiums in California?

Civil Code 4000-6150 (Davis-Stirling Act) and Civil Code 4525(a)(4) (Assessment and payoff statement). The Davis-Stirling Common Interest Development Act is California's primary statute for condominiums, planned developments (homeowners associations), and stock cooperatives.

Which law governs HOAs in California?

Civil Code 4000-6150 (Davis-Stirling Act) and Civil Code 4525(a)(4) (Assessment and payoff statement). The Davis-Stirling Common Interest Development Act is California's primary statute for condominiums, planned developments (homeowners associations), and stock cooperatives.

Does California cap the fee for a resale certificate?

No. California sets no dollar cap on escrow disclosure documents, so the association or its management company sets the fee within the statute.

How long does a California association have to deliver escrow disclosure documents?

10 days, counted from the request.

Where can I read the California statutes?

Each act on this page links to its official text on the state legislature's site. Havn summarizes the law and links to the source rather than restating it.

Nearby States

Arizona HOA laws

Resale fee: $400 · 10 days

Nevada HOA laws

Resale fee: $185 · 10 days

Oregon HOA laws

Resale fee: no fixed dollar cap · 10 business days

Keep Reading

Guides

Templates

  • HOA Annual Meeting Notice TemplateA free HOA annual meeting notice template: date, place, agenda, the election, quorum, and the proxy or ballot enclosed, written to meet the notice window in your bylaws.
  • HOA Violation Notice TemplateA free HOA violation letter template: the rule cited, what was observed and when, the photo, the cure date, what happens next, and how the owner can respond or request a hearing.
  • HOA Dues Increase and Special Assessment Notice TemplateA free HOA letter template for a dues increase or a special assessment: the new amount and when it starts, why, the payment schedule, how to pay, and where to ask questions.
  • HOA Proxy Form TemplateA free HOA proxy form template: the owner, the home, the proxy holder, the meeting, directed instructions on each item, the expiration, and the signature.

Terms to Know

  • Resale certificateThe disclosure package an HOA or condo association furnishes when a home in the community is sold: what is owed, what is coming, and the documents that govern the home.
  • HOA lienThe association's legal claim on a home for unpaid assessments, created by the declaration and, in most states, by statute.
  • Super lienIn roughly twenty states, a slice of the association's assessment lien that takes priority over the first mortgage, usually a set number of months of assessments.
  • QuorumThe minimum number of owners, or share of the votes, that must be present or represented for a meeting to act.
  • Special assessmentA one-time charge beyond the regular assessment, levied to cover a shortfall or a project the budget and the reserves cannot: a roof, a lawsuit, a storm.

In Havn

  • Self-Managed HOAsEverything a volunteer board needs, for a dollar a home a month.
  • AccountingFund accounting, budgets, bank feeds, payables, and owner statements.
  • CommunicationsMeeting notices, violation letters, and dues notices by email, text, and mail, with delivery logged.

Run a California community with the rules built in.

HOA management software with a homeowner portal owners actually use. Resale documents are included; the requester pays for each one.

Get Started FreeSee the Homeowner Portal