Illinois association records requests
Illinois condominium associations have 10 business days after a written request to make records available; missing it is treated as a denial. Common interest community associations have 30 days. A member who wins may recover attorney fees and costs.
| Association | Deadline | Law |
|---|---|---|
| Condominiums | 10 business daysafter the written request; silence is a denial | 765 ILCS 605/19 |
| Common interest communities | 30 dayssilence is treated as a denial | 765 ILCS 160/1-30(i) |
Condominiums
This act covers condominium associations under the Illinois Condominium Property Act.
- Who may ask
- Any member (unit owner), in person or through an agent.
- What starts the clock
- A written request to the board or its authorized agent that says with particularity which records are sought. For the membership list and ballots or proxies, the request must state a purpose relating to the association, and the board may require a written certification of no commercial use.
- Deadline
- 10 business days after the association receives the written request. Failing to make the records available in that time is deemed a denial.
- Copies and costs
- The actual cost of retrieving and making the records available. Copying costs may also be charged.
- What may be withheld
- Employee appointment, discipline or dismissal records, pending or threatened legal actions, common expenses owed by other members, and transfer documents of other members.
- What must be protected
- Unit numbers on secret ballots. Ballots without unit numbers satisfy the request.
- If the deadline is missed
- A member who prevails may recover reasonable attorney fees and costs for most records. For the membership list and ballots, fees are available only if the court finds the board acted in bad faith. The board may fine a member who falsely certifies no commercial use.
- Record keeping
- Minutes for the 7 preceding years. Books and records for the current and 10 preceding fiscal years. Ballots and proxies for 12 months.
Common interest communities
This act covers common interest community associations.
- Who may ask
- Any member or unit owner. Mortgagees and their agents may also request.
- What starts the clock
- A written request to the board or its agent. Ballots, proxies and some other records need a written statement of a proper purpose.
- Deadline
- 30 days. Failing to provide the record or respond within 30 days is treated as a denial. The statute does not say business or calendar days.
- Copies and costs
- A reasonable fee for the cost of retrieving and copying the records.
- If the deadline is missed
- A member may seek appropriate relief, and reasonable attorney fees and costs if the member prevails and the failure resulted from the board's acts or omissions.
How HOAChime handles Illinois requests
HOAChime sets the deadline automatically from each association's state and type: 10 business days for a condominium and 30 days for a common interest community, counted with Illinois holidays where business days apply. Reminder emails and a due-soon and overdue list cover every association. You can mark records withheld with the state's reason, find and black out Social Security, card, bank, licence, phone and email numbers before release, track charges as quoted, paid or waived, and keep a full history of each request.
Checked against the statute text on 2026-11-13. This page is a plain-English guide, not legal advice. Laws change; follow the citation links for the current text, and ask the association's attorney about a specific request.