How long does the condo association have to issue the 6(d) certificate?

Under Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 183A, Section 6(d), the condominium organization must furnish the statement within ten business days after a written request. The seller's attorney typically orders it once a closing date is set, and any unpaid amounts shown on it must be cleared before closing.

Why do condominium sales take longer to close than single-family sales?

Because the buyer's lender evaluates the whole building, not just the unit: financial health, occupancy mix, reserves, insurance, and litigation. The association typically completes a condo questionnaire of 30 to 50 questions, and waiting on those building details is what adds time to underwriting.

Does a condo seller need a smoke and CO certificate too?

Yes. Under M.G.L. c. 148 sections 26F and 26F 1/2, a certificate of compliance from the local fire department is required at the sale or transfer of a home, and that applies to condominium units as well.

Selling Your Home

Selling a Condominium on the North Shore: What Is Required Now

Kathleen Militello · Published November 7, 2026 · Updated November 2026 · 7 min read

The Breakers condominium building on Lynn Shore Drive in Lynn, Massachusetts

Selling a condominium is different from selling a single-family home, and the difference shows up early in the process. When a buyer uses financing, the lender evaluates the whole building, not just the unit you are selling: the association's finances, occupancy mix, reserves, insurance, and any litigation all become part of the underwriting picture. Massachusetts law also adds specific paperwork to a condo sale, with timing requirements of its own. Knowing what is required now, before you list, keeps the sale moving and avoids surprises near the closing table.

The building review

What the Buyer's Lender Looks At

Before a lender commits to financing a condominium purchase, it reviews more than the unit. This building-level review is standard in condo lending, and it is the reason condominium sales can take longer to get through underwriting than single-family sales.

The lender needs to know the building is financially sound, because the unit's value and the loan's security depend on it.

The lender reviews the building's financial health, occupancy mix, reserves, insurance, and any litigation before approving the loan.
The condominium association typically must complete a condo questionnaire, sometimes called a project certification, with 30 to 50 questions about the building (source: effectiveagents.com 2026 guide, "Selling a Condo: Estoppel Letters, HOA Docs, and Approvals").
Because that review depends on the association's records and responses, condo closings generally take longer to clear underwriting than single-family closings. Planning for it is part of selling well.

The Massachusetts-specific step

The 6(d) Certificate

This is the state requirement that surprises sellers who are new to condos. It is a statement about the unit's finances within the condominium organization, and it has strict timing under Massachusetts law.

In practice, it is ordered late in the process, once the transaction has a date, and it gives the association a clear window to respond.

Under Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 183A, Section 6(d), the condominium organization must issue a statement in recordable form attesting to common expenses and other sums due on the unit, and must furnish it within ten business days after a written request (sources: M.G.L. c. 183A via mass.gov; mbmllc.com 6(d) explainer; neighborhoodparcel.com, 2026).
The seller's attorney typically orders the 6(d) certificate once a closing date is set.
Any unpaid amounts shown on the certificate must be cleared before closing, so it is worth asking about outstanding common charges early.

The building's paperwork

The Condo Document Packet

Buyers and their attorneys will ask for the building's governing documents as part of the sale. Assembling these before you list means the answers are ready the day they are requested (sources: forsaleinwinchester.com Boston condo pre-list checklist, 2025; effectiveagents.com, 2026).

Master deed
Condominium trust or by-laws
Rules and regulations
Current budget and financials
Reserve study, if the association has one
Recent meeting minutes
Any pending litigation
Current or pending special assessments

Under Massachusetts law

Budgets and Reserve Funds: What the Law Requires

Massachusetts law sets no dollar amount or percentage for condominium budgets or reserve funds; the statutes establish what associations must do, without prescribing the numbers.

Budgets: under M.G.L. c. 183A, Section 6(a)(i), common expense assessments must be made at least annually, based on a budget adopted at a meeting of the unit owners. The statute sets no dollar figure or cap.
Reserves: Section 10(i) requires all condominiums to maintain an adequate replacement reserve fund, collected as part of the common expenses and held in an account or accounts separate and segregated from operating funds.
"Adequate" is not defined in the statute: there is no set dollar amount, no percentage of budget, and no required funding formula. What is adequate depends on the building's age, its components, and what they will cost to replace.
Massachusetts does not mandate a professional reserve study by statute (unlike some other states); trustees and boards still need to fund reserves responsibly for capital repairs and replacements.
Section 10(m) allows the reserve fund requirement to be modified if the master deed or by-laws provide otherwise, or if at least two-thirds of the votes of all unit owners at a duly called meeting vote not to maintain the fund.
At resale, the association's resale certificate under Section 11 discloses the amount of reserves and any known or anticipated common expense increases or special assessments, so buyers can see the building's funding picture before they purchase.
Lenders set their own reserve number, separate from Massachusetts law: Fannie Mae's Selling Guide section B4-2.2-02 requires at least 10 percent of a condominium's annual budgeted assessment income be allocated to replacement reserves for a project to be warrantable, and under Fannie Mae Lender Letter LL-2026-03 that minimum rises to 15 percent for loan applications dated on or after January 4, 2027, unless a qualifying reserve study supports a different amount. That is a lending guideline, not a Massachusetts statute.

Buyers' lenders separately evaluate the building's financial health and reserves when approving the project, which is why the 6(d) certificate and the condo questionnaire matter.

The same rules, for a condo unit

Massachusetts Seller Duties That Apply to Condos Too

Some seller requirements are familiar from single-family sales, and they apply to condominium units as well. Plan for them at the same time you plan the rest of the sale.

Smoke and carbon monoxide certificate of compliance: your local fire department issues it, and it is required at the sale or transfer of a home under M.G.L. c. 148 sections 26F and 26F 1/2 (source: mass.gov, smoke and CO inspection guide).
Lead paint notice: for any building constructed before 1978, the Massachusetts lead paint law requires notice to buyers about the property's lead paint status.
Title 5: if the property has its own septic system, Massachusetts requires a Title 5 inspection report within two years before the transfer (source: 310 CMR / Massachusetts Title 5 regulations).
A note worth repeating: legal, tax, and financing questions should be confirmed with your attorney, your tax adviser, and your lender. This article is general information, not advice for your specific sale.

What associations can do now

Recent Changes to Massachusetts Condo Law

Two recent Massachusetts laws affect how condominium associations operate. Neither is a promise about any specific building, but both are worth knowing if you are selling now and preparing the building's story for buyers and lenders.

Chapter 239 of the Acts of 2024 amended M.G.L. c. 183A sections 7, 8, and 10, and added new section 10A, effective February 18, 2025. The changes cover electric vehicle supply equipment and energy conservation devices in condominiums (sources: mass.gov, M.G.L. c. 183A update list; fsresidential.com 2026 Massachusetts condo law summary).
The Affordable Homes Act (Chapter 150 of the Acts of 2024, signed August 6, 2024) added a section to M.G.L. c. 183A that expressly allows condominium boards to meet by phone, video conference, or other interactive electronic means, and to vote electronically (sources: mbmllc.com, Affordable Homes Act summary; apmhoa.com).
Framed neutrally: these laws affect how associations operate and what buildings may offer, including EV charging and energy upgrades. They do not promise anything about a specific condominium, and association rules can still vary building by building.

Selling, step by step

A Practical Timeline

A condo sale runs on a calendar shared between you, your attorney, and the association. Here is the sequence that keeps every required item on time.

Before listing: gather the condo document packet and confirm who manages the association, so lender questions have a clear owner.
Once a closing date is set: ask your attorney to order the 6(d) certificate, and plan for the ten business days the association has to furnish it.
Early: schedule the smoke and CO inspection, and the Title 5 check if the property has its own septic system.
Throughout: have the association ready to complete the lender's questionnaire promptly, since underwriting waits on it.
Before closing: confirm every legal, tax, and financing point with your attorney and your tax adviser, and make sure any unpaid amounts on the 6(d) certificate are cleared.

Where this leaves you

The Bottom Line

Selling a condominium well means preparing the building paperwork as carefully as the unit itself. The documents, the certificate, and the inspections are predictable, and a knowledgeable Realtor coordinates them so nothing stalls at the closing table.

If you are considering selling a condo on the North Shore, the full pre-listing checklist is available through the sign-up on this page: every document and deadline in one printable place. Warmly, Kathleen

Sources

mass.gov, M.G.L. c. 183A (Massachusetts General Laws, condominium chapter; accessed November 2026)

mass.gov, smoke and CO inspection guide (Guide to Massachusetts smoke detector and CO requirements when selling a home; accessed November 2026)

mbmllc.com, 6(d) certificates under M.G.L. c. 183A (Massachusetts condo law explainer)

neighborhoodparcel.com, 6D certificate explainer (2026)

fsresidential.com, Massachusetts condo laws (2026)

mbmllc.com, Affordable Homes Act and condo board meetings (Massachusetts condo law explainer)

effectiveagents.com, Selling a Condo: Estoppel Letters, HOA Docs, and Approvals (2026)

forsaleinwinchester.com, Boston condo pre-list checklist (2025)

Key Takeaways

A condo sale is a building sale: the buyer's lender reviews the association's finances, occupancy mix, reserves, insurance, and litigation, not just the unit.
Massachusetts law requires a 6(d) certificate from the condominium organization, furnished within ten business days after a written request, with unpaid amounts cleared before closing.
Assemble the condo document packet before listing: master deed, by-laws, rules, budget, reserve study, meeting minutes, litigation, and special assessments.
Seller duties still apply: the fire department smoke and CO certificate, the lead paint notice for pre-1978 buildings, and Title 5 where a septic system serves the property.
Recent Massachusetts condo law changes cover EV charging and remote board meetings; a knowledgeable Realtor coordinates the paperwork so the closing stays on time.

Ask Kathleen

Questions and answers

Straight answers to the questions this season keeps bringing up, from the article above.

Written by

Kathleen Militello, Realtor®

The Militello Team · AI Certified Agent™ · Certified Negotiation Specialist™ · eXp Realty

MA Salesperson License 9053343
Serving Boston's Coastal North Shore
(978) 500-1480

Kathleen Militello is a Realtor® and Certified Negotiation Specialist™ with eXp Realty, licensed in Massachusetts since 2003 and working full time in real estate since 2007. She serves Boston's Coastal North Shore, including Beverly, Ipswich, Gloucester, Rockport, Manchester-by-the-Sea, Essex, Salem, Newburyport, Newbury, Rowley, and Salisbury, helping homeowners sell, buy, downsize, and relocate.

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This article is general information about selling a condominium in Massachusetts. It is not legal, tax, or financing advice, and building-specific rules vary. Confirm the requirements that apply to your sale with your attorney, your tax adviser, and your lender. Kathleen Militello is a Realtor® with eXp Realty, MA Salesperson License 9053343. All real estate services are offered in accordance with the Fair Housing Act and Equal Housing Opportunity.