Senate Housing Committee reviews SB 5129 to refine rules for common-interest communities

At the first Senate Housing Committee meeting of the 2025 legislative session, staff briefed members on Senate Bill 5129, a package of updates to Washington's common-interest community law intended to clarify how older homeowners associations and condominiums operate under the Uniform Common Interest Ownership Act.

The bill, explained Bill Fosbury, staff counsel to the committee, makes changes in several areas including which pre-2018 condo and homeowners-association statutes control where conflicts arise; voting and ballot procedures; when resale certificates may be waived; limits on boards'authority to block heat-pump installations; siting rules for electric-vehicle charging stations; and how associations may invest reserve funds. Fosbury summarized the bill: "Senate Bill 5129 concerns common interest communities." He told the committee some provisions would take effect Jan. 1, 2026, while the full transition to the Uniform Act remains scheduled for Jan. 1, 2028.

Why it matters: Common-interest communities (condominiums, cooperatives, planned-unit developments and homeowners associations) govern a growing share of Washington housing. The bill's changes would alter owners' rights and association administration, affecting resale…