Buying a Condo in Philadelphia: Resale Certificates, Fees and Bylaws

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By Max Karasick, Compass real estate agent licensed in PA and NJ

When you buy a condo in Philadelphia, you're really buying two things: a unit and a slice of an association's finances. Pennsylvania's Uniform Condominium Act makes the seller hand over the declaration, bylaws, rules and a resale certificate from the association. And you can void the agreement of sale until that certificate shows up and for five days after, or until closing if that comes first. The certificate covers the monthly fee, the reserves, the budget, planned repairs, lawsuits and any unpaid assessments. Read it like a financial statement. Because that's exactly what it is.

This guide sticks to the condo paperwork. For everything else, from preapproval to closing, start with the first-time home buyer guide for Philadelphia.

What Is a Condo Resale Certificate in Pennsylvania?

Think of it as the building's report card, graded in dollars. The rules for it sit in Section 3407 of the Uniform Condominium Act (68 Pa.C.S. 3407). You're owed the declaration (minus plats and plans), the bylaws, the rules and regulations and the certificate itself. As of October 2026, the certificate has to cover, among other things:

Money owed and owing: the monthly common expense assessment, any unpaid common expense or special assessment the seller still owes and any other fees owners pay
Planned spending: capital projects the association proposes for this fiscal year and the next two
Reserves: how much is set aside for capital spending and any part earmarked for a specific project
Financials: the latest balance sheet and income and expense statement (if there are any) plus the current operating budget
Legal exposure: judgments against the association and where any lawsuits it's part of stand
Insurance: a description of the coverage provided for unit owners
Known problems: whether the board knows of changes to the unit that break the declaration, or of code violations or hazardous conditions
Structure: any right of first refusal or other limit on resale, any leasehold term, cumulative or class voting, any pending vote to end the condominium and whether it belongs to a master association

One wrinkle: Pennsylvania's seller disclosure form works differently for condos. It covers the unit, and the common elements come through this certificate instead. The seller disclosure guide explains the split.

How Long Does a Buyer Have to Review Condo Documents?

Five days after the certificate lands. Pennsylvania lets you walk away from the contract until you get the certificate and for five days after, or until closing, whichever comes first. That's the law, not a courtesy. Three more rules in the same section are worth knowing:

The association gets ten days to produce the certificate after the seller asks for it.
You're protected on the numbers. You aren't on the hook for any unpaid assessment or fee bigger than the amount in the certificate the association prepared.
The seller is protected from the association's mistakes. A seller who passes the certificate along isn't liable for the association's errors in it, or for the association running late.

The clock starts when the certificate is delivered, not when you sign. A seller who orders it before listing gives you the full picture on day one. A seller who waits can push your review smack into the middle of the inspection and mortgage deadlines. Communities set up as planned communities, often townhome and single-family HOAs, fall under the Uniform Planned Community Act instead, which has a matching rule in 68 Pa.C.S. 5407.

Reading the Budget, Reserves and Special Assessments

Five days is plenty if you know where to look. Start with three comparisons:

Planned spending against reserves. The certificate lists the reserve balance and the capital projects proposed for this year and the next two. If the planned work is bigger than the reserves, the owners cover the gap through a fee increase, a special assessment or a loan.
Budget against actuals. Line up the current operating budget with the latest income and expense statement. The same line running over year after year usually turns up in next year's fee.
Assessments due now. The certificate shows any unpaid special assessment the seller owes. Also ask the association whether a special assessment has been talked about but not approved yet, and read recent board minutes if they'll share them.

Slow down on the lawsuits and the insurance description. A judgment against the association can turn into every owner's bill, and the insurance section tells you what the master policy covers and what your own policy has to pick up.

Worked Example: The Capital Improvement Fee Cap

Section 3302 lets a Pennsylvania condo association charge a capital improvement fee on resale. For a built unit, it's capped at the annual general common expense assessments charged to that unit in the last completed fiscal year. On a hypothetical unit assessed $650 a month last fiscal year, that's $650 x 12 = $7,800, so the fee can't go past $7,800. It's nonrefundable and has to land in a separate capital account. The statute doesn't say whether buyer or seller pays it, so your agreement of sale should.

What Should a Buyer Look for in Condo Bylaws?

Read the bylaws next to the declaration and the rules, because the restrictions tend to be scattered across all three. These are the questions that change how you actually live in or use the unit:

Leasing. Minimum lease terms, caps or approval steps. If you might rent the place out someday, this decides whether that plan works. The investor page covers how Max runs rental numbers.
Renovations. What needs board approval, and whether flooring, plumbing or window work has building standards.
Pets, parking and storage. Assigned or rented, limited common element or not.
Right of first refusal. Whether the association can step in on a sale, which the certificate has to disclose.
Voting and money. How the board gets elected, how budgets pass and whether the board can levy special assessments on its own.

Financing: FHA and Condo Approval

With a condo, your lender underwrites the building too, not just you. For FHA, HUD's FHA condominium page says that as of October 2026 a condo loan needs either an FHA-approved project or single-unit approval. Single-unit approval is for a completed project of at least five units that isn't FHA approved, and the project still has to meet part of HUD's standards, including FHA insurance concentration, owner occupancy and financial condition. HUD's current condo rule took effect October 15, 2019. Look the building up on HUD's FHA-approved condo search before you write an offer, and ask your lender what its own condo review needs from the association.

Time on Market in Center City ZIP Codes

Listings in two Center City ZIP codes have been sitting longer than the county overall, which gives you room to ask for documents up front. As of September 2026, Realtor.com Economic Research showed a median of 93 days on market in ZIP code 19103 and 95 days in ZIP code 19107, against 64 days for Philadelphia County. Those ZIP figures cover every listing, not just condos. Still, they back up asking for the resale certificate before you sign. And yes, transfer tax applies to condos too. The transfer tax guide has the math.

How Max Uses This With Clients

Before you write an offer on a condo, Max asks the listing agent whether the resale certificate has been ordered and requests the current budget and latest financial statement early. The day the certificate arrives, the five-day deadline goes on your calendar, and he walks you through the reserves against the planned capital projects, any special assessment and the leasing and renovation rules. He checks with your lender on what condo review the loan needs. In buildings in Rittenhouse, Society Hill and the rest of Center City, he compares monthly fees across similar buildings so you see the full monthly cost, not just the price. Start on the buy page.

Official Sources

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a condo resale certificate in Pennsylvania?

A condo resale certificate is the association's disclosure package, required by Pennsylvania's Uniform Condominium Act, 68 Pa.C.S. 3407. You get it from the seller along with the declaration, bylaws and rules. It shows the monthly assessment, other fees, reserves, the budget, planned capital spending, lawsuits, insurance and known violations. Basically, the building's finances on paper.

How long does a buyer have to review condo documents?

Five days after the resale certificate arrives, or until closing if that comes first. Until then, a Pennsylvania condo buyer can void the purchase contract. The association has ten days to produce the certificate once the seller asks. A real estate attorney can confirm exactly how those five days are counted for your deal.

What should a buyer look for in condo bylaws?

Look for leasing limits, pet rules, renovation approvals, any right of first refusal and how the board votes and raises money. Read the bylaws, declaration and rules together, because they decide what you can actually do with the unit. The resale certificate also says whether the board knows of violations involving the unit.

Who pays for a condo resale certificate in Pennsylvania?

The seller has to furnish it under Pennsylvania law, and the association can charge a reasonable fee to prepare it. Pennsylvania's Uniform Condominium Act doesn't say whether buyer or seller ends up paying that fee or any capital improvement fee. Your agreement of sale and the association documents decide that, so check both.

Can a buyer get an FHA loan for a Philadelphia condo?

Yes, if the building is FHA approved or the unit qualifies for single-unit approval, as of October 2026. Single-unit approval needs a completed project of at least five units that meets part of HUD's project standards. HUD runs a public search of FHA-approved condo projects, so look the building up before you write an offer.

This guide is general information, not legal advice. Condo documents and agreements of sale vary, so confirm deadlines and fees with a Pennsylvania real estate attorney.

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