Massachusetts board guide
What is a 6(d) certificate? Massachusetts condo sales, explained
A 6(d) certificate is a statement from a Massachusetts condominium association, under M.G.L. c. 183A, s. 6(d), that says whether the seller of a unit owes any unpaid common charges, assessments or fees. The buyer's attorney and the lender require it before closing, because unpaid common charges are a lien on the unit, and the recorded certificate clears that lien. The association must provide it within ten business days of a written request. Copper Bottom prepares them for the associations we manage with two business days' notice, for $200.
What the certificate says
- The unit and the association.
- Whether any common charges, special assessments, late fees or fines are unpaid, and the amount.
- Signed by a trustee or the managing agent, often notarized, so it can be recorded at the registry of deeds.
Who issues it and when
The organization of unit owners, meaning the trustees or their managing agent, issues it on written request from the owner, the buyer or an attorney. The statute gives the association ten business days. Lenders often ask for a condo questionnaire at the same time: insurance, reserves, owner-occupancy, litigation and budget questions that a self-managed board has to dig for.
Why self-managed boards get stuck
The request arrives three days before closing, the treasurer is on vacation, nobody is sure whether the seller paid last month's special assessment, and the questionnaire asks for the insurance certificate and the reserve balance. A late certificate can delay a closing, and a wrong one can cost the association the unpaid charges it failed to report. Most of the boards that call us mention a 6(d) problem in the first conversation.
How Copper Bottom handles 6(d) requests
Each association's ledger is kept current in the portal, so the amount owed on any unit is known the day a request arrives. We prepare the certificate and the questionnaire from the records, have it signed, and deliver it within two business days. The fee, $200, is listed in the agreement and is normally paid by the seller at closing.
6(d) questions
How long does an association have to provide a 6(d) certificate in Massachusetts?
Ten business days from a written request under M.G.L. c. 183A, s. 6(d). We provide them in two.
Who pays for the 6(d) certificate?
Usually the seller, at closing. Our fee is $200 and is listed in the management agreement.
What happens if the association reports the wrong amount?
The recorded certificate clears the lien for charges it does not list, so the association can lose the right to collect them from the new owner. That is why the ledger has to be right before the certificate is signed.
Is a 6(d) the same as a condo questionnaire?
No. The 6(d) is the statutory certificate about unpaid charges. The questionnaire is the lender's form about the association's finances, insurance and rules. They are often requested together, and we prepare both.
General information, not legal advice, checked in October 2026 against M.G.L. c. 183A, s. 6(d).
Official sources: M.G.L. c. 183A, s. 6
Tired of being the one who finds the ledger?
Association management from $50 per door, with 6(d) certificates in two business days.