Post-Closing Liquidity
The liquid cash a co-op board requires you to have left over after paying the down payment and closing costs — typically 12+ months of maintenance and mortgage.
Last updated: August 12, 2026Also called “post-closing reserves.” NYC co-op boards don’t just check whether you can afford the down payment and closing costs — they want proof you could keep paying maintenance and your mortgage for months afterward if your income stopped. That means a chunk of your liquid assets has to stay untouched after closing, not spent on the purchase. Only genuinely liquid holdings count (cash, high-yield savings, brokerage accounts); retirement accounts are generally excluded.
Formula: Required reserve = Reserve months × (Monthly maintenance + Monthly mortgage payment)
Worked example
A $700,000 co-op with $1,500/month maintenance and a $3,200/month mortgage payment, at a building requiring 12 months of reserves: 12 × ($1,500 + $3,200) = $56,400 in liquid reserves — on top of the down payment and closing costs, and untouched by either. Conservative or luxury buildings can require 24 months, doubling that figure. See the co-op reserve guide for what counts as liquid, or run your own building’s numbers on the Co-op Calculator.