Before you act: This is a starting guide for board research, not legal advice or an exhaustive statement of current law. Applicability depends on your community’s documents, legal form, and history. Confirm amendments and effective dates in the official code, and consult a qualified local attorney about a specific decision.
Which legal framework should a Florida board start with?
Homeowners’ Associations, Chapter 720
Florida’s Chapter 720 regulates covered homeowners associations. Its topics include meetings, official records, budgets, financial reporting, elections, assessments, and dispute resolution. Condominiums operate under a separate statutory framework, principally Chapter 718, so an association’s legal form is the first question.
Source: Homeowners’ Associations, Chapter 720 — official state source ↗
What should your board check first?
- Check whether Chapter 720, Chapter 718, or another association framework applies.
- Review current record-access, website, and director requirements rather than reusing an older checklist.
- Keep assessment enforcement and fines separate, and confirm the required notices and hearings before either process.
Follow the linked legal and agency sources below to verify the framework and its scope. A chapter title is a starting point; definitions, exceptions, amendments, and effective dates determine how a particular provision applies.
Florida questions, with sources
Do Florida HOAs and condominiums have the same website threshold?
No single threshold should be applied to both. The 2026 text of HOA section 720.303(4)(b) addresses website or application posting for associations with 100 or more parcels and includes protected owner access and redaction provisions. Condominiums have a separate Chapter 718 framework. A public marketing website alone does not establish that an association meets its obligations.
A practical research checklist for your board
The questions below are a way to organize your research, rather than a list of legal requirements that necessarily applies to every Florida association.
1. Establish what your community is
Collect the recorded declaration or master deed, amendments, articles, and bylaws. Note the creation date, whether lots or condominium units are involved, and whether a developer still holds control. Ask counsel which statutory provisions apply to that combination.
2. Match the decision to the right procedure
For a meeting or election, locate the applicable notice, quorum, voting, and minutes provisions. For a budget or assessment, check who has approval authority and what disclosures are required. For enforcement, confirm the association’s authority, notice process, and any hearing or dispute-resolution steps before sending a demand.
3. Organize the evidence and responsibilities
Keep a clear record of the rule being relied on, the decision made, the people responsible, and the supporting documents. Separate a software reminder from a legal deadline: entering a date does not establish that the date is correct. Review retention, access, and privacy obligations before sharing owner records.
4. Verify changes before acting
Open the official text, check its edition, and read amendment and effective-date notes. A bill, future operative provision, old PDF, and current statute can say different things. Have a qualified Florida attorney review a disputed covenant, collection action, amendment, or other decision with legal consequences.
Florida sources & edition notes
- Homeowners’ Associations, Chapter 720 — official state source ↗State legislature or agency resource. Check the page’s edition and effective-date notes.
- Florida Senate: 2026 statute 720.303 ↗State legislature or agency resource. Check the page’s edition and effective-date notes.
The links point to official legislative or agency materials. Agency summaries and downloaded code PDFs can lag later amendments; verify the edition and any supplements. Sources were consulted on October 29, 2026; this page has not been reviewed by a Florida attorney.