Florida HOA Laws: A Complete Board Guide for 2026

Florida splits community-association law by community type. Homeowners' associations — planned developments of single-family homes and townhomes — are governed by the Florida Homeowners' Association Act, Chapter 720, Florida Statutes. Condominium associations are governed by the Florida Condominium Act, Chapter 718. Cooperatives fall under Chapter 719. The two main chapters cover similar ground — meetings, budgets, elections, records — but the citations and several specific rules differ, so the first step for any board is knowing which chapter is yours.

After the 2021 Surfside collapse, Florida passed Senate Bill 4-D (2022) and follow-on legislation that fundamentally changed reserve obligations for condominium and cooperative buildings. Condo associations operating buildings three stories or higher must now obtain a Structural Integrity Reserve Study (SIRS) under § 718.112(2)(g), and boards can no longer waive or underfund reserves for the structural components the SIRS covers. Separately, the milestone inspection requirement in § 553.899requires recurring structural inspections of older three-story-plus buildings. HOAs under Chapter 720 are not subject to SIRS, but their reserve and budget disclosure duties under § 720.303 still apply. If you run a condo board, reserve compliance is now the highest-liability item on your agenda.

Both chapters require the board to adopt an annual budget and give owners advance notice of the meeting at which it is considered. For condominiums, § 718.112(2)(e) requires the budget to include reserves (subject to the post-Surfside limits on waiver), and owners must receive the proposed budget with the meeting notice — typically at least 14 days in advance. For HOAs, § 720.303(6) sets the budget and reserve-disclosure framework. Special assessments carry their own notice requirements and must state the specific purpose for which the funds will be used.

Condominium elections under § 718.112(2)(d)follow a strict, well-defined process — a first notice of the election at least 60 days out, candidate self-nomination, and a sealed-ballot procedure — and getting it wrong is a frequent source of disputes. HOA elections under Chapter 720 follow the procedures in the governing documents plus the statute's baseline protections. For routine board meetings, notice must generally be posted on the property at least 48 hours in advance; meetings where assessments or rules are adopted carry longer, mailed-notice requirements. Owners have the right to attend and to speak on agenda items.

Florida is strict about records access. Under § 718.111(12) for condos and § 720.303(5) for HOAs, the association must make its official records available to an owner within 10 business days of a written request. The records include the governing documents, minutes, contracts, financial records, and insurance policies, with limited statutory exceptions for protected personal information. Failure to provide access can expose the association to statutory damages — making records organization not just good practice but a direct liability shield.

The Florida board's biggest risks are now reserve compliance (especially the SIRS and milestone rules for condos), the 10-business-day records deadline, and election procedure. The reliable defense is process: confirm whether Chapter 718 or 720 governs you, get the structural reserve study done if you operate a three-story-plus condo, send budgets with proper notice, run elections by the statute, and keep official records ready to produce inside the 10-day window. Not sure where you stand? Our free compliance auditchecks these Florida-specific areas before a regulator or an owner's attorney does.