HOA - Homeowners’ Association Act, Chapter 720, Florida Statutes

Chapter 720 of the Florida Statutes is the Homeowners' Association Act. It sets the rules for how Florida HOAs are run: how boards are elected and trained, how meetings are noticed, which records owners can see, how budgets and financial reports are prepared, and how fines and suspensions must be handled. It applies to communities of single-family homes, townhomes and villas that are governed by a mandatory homeowners' association. Condominiums are covered by a different law, Chapter 718.

This page summarizes the parts of Chapter 720 that Tampa Bay and Sarasota boards ask about most, notes what changed in 2024, 2025 and 2026, and links to the official statute. The current text of Chapter 720 is published by the Florida Legislature and should be the final word on any question.

What Chapter 720 covers

The statute is organized into three parts. Part I (sections 720.301 to 720.318) is the core of the law and covers definitions, governing documents, board powers and duties, meetings, official records, budgets, financial reporting, assessments, fines and architectural control. Part II covers disclosure to prospective buyers. Part III sets out the process for reviving covenants that have expired under the Marketable Record Title Act.

Chapter 720 works together with an association's own declaration of covenants, articles of incorporation, bylaws and rules. Where the governing documents are silent, the statute controls. Where the two conflict, the statute usually wins, so a board should read both before acting on a question of procedure.

Board duties, meetings and director education

An HOA board must post notice of every board meeting in a conspicuous place in the community at least 48 hours in advance. Meetings at which a special assessment or a change to parcel-use rules will be considered need at least 14 days' mailed or delivered notice, and the notice must say that assessments will be discussed. Board meetings are open to members, who may speak on agenda items.

Every director must complete a state-approved education course of at least four hours within 90 days of being elected or appointed, and file a certificate with the association. The certificate is good for four years. On top of that, directors must complete four hours of continuing education each year in associations with fewer than 2,500 parcels, or eight hours in larger associations. A director who does not file on time is suspended from the board until the paperwork is in.

Directors and officers must disclose any conflict of interest at least 14 days before voting on the matter or signing a contract, and accepting a kickback from a vendor is a third-degree felony that also removes the person from office.

Official records and association websites

Owners have a right to inspect and copy the association's official records. The association must make them available within 10 business days of a written request. If it does not, the owner can recover minimum damages of $50 a day for up to 10 days, and a request sent by certified mail creates a presumption that the association acted willfully. Since 2024, knowingly and repeatedly denying access with intent to harm the association is a misdemeanor, destroying accounting records is a first-degree misdemeanor, and refusing to produce records to avoid prosecution is a felony.

Associations with 100 or more parcels were required to have a website or mobile app in place by January 1, 2025. It must carry the declaration, articles, bylaws and rules, the current and proposed budgets, the annual financial report, insurance policies, executory contracts and recent bid lists, director education certificates, and meeting notices and agendas. Owners get a login to a members-only section on request.

Budgets, reserves and financial reporting

The annual budget must estimate revenues and expenses, show any projected surplus or deficit, and list amenity fees separately. Reserves are optional for an HOA unless a majority of the total voting interests has voted to establish them. Once established, they must be funded on a formula based on each component's remaining useful life and replacement cost. A majority of owners present at a meeting with a quorum can waive or reduce reserve funding, but only for one budget year at a time.

Within 90 days after the end of the fiscal year the association must prepare, or hire a CPA to prepare, a financial report. The type of report depends on total annual revenue: a report of cash receipts and expenditures under $150,000, compiled statements from $150,000 to under $300,000, reviewed statements from $300,000 to under $500,000, and audited statements at $500,000 or more. Associations with 1,000 or more parcels need an audit regardless of revenue. Owners must receive a copy, or notice that one is available, within 21 days of completion and no later than 120 days after year end. Our association budget calculator can help a board size next year's numbers before the budget meeting.

Fines, suspensions and enforcement

Unless the governing documents allow more, a fine is capped at $100 per violation and $1,000 in total for a continuing violation. A fine under $1,000 cannot become a lien on the home. Before any fine or suspension, the owner must get at least 14 days' written notice of the right to a hearing, and the hearing must be held within 90 days before a committee of at least three members who are not directors, officers, employees, or their close relatives. If a majority of the committee does not approve, no fine or suspension can be imposed. If the owner fixes the violation before the hearing, the fine is off the table. The committee's written findings must go out within seven days, and the payment date on an approved fine must be at least 30 days after the notice is delivered.

An association may suspend an owner's use of common areas for a reasonable period for a violation, but it can never block access to the parcel, including parking. Owners who are more than 90 days behind on any amount owed may have their common-area use and voting rights suspended until they are paid up. The statute also protects a few things boards cannot fine for: garbage cans left out within 24 hours of pickup, and holiday decorations unless they stay up more than a week after written notice.

What changed in 2024, 2025 and 2026

2024: the HB 1203 overhaul

House Bill 1203, effective July 1, 2024, was the largest rewrite of Chapter 720 in more than a decade. It introduced the director education requirement, the fine caps and independent fining committee rules described above, the criminal penalties for records violations and kickbacks, limits on fining owners for parking personal or work vehicles in their own driveways, and the website requirement for associations with 100 or more parcels, which took effect on January 1, 2025.

2025: no amendments to Chapter 720

The 2025 Legislature did not amend Chapter 720. The year's major community-association bill, HB 913, dealt with condominiums under Chapter 718 and does not apply to HOAs. The only HOA rule that started in 2025 was the website deadline carried over from the 2024 law.

2026: architectural review and building permits

The 2026 session produced one change to Chapter 720. House Bill 803, effective July 1, 2026, amended section 720.3035 so that an association or its architectural review committee may not require an owner to obtain a government building permit before the committee reviews the application, and a missing permit cannot be the reason for a denial. The committee may still grant conditional approval that depends on the owner obtaining the permit later. A broader HOA bill, HB 657, passed the House but died in the Senate in March 2026, so its proposals on electronic voting, conflicts of interest and HOA termination are not law.

Chapter 720 and Chapter 718

Many Tampa Bay communities contain both: a master homeowners' association under Chapter 720 with one or more condominium associations under Chapter 718 inside it. The two laws differ in important ways. Condominium reserves for structural items are mandatory and tied to the structural integrity reserve study, while HOA reserves are voluntary unless the members vote them in. Condominium records must be produced within 10 working days under the DBPR's oversight, and condominium boards answer to the Division of Florida Condominiums, Timeshares and Mobile Homes, which has far less authority over HOAs. If your community has both kinds of association, see our summary of Chapter 718 as well.

Frequently asked questions

Does Chapter 720 apply to my community?

It applies if your community is a residential subdivision where owners are required to be members of a homeowners' association that can levy assessments and place liens. Condominiums are governed by Chapter 718 and cooperatives by Chapter 719. A voluntary civic association with no power to assess is not covered.

How much can a Florida HOA fine an owner?

Up to $100 per violation and $1,000 in total for a continuing violation, unless the governing documents set higher amounts. A fine below $1,000 cannot become a lien, and no fine can be imposed without 14 days' notice and a hearing before an independent committee.

How fast must an HOA provide records?

Within 10 business days of receiving a written request. After that, the owner is entitled to minimum damages of $50 a day for up to 10 days.

Do HOA board members have to take a course?

Yes. Each director must complete at least four hours of approved education within 90 days of taking office, repeat it every four years, and complete four hours of continuing education each year (eight hours in associations with 2,500 or more parcels).

Does our HOA need a website?

Associations with 100 or more parcels have been required to maintain a website or mobile app with a members-only section since January 1, 2025. Smaller associations are not required to have one, although many choose to.

Are reserves required for an HOA?

Not unless the members have voted to establish them or the developer set them up in the governing documents. Once reserves exist, the board must fund them on the statutory formula each year unless the members vote to waive or reduce funding for that year.

How Condominium Associates helps HOA boards

Our Florida-licensed community association managers handle the Chapter 720 calendar for the HOAs we serve across Tampa Bay, Pasco, Pinellas and Sarasota: meeting notices, director certification tracking, records requests, website posting, budget preparation, financial reporting and fining procedures that hold up under the statute. Learn more about our HOA management services, browse the board resources library, or request a proposal for your community.

This page is a general summary for educational purposes and is not legal advice. Florida statutes change, and an association's governing documents may impose different requirements. Consult your association's attorney before acting on a specific legal question.