The complete guide to Florida Statute 718 for condo association (COA) board members, property managers, and CAMs. Understand your compliance obligations, deadlines, and how to avoid penalties.
Florida Statute 718, officially titled the "Florida Condominium Act," is the comprehensive state law governing the creation, sale, and operation of all condominium associations (COAs) in Florida. First enacted in 1963 and substantially revised many times since, Chapter 718 establishes the legal framework for how Florida condominiums must be formed, governed, and managed.
Chapter 718 applies only to condominiums (COAs). If your community is a homeowners association (single-family homes, townhomes, or a planned development that is not a condominium), you are governed by Chapter 720 (the Florida HOA Act) instead. The requirements are significantly different.
The statute is divided into several key parts covering different aspects of condominium governance:
If your community is structured as a condominium -- meaning individual ownership of units combined with shared ownership of common elements -- then Chapter 718 applies to your association regardless of size, age, or location within Florida.
These are the essential requirements every Florida condominium association must meet under Chapter 718.
Section 718.111(12) requires associations to maintain a website or web portal and post specific documents for unit-owner access:
Section 718.112 establishes strict notice timelines that associations must follow for all meetings:
Section 718.111(13) mandates financial reporting that scales with association size:
Section 718.111(12) establishes comprehensive record-keeping obligations:
Chapter 718 imposes specific duties on condominium board members as fiduciaries of the association. Board members who fail to meet these obligations can face personal liability:
Newly elected board members must complete a state-approved education course or sign a written certification within 90 days of election. The certification confirms they have read the association's governing documents, Florida Statute 718, and the current rules and regulations.
Board members must act in good faith, in the best interest of the association, and with the care an ordinarily prudent person would exercise. This includes properly maintaining reserves, following competitive bidding requirements, and avoiding conflicts of interest.
Board elections must follow specific procedures including secret ballots, proxy rules, and candidate eligibility requirements. Recent amendments limit board terms and require staggered elections to prevent entrenchment. No individual may serve more than 8 consecutive years without a break.
Board members must ensure meetings are open, records are accessible, and financial reporting is timely and accurate. The association must maintain a website with required documents posted and updated. Board members who obstruct access to records face personal penalties.
The DBPR Division of Condominiums enforces Chapter 718 with significant penalties.
Administrative violations
Improper notice or procedure
Board member bad faith
Denied record access or rights
Stop worrying about deadlines and manual compliance tracking. HOA Cloud automates every Chapter 718 requirement for your condominium association.
Upload a document and HOA Cloud categorizes it, posts it to the correct location, tracks the posting date for retention, and alerts you to any missing required documents.
Schedule a meeting and HOA Cloud automatically posts notice 48+ hours before, sends notifications to all unit owners, and blocks scheduling if too close to the meeting time.
For 3+ story buildings, HOA Cloud tracks milestone inspection deadlines, posts current and prior SIRS studies, manages reserve funding schedules, and sends alerts before studies expire.
All documents are automatically retained for the required 7 years with a 12-month minimum posting period. Complete audit trail of all uploads and changes.
Automated reminders for annual financial report deadlines based on your fiscal year. Tracks whether you need an audit, review, or compilation based on unit count.
Real-time dashboard showing your Chapter 718 compliance status at a glance. See what is compliant, what needs attention, and what is past due.
Florida Statute 718, also known as the Florida Condominium Act, is the state law that governs the creation, governance, and operation of all condominium associations in Florida. It covers everything from document posting and financial reporting to meeting requirements and unit-owner rights.
Under Chapter 718, Florida condo associations must post: the declaration of condominium, bylaws, articles of incorporation, rules and regulations, current year budget, proposed budgets, annual financial reports, SIRS studies (for 3+ story buildings), insurance certificates, meeting notices (48 hours advance), and approved meeting minutes (within 30 days).
Under Florida Statute 718, board meeting notices must be posted at least 48 hours before the meeting. Annual meeting notices require 14 days advance notice. Budget meetings also require 14 days advance notice with the proposed budget distributed to all unit owners.
Chapter 718 requires the annual financial report to be prepared within 90 days after fiscal year end and delivered to owners within 21 days of completion, no later than 180 days (§718.111(13)). Report tiers are based on total annual revenues, not unit count: $500,000 or more requires audited statements, $300,000–$500,000 reviewed, $150,000–$300,000 compiled, and under $150,000 a report of cash receipts and expenditures. Budgets must be distributed 14 days before the budget meeting.
Penalties include DBPR fines up to $5,000 per violation, personal liability for board members acting in bad faith, invalidated meetings for improper notice, lawsuits from unit owners, and potential criminal charges for fraud or misuse of association funds.
Yes. Under Chapter 718, newly elected board members must either complete a state-approved education course or sign a written certification that they have read the association governing documents, Florida Statute 718, and the association rules. This must be done within 90 days of election.
HOA Cloud automates Chapter 718 compliance including automatic document posting, 48-hour meeting notice enforcement, record-retention requirements (generally at least 7 years, with some records kept permanently), SIRS tracking for 3+ story buildings, financial reporting reminders, and a real-time compliance dashboard showing your association's status.
HOA Cloud automates Chapter 718 compliance for condominium associations and Chapter 720 compliance for HOAs. One platform for both community types.
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