Homeowner's Associations Are Out of Control
Almost 45% of all Florida single family homes are in an Association—be it a Homeowner's Association or a Condominium Association. Often these power hungry associations are acting outside of the law. Wasteful spending, no bid contracts, outrageous fines, sham elections, anti landlord rules, insane liens, improper foreclosures—the list goes on.
Many homes that property managers currently manage are within these associations. The associations are often operating like mini governments with basically no accountability, but with the extreme power to fine, penalize, create outrageous requirements, harass owners and tenants, limit the owner's ability to rent, lien properties and create never ending rules and regulations which often are selectively enforced by board members who may not have even been legally elected.
HB 1203: The First Step (July 2025)
In July of 2025, HB 1203 went into effect. Some reforms were made which increased some accountability and visibility, but they did not go far enough.
What HB 1203 Accomplished
- Some fines were prohibited and a curing period was put into place to give an owner a chance to comply
- Easing up on holiday decoration restrictions
- Some fines now require 7 days written notice first
- Some vehicle restrictions were eased
- "Association preferred contractors" are now not required to be used by the owners
- Increased freedoms on what an owner can or cannot do in their own non-visible backyard
This was a great first step. But more is needed.
House Bill 657: Taking Reform Further
House Bill 657, introduced by Juan Porras, is a 39-page long document. We urge you to read it carefully and get a better understanding. Here are some of the highlights:
Key Provisions of HB 657
- Elimination of pre-suit mediation — Removes bureaucratic hurdles before taking action
- Statewide Community Association Court — Creates a dedicated court system for the resolution of disputes
- Direct legal action — Homeowners can directly sue the Association without having to go through the bureaucratic layer of the DBPR
- Association dissolution rights — Homeowners can vote to dissolve the Association if 20% of the members support dissolution AND 2/3 of the members vote to dissolve
- Increased transparency — Greater visibility into the actions or proposed actions of the Association
- Standardized documents — Associations would need to standardize and publicly update governing documents annually
Get Informed and Get Politically Active
Keep informed and get politically active. These bills and laws impact YOU as a property manager and your goals should be to protect your property owner's rights.
