Condominiums get most of the attention in Florida, but the majority of managed communities are homeowners associations — and they answer to a different chapter, with its own definitions, deadlines and limits on what a board may do.
Updated August 2026
The short version
Chapter 720, F.S. governs Florida homeowners associations. An HOA is a Florida corporation responsible for operating a community where membership is a mandatory condition of parcel ownership. It exercises its powers through its governing documents and FS 720, must make official records available within 10 business days of a written request, and must hold at least one annual meeting each calendar year.
What makes a community an HOA
The defining feature is not the fence or the amenities — it is that ownership of a parcel carries mandatory membership in the association. You do not opt in, and you cannot opt out by declining to use the pool.
That single fact is what gives the association the power to assess you, to enforce rules against you, and ultimately to lien your property. It is also why FS 720 spends so much of its length on limits.
An HOA also sits inside the corporate framework of FS 617, the Florida Not-for-Profit Corporate Act. Its authority comes from its articles of incorporation and bylaws, and where the articles conflict with the bylaws, the articles control — with the declaration controlling over both.
Official records: what members may see, and how fast
Question
FS 720 answer
How soon after a written request must records be available?
10 business days
Are board members' personal tax returns official records?
No
The right to inspect and copy is one of the strongest tools a member has, and one of the most common sources of complaints against managers who treat it as optional. The deadline runs from the written request.
Meetings and notice
Annual meeting — at least once each calendar year, for the election of directors and other business (FS 720.306)
Board meeting notice — posted at least 48 hours in advance in a conspicuous place within the community, unless the bylaws require more (FS 720.303(2))
Both board meetings and membership meetings require advance notice to members — the requirements differ, but neither is exempt (FS 720.303)
The 48-hour posting rule is the one that catches managers, because a board meeting happens whenever a quorum gathers to conduct association business — not only when someone calls it a meeting.
Enforcement: the sequence a board must follow
FS 720.305 sets a due-process order that cannot be short-circuited because the violation seems obvious:
1. Written notice of the violation to the owner
2. A reasonable opportunity to cure it
3. A hearing before a committee or the board
4. Only then, imposition of the penalty
The detail of fines, the committee that must approve them and the limits on suspending privileges is on the fines and enforcement page.
Developer control and transition
New communities begin under developer control. When the developer turns the association over to the members, that event is the transition of association control — the point at which the members' elected board takes over the budget, the contracts and the records.
Transition is where a manager earns their fee or loses the community's trust, because everything that was deferred during developer control surfaces at once.
This page explains Chapter 720 in general terms for CAM exam study. Florida community association law is amended frequently, and specific requirements depend on your governing documents. It is not legal advice — verify current statutes and consult association counsel on real disputes.
Why FS 720 is exam material
Law is 20% of the Florida CAM licensing exam and Procedure another 25% — and FS 720 runs through both. The exam expects you to keep four statutes apart: FS 718 for condominiums, FS 719 for cooperatives, FS 720 for homeowners associations and FS 617 for the corporate shell underneath them all. See how the three community types differ.
Four statutes, and the exam will mix them
FLCamPro drills all 5 CAM content areas with 308 exam-style questions and a plain-English explanation on every answer — law, procedure, budget, insurance and maintenance.
Chapter 720, Florida Statutes governs homeowners associations — the association's definition and powers, members' right to inspect official records, meeting and notice requirements, assessments, and the enforcement process a board must follow before imposing penalties.
What defines an HOA under Florida HOA laws?
A Florida corporation responsible for operating a community in which ownership of a parcel makes membership in the association mandatory. That mandatory membership is what gives the association its assessment and enforcement powers.
How quickly must an HOA produce official records?
Within 10 business days of a member's written request, under FS 720.
Where do the Florida HOA laws and regulations actually live?
The Florida HOA laws and regulations are in Chapter 720, Florida Statutes, sitting on top of FS 617 for the corporate structure. Between them they cover membership, records, meetings, assessments and enforcement.
What are the main HOA laws in Florida an owner should know?
The HOA laws in Florida that come up most are the 10-business-day records deadline, the 48-hour posted notice for board meetings, the annual meeting requirement, and the notice-cure-hearing sequence before any penalty.
Do the state of Florida HOA laws override my governing documents?
The state of Florida HOA laws set the floor. Governing documents may impose stricter requirements — longer notice, for example — but cannot fall below the statute.
What is the difference between Florida HOA rules and laws?
Florida HOA rules and laws are not the same thing: the laws are Chapter 720 and FS 617, while the rules are adopted by the association under its governing documents and must stay within what those laws allow.
What is the Florida HOA rule 720 people refer to?
Usually Chapter 720 itself — there is no single "Florida HOA rule 720". The chapter governs homeowners associations the way FS 718 governs condominiums.
What notice applies to a Florida HOA annual meeting?
An HOA must hold at least one annual meeting each calendar year under FS 720.306, with advance notice to members; board meetings separately require 48 hours' posted notice under FS 720.303(2).
Are board members' tax returns part of HOA official records?
No. Board members' personal tax returns are not official records of the association.
How often must a Florida HOA hold an annual meeting?
At least once each calendar year, for the election of directors and other business, under FS 720.306.
What notice is required for an HOA board meeting in Florida?
At least 48 hours in advance, posted in a conspicuous place within the community, unless the bylaws require more. A board meeting occurs whenever a quorum gathers to conduct association business.
What process must an HOA follow before fining an owner?
Under FS 720.305: written notice of the violation, a reasonable opportunity to cure, a hearing before a committee or the board, and only then the penalty.
What is transition of association control?
The point at which the developer turns control of the HOA over to the members, and an owner-elected board takes over the budget, contracts and records.
Which statute governs my community — 718, 719 or 720?
FS 718 governs condominiums, FS 719 cooperatives, and FS 720 homeowners associations. All three usually sit on top of FS 617, the Not-for-Profit Corporate Act, which supplies the corporate structure.
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