New Law Requires Website For Larger Condo Associations
Over the past few years, the Florida legislature has passed numerous laws intended to push homeowners’ associations (HOAs) and condominium associations to be more transparent, both with their constituents and with the public at large. A law that went into effect in July 2024 expands that mandate, requiring condo associations with 25 or more units to have a website by the dawn of 2026. It is important for both board members and owners to properly understand the new law.
Transparency Is Key
The bill originally only required condo associations with 150+ units to have an association website, but in the interests of transparency, the legislature sought to lower that limit significantly. Data from 2019 estimates that Florida has the second highest number of community associations in the United States, with a significant portion of those being condominium associations – yet until recently, many of these associations did not have to have their founding records and other integral documents immediately accessible to its members. The Condo Website Law aims to change this.
While creating and maintaining a website can be somewhat burdensome, the legislature held that the right of condo owners to access their association’s foundational records surpassed the right of the condo board to a lesser administrative burden. The new law does allow the website to be created and maintained by a third party – for example, a professional web developer – so no board needs to take on the nitty-gritty work unless it feels the need.
Ensuring Your Association’s Compliance
In order to be compliant with the new law, an association must have a public-facing website, accessible by ordinary internet, but the site must also contain a section that only association members can access. In that section, the association must post copies of certain records, so that any unit owner who requests access may have it. Those documents include:
- The recorded declaration of condominium for every unit in the association, with any amendments made to those declarations;
- Association bylaws and their amendments;
- The association’s Articles of Incorporation and any amendments;
- Association rules;
- Each yearly budget and financial reports; and
- Any contracts to which the association is a party where it would bear an obligation or responsibility.
These and the other required records must be accessible at all times to unit owners upon written request. Failure to comply will result in fines to the association, which can pile up over time, which can in turn create conflict between the board and the condo owners.
Contact A Tampa Condo Association Attorney
Condominium associations must stay on top of the changes coming out of Tallahassee in order to protect themselves and their unit owners. If you have questions, as a unit owner or as a board member, a Tampa condo association attorney from the Seward Law Office may be able to assist. Attorney Alicia Seward has handled these matters before; let our office handle yours. Contact us today at 813-252-6789 to schedule a consultation.
Source:
foundation.caionline.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/2020StatsReview_Web.pdf
