Florida Law · Legislative Update · 2026 Briefing

Florida 2026 Community Association Legal Landscape: 2025 Reforms in Full Effect & 2026 Session Results

The 2026 Florida Regular Session produced more headlines than statutes. The operational compliance picture for Florida HOA and condominium boards in 2026 is dominated not by what the 2026 Legislature enacted, but by what the 2024 and 2025 sessions enacted — reforms now hitting their effective dates and reshaping how boards budget, communicate, and document their decisions. This briefing walks through what is in effect today, what the 2026 session did and did not do, and what boards should be focused on through the rest of the year.

The Headline: 2026 Was a Pause, Not a Pivot

Florida’s 2026 Regular Session convened on January 13, 2026, and adjourned sine die on March 13, 2026. Trade organizations tracked approximately 68 bills of community-association relevance across both chambers. The most prominent — House Bill 657, the omnibus community-association governance measure — passed the House 108–2 on the final day of session but had no Senate companion that could be reconciled in time. It died. Several other significant proposals (audioconferencing meetings, expanded turnover-records databases, mandatory professional management thresholds) similarly stalled.

The result is that 2026 is not a year of new substantive condo or HOA statutes in Florida. It is a year in which the substantial reforms of 2024 (HB 1021, HB 1203) and 2025 (HB 913, post-Surfside Phase 2 implementation) are now fully or substantially in effect, with operational deadlines that boards must address regardless of any new legislative activity. The compliance question for Florida boards in 2026 is not “what new laws apply” but “are we caught up with the laws already in place.”

The 2026 Florida legislative session was a pause. The 2024 and 2025 compliance obligations are not.

What Took Effect Heading Into 2026

Condominium Online Records Mandate (HB 1021)

Beginning January 1, 2026, condominium associations with 25 or more units must provide unit owners with password-protected digital access to specified association documents through a website or application. This is a meaningful expansion of the prior 150-unit threshold and brings smaller mid-rise and garden-condominium associations within the digital-records regime for the first time. The required documents typically include governing documents, meeting notices, board-meeting minutes, the most recent annual budget and financial report, contracts and bids, certain insurance information, and the Structural Integrity Reserve Study (SIRS) where applicable.

Practical implication: condominium boards that have not yet stood up a compliant member portal (either through their management company’s platform or a third-party vendor) should be doing so now. The deadline was January 1; enforcement and unit-owner inquiries are active.

HOA Online Records (Already in Effect)

The parallel HOA obligation took effect January 1, 2025: HOAs with 100 or more parcels must post specified documents on the association’s website or app. By mid-2026 the obligation is fully mature, and the question is whether the posted documents are current rather than whether the portal exists. Boards should audit the portal quarterly to ensure budgets, financial reports, minutes, and other dynamic documents are kept up to date.

SIRS Deadline — December 31, 2025 (HB 913 Extension)

The 2025 HB 913 amendments extended the Structural Integrity Reserve Study deadline for unit-owner-controlled condominium associations from December 31, 2024, to December 31, 2025, with a related accommodation permitting SIRS work to run concurrently with milestone inspections falling on or before December 31, 2026. By May 2026, the extended deadline has passed for all but the most narrowly accommodated associations. Boards that did not complete the SIRS by the deadline are operating in a non-compliance posture that DBPR may address through enforcement and that owners may raise in private litigation.

Practical implication: if your condominium association does not have a completed, current SIRS, that fact should be a standing agenda item until it is resolved. The path forward involves engaging a licensed engineer or architect (and a reserve specialist where the SIRS protocol contemplates one), completing the inspection and study, and reflecting the funding implications in the next budget cycle.

Reserve Funding — January 1, 2026 Threshold

HB 913 amended the Chapter 718 reserve framework in several practical ways. The minimum-funding threshold for reserves under the SIRS was clarified, the reserve threshold for major repair-and-replacement items moved from $10,000 to $25,000 (indexed to inflation), and unit-owner-controlled associations were given express authority to fund the SIRS reserve obligation through special assessments, lines of credit, or loans approved by a majority of the total voting interests. The January 1, 2026, threshold for fully-funded SIRS reserves applies to qualifying associations, and budgets adopted for fiscal years beginning on or after that date are expected to reflect compliant reserve practice.

Director Education — Continuing Compliance

The director-education requirements enacted in 2024 (HB 1021 for condos; HB 1203 for HOAs) require newly elected or appointed directors to complete an education course covering specified topics — including, for condo directors, milestone inspections, SIRS, elections, recordkeeping, financial literacy, fines, and meeting notice requirements. Existing directors had until mid-2025 to complete the course; new directors must complete it within 90 days of election or appointment. By May 2026, the program is mature, the certificate-of-completion infrastructure is in place, and directors who have not completed the requirement are non-compliant.

HOA Operational Provisions (HB 1203)

HB 1203 enacted several owner-protection provisions for HOAs that are now fully in effect:

• Pickup truck parking — HOAs may not prohibit a homeowner or others authorized by the homeowner from parking a pickup truck in the homeowner’s driveway or any other area where they have a right to park.
• Garbage receptacle fines — HOAs may not issue a fine or suspension for leaving garbage receptacles at the curb or end of the driveway less than 24 hours before or after the designated garbage collection day or time.
• Director education — The same 90-day post-election course requirement now applies to HOA directors, with the certificate filed with the association.
• Records and transparency — Additional records obligations and the digital-records portal requirements for HOAs of 100 or more parcels.

Practical implication: HOA enforcement programs that have not been updated to reflect these provisions are at risk. Boards should walk through current violation-notice templates and fine schedules and align them with HB 1203.

Milestone Inspections — The Continuing Phase

The post-Surfside milestone inspection regime (SB 4-D, 2022; refined by SB 154, 2023; further accommodated by HB 913, 2025) continues to operate. Buildings reaching 30 years of age (or 25 years within three miles of a coastline) must complete a Phase 1 inspection, with Phase 2 inspections triggered by the engineer’s findings. By mid-2026, many Florida condominium associations have either completed their initial milestone inspection or are inside the statutory window for completion. Boards still working through the regime should be tracking the inspection deadline, the engineer’s findings, any Phase 2 obligations, and the recordkeeping and reporting requirements associated with each step.

What the 2026 Session Did — And Did Not Do

The 2026 Regular Session was unusually active in introduced bills but unusually inactive in enacted condo/HOA statutes. The following table summarizes the most-watched proposals and their final dispositions.

The legislative landscape is best understood by what did not change: the meeting-notice framework, the director-conflict statutes (§§ 718.3027 and 720.3033), the fining and hearing procedures, the records statutes, the SIRS and milestone framework as enacted in 2025, and the emergency-powers provisions in §§ 718.1265 and 720.316. All of these remain operative in the form they took at the end of the 2025 cycle.

The Compliance Picture for Florida Boards in 2026

For most Florida HOA and condominium associations, the 2026 compliance agenda has six anchors:

1. SIRS and Reserves

If your condominium association is required to have a SIRS and does not have a current one, address that immediately. If the SIRS is complete, ensure that the reserve schedule it produced is reflected in the 2026 budget and that funding mechanisms (assessments, line of credit, or loan) are in place to satisfy the statutory reserve obligations. The Department of Business and Professional Regulation continues to issue guidance and conduct enforcement; non-compliance is not invisible.

2. Director Education Certificates

Every newly elected or appointed director must complete the statutory education course within 90 days. The certificate must be on file. Boards should treat the certificate as a board-onboarding deliverable on par with the conflict-of-interest disclosure and the receipt acknowledgment for the governing documents.

3. Online Records Portal

Condominium associations of 25 or more units must have the portal live and current as of January 1, 2026. HOAs of 100 or more parcels have been live since January 1, 2025. The standard for “current” is real: meeting notices, minutes, budgets, and financial reports must be posted within a reasonable period of their creation. Quarterly audits of the portal’s contents are good practice.

4. Pickup-Truck and Garbage-Receptacle Compliance (HOAs)

HOAs should walk through enforcement templates and confirm that pickup-truck driveway parking and short-window curbside garbage placement are not bases for fines or suspensions. Where they are, the templates should be revised before the next enforcement cycle.

5. Milestone Inspections

Condominium associations subject to the milestone inspection regime should know the date of their last completed inspection, the date the next inspection is due, the engineer’s most recent findings, and the status of any Phase 2 work. The inspection records belong in the official records of the association under § 718.111(12) and should be accessible to unit owners on the same terms as other official records.

6. Documentation Integrity

The procedural reforms of 2024 and 2025 broadly raised the documentation expectations applicable to Florida boards. Meeting minutes are more frequently requested, board records are more frequently inspected, and the consequences of procedural lapses are more frequently litigated and arbitrated. Florida boards should treat clean, current, and complete records as a structural protection, not a clerical task. The business judgment rule, the codified fiduciary duty, and the available D&O protection all depend on the records.

What Probably Comes Back in 2027

Several of the 2026 proposals that did not advance are likely to return in some form during the 2027 Regular Session. Boards should expect continuing legislative attention to the following themes:

• Association dissolution mechanics. The HB 657 framework for HOA dissolution, the community-association court program, and the elimination of pre-suit mediation in some contexts were live policy debates in 2026 and are likely to return.
• Mandatory professional management thresholds. The HB 465 / SB 822 line of bills addressing required CAM management for larger associations is part of a multi-year arc post-Surfside and is likely to return in 2027 with refined thresholds.
• Audio and remote meeting authority. SB 1744 reflected continuing interest in modernizing the meeting-format framework. A successor bill is plausible.
• Records and turnover transparency. The HB 255 / SB 638 line addressing turnover certificates, expanded records, and the developer-control window is likely to return.
• Fining and enforcement refinements. Discrete enforcement-procedure amendments tend to surface every session; the 2027 cycle will be no exception.

Florida boards that are operating substantially in compliance with the 2024 and 2025 reforms are well positioned to absorb whatever the 2027 session produces. Boards that are still behind on the 2024 and 2025 obligations should focus on closing that gap before the next round.

Five Things Florida Boards Should Do Before the End of 2026

1. Conduct a SIRS and reserves compliance audit. If you are a condominium association required to have a SIRS, confirm its existence, currency, and reflection in your reserve schedule. If you are an HOA, confirm that your reserve practices align with the governing documents and any owner-vote requirements for funding choices.
2. Inventory director education certificates. Every sitting director should have a certificate on file. The director-onboarding workflow should treat the certificate as required documentation.
3. Audit the online records portal. Pull up the portal as a unit owner or parcel owner would. Are meeting notices posted? Are minutes current? Are budgets and financial reports the latest version? Where the answer is no, schedule the fix this quarter.
4. Review enforcement templates. For HOAs, confirm pickup-truck driveway parking and garbage-receptacle handling are removed from fineable conduct. For both HOAs and condos, confirm fining and suspension procedures honor the statutory notice-and-hearing requirements.
5. Confirm the milestone inspection status. Condominium associations should know exactly where they stand: inspection completed, Phase 2 status, engineer recommendations addressed. The records should be in the official records and accessible to owners under § 718.111(12).

Frequently Asked Questions

Did the 2026 session pass any condo or HOA bills that boards should know about?

The 2026 Regular Session did not enact substantive amendments to Chapters 718 or 720 of the kind seen in 2024 or 2025. HB 657, the most-watched proposal, passed the House but died without a Senate companion. Boards should monitor whether the Governor signs any narrow bills with discrete community-association provisions through the post-session period, but the operational landscape for 2026 is dominated by the 2024 and 2025 reform packages.

What happens if our condominium association did not complete a SIRS by the December 31, 2025, deadline?

The association is non-compliant with Chapter 718. DBPR may take enforcement action; unit owners may raise the failure in litigation or arbitration; lenders and insurers may flag the non-compliance in underwriting. The corrective path is to engage a licensed engineer or architect promptly, complete the SIRS, and adjust the reserve schedule and budget accordingly. The non-compliance does not become less serious with time, and the cost of remediation typically increases.

What is the practical difference between the 2024 HOA online-records rule and the 2026 condo online-records rule?

The HOA rule (HB 1203, effective January 1, 2025) applies to HOAs with 100 or more parcels. The condo rule (HB 1021, effective January 1, 2026 with the threshold lowered from 150 to 25 units) applies to condominium associations with 25 or more units. The document categories required to be posted are similar but not identical, and the condo regime is somewhat more detailed because of the SIRS and milestone records that are unique to condominiums. Boards subject to either rule should consult counsel on the specifics.

Are HOA boards exempt from any of the 2025 condo reforms?

The SIRS regime, the milestone inspection regime, and several of the condominium-specific reserve provisions in HB 913 apply only to condominium associations governed by Chapter 718. HOAs governed by Chapter 720 have parallel but distinct obligations under HB 1203. The structure is parallel rather than identical. Boards should not assume the rules in one chapter apply to the other.

What about cooperatives under Chapter 719?

Florida cooperatives under Chapter 719 share many features of the Chapter 718 framework, including the emergency-powers provision in § 719.128. HB 913 made parallel amendments to Chapter 719 in several areas. Cooperative boards should consult counsel for chapter-specific guidance; the broad themes of this briefing apply to cooperatives, but the specific provisions differ.

How does the 2026 pause affect our long-term compliance planning?

It does not. The 2024 and 2025 reforms remain operative and continue to mature. The 2026 pause is an opportunity to consolidate compliance against the existing framework rather than a signal that future reform has stopped. Boards should expect continuing legislative attention to community-association governance in 2027 and beyond.

Does the business judgment rule protect us if we are out of compliance on a statutory obligation?

The business judgment rule is a substantive director-liability doctrine; it does not insulate the association from statutory compliance obligations. A board that has done its procedural work in good faith may be protected on a discretionary decision the rule covers; the same board is not insulated from a SIRS deadline, a records-request deadline, or a milestone inspection deadline by virtue of having acted in good faith. Statutory compliance and BJR protection are independent — you need both.

What should we tell our members about the 2026 session?

The honest message is that the 2026 session did not enact substantive new condo or HOA legislation, that the focus for 2026 is implementing the 2024 and 2025 reforms, and that the board is on track (or, where it is not, that the board has a specific plan and timeline to close any gaps). Owners appreciate accurate information; opaque communications produce inquiries and complaints. Transparency is now both a statutory expectation and a relationship discipline.

Key Takeaways

• The 2026 Florida Regular Session adjourned sine die on March 13, 2026, without enacting substantive new amendments to Chapter 718 or Chapter 720.
• HB 657, the most-watched community-association governance bill, passed the House but died without a Senate companion. Several other significant proposals stalled in committee.
• The 2026 operational landscape is dominated by the 2024 (HB 1021, HB 1203) and 2025 (HB 913) reforms, all of which are now fully or substantially in effect.
• The December 31, 2025, SIRS deadline has passed. Associations without a current SIRS are non-compliant and should remediate promptly.
• The January 1, 2026, condominium online-records portal mandate applies to associations of 25 or more units. The parallel HOA portal mandate (100 or more parcels) has been in effect since January 1, 2025.
• Director-education certificates must be on file for every sitting director. New directors must complete the course within 90 days of election or appointment.
• HOA enforcement programs must align with the HB 1203 pickup-truck and garbage-receptacle protections.
• Boards should expect continuing legislative attention to association dissolution, mandatory professional management thresholds, audio/remote meeting authority, and records transparency in the 2027 cycle.
• Statutory compliance and business-judgment-rule protection are independent. Florida boards need both.

References & Sources

1. Florida HB 913 (2025) — Condominium and Cooperative Associations amendments (signed June 23, 2025; primarily effective July 1, 2025).
2. Florida HB 1021 (2024) — Condominium Associations amendments (online records lowered threshold; director education).
3. Florida HB 1203 (2024) — Homeowners’ Associations amendments (director education; pickup-truck and garbage-receptacle protections; records).
4. Florida SB 4-D (2022) — Original post-Surfside reform package including milestone inspections and SIRS framework.
5. Florida SB 154 (2023) — Refinement of the SB 4-D framework.
6. Florida HB 657 (2026 Regular Session) — Community Association Governance (passed House, died sine die).
7. Florida SB 1744 (2026 Regular Session) — Audioconferencing meetings; died in committee.
8. Florida HB 465 / SB 822 (2026 Regular Session) — Mandatory community-association management; advanced but not reconciled in 2026.
9. Florida HB 255 / SB 638 (2026 Regular Session) — Condominium records; died in committee.
10. Fla. Stat. Chapter 718 — Condominium Act.
11. Fla. Stat. Chapter 720 — Homeowners’ Association Act.
12. Fla. Stat. Chapter 719 — Cooperative Act.
13. Fla. Stat. § 617.0830 — General Standards for Directors.
14. Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR), Division of Florida Condominiums, Timeshares, and Mobile Homes — published guidance on SIRS, milestone inspections, and online records.
15. Florida Legislature — 2026 Regular Session bill summaries and adjournment records (flsenate.gov, flhouse.gov).
16. Community Associations Institute — 2026 Florida End of Legislative Session Report.
17. Common Interest Community Standards Council, Fundamentals of Association Management — chapter on Legislative Compliance and Reform Implementation.

Related Resources & Additional Reading from the CIC-SC Library

• Florida Chapter 718 — Condominium Act Overview for Board Members
• Florida Condo Milestone Inspection Requirements — Compliance Guide
• Florida SIRS — Structural Integrity Reserve Study Compliance Timeline
• Florida Director Conflict of Interest — §§ 718.3027 and 720.3033 Explained
• Florida Condominium Board Election Process Under § 718.112(2)(d)
• HOA Records Retention Policy: Florida Under § 718.111(12) and § 720.303(5)
• Virtual and Electronic Board Meetings in Florida
• Emergency Board Meetings in Florida — When They Are Allowed and How to Call One
• The Business Judgment Rule in Florida — How It Protects HOA & Condo Boards

Tags: Florida 2026 legislative session · HB 913 · HB 1021 · HB 1203 · HB 657 · SB 1744 · SIRS · milestone inspection · condominium reserves · director education · online records portal · post-Surfside compliance · Florida community association · Chapter 718 · Chapter 720

Disclaimer. This article is published by the Common Interest Community Standards Council for educational and informational purposes only. It is not legal advice and does not establish an attorney-client relationship. Legislative summaries, statutory references, and case-law references are intended to support informed governance, not to substitute for advice from qualified Florida legal counsel. Effective dates, enforcement postures, and DBPR guidance are subject to change; boards should confirm the current state of the law with counsel before taking action. CIC-SC, its authors, and its members assume no liability for actions taken in reliance on this content, and this briefing should not be relied on for compliance determinations without confirming bill status, signing dates, and effective dates against the Florida Legislature’s official records and any subsequent gubernatorial action.