Florida Statute 720.303: HOA Board Meeting Rules, Minutes and Records

Florida Statute 720.303 governs what an HOA board does every week: board meetings in subsection (2), minutes in (3), official records in (4)–(5), the budget in (6). Three numbers carry most of it — notice posted 48 hours ahead, or mailed 7 days ahead if you do not post, and 14 days ahead for a special assessment or an amendment to rules on parcel use. Chapter 720 is the Homeowners’ Association Act; condominiums run on Chapter 718.

General information for board members, not legal advice. Check the statute and your governing documents.

§720.303(2)(a): a board meeting is a quorum plus business

Florida defines a board meeting in one sentence:

A meeting of the board of directors of an association occurs whenever a quorum of the board gathers to conduct association business. Meetings of the board must be open to all members, except for meetings between the board and its attorney with respect to proposed or pending litigation where the contents of the discussion would otherwise be governed by the attorney-client privilege.

— Fla. Stat. §720.303(2)(a) (2026)

Quorum plus business equals a meeting: no “workshop” exemption, and none for the three directors who arrive early.

The same rules cover any committee that will make “a final decision… regarding the expenditure of association funds,” and any body approving architectural decisions on a specific parcel. A committee that recommends is not covered; one that signs is.

Directors “may use e-mail as a means of communication but may not cast a vote on an association matter via e-mail.” Discuss by e-mail; decide in a noticed meeting.

Open meetings and the two closed-session grounds in §720.303(2)(b)

Members have “the right to attend all meetings of the board,” which “includes the right to speak at such meetings with reference to all designated items.” Because it attaches to designated items, your agenda defines owner comment. Reasonable written rules are allowed and “may include a sign-up sheet” — a three-minute limit is fine, a blanket “no owner comment” rule is not.

Then the complete list of what a board may close:

Notwithstanding any other law, meetings between the board or a committee and the association’s attorney to discuss proposed or pending litigation or meetings of the board held for the purpose of discussing personnel matters are not required to be open to the members other than directors.

— Fla. Stat. §720.303(2)(b) (2026)

Two grounds: the attorney on proposed or pending litigation, and personnel matters. Nothing in Chapter 720 closes a meeting for delinquent accounts, a violation or a contract negotiation. Washington allows five enumerated grounds under RCW 64.90.445; Florida did not adopt that structure.

The grounds excuse the discussion, not the decision, which still belongs in a noticed meeting where the vote is recorded; attorney-session notes stay out of the regular minutes.

The three Florida notice clocks under §720.303(2)(c)

These are default terms: bylaws that do not provide them “shall be deemed to include the following.”

48 hours posted, or 7 days mailed — §720.303(2)(c)1.

Notices of all board meetings must specifically identify agenda items for the meetings and must be posted in a conspicuous place in the community at least 48 hours in advance of a meeting, except in an emergency. In the alternative, if notice is not posted in a conspicuous place in the community, notice of each board meeting must be mailed or delivered to each member at least 7 days before the meeting, except in an emergency.

— Fla. Stat. §720.303(2)(c)1. (2026)

Two obligations sit there, and boards satisfy only the easier. The notice must specifically identify agenda items — “Board Meeting, Tuesday 6:00 p.m.” is not compliant even posted a week early. And the 48-hour option depends on actually posting; no posting means the 7-day mailing is the rule.

Communities with more than 100 members may adopt a bylaw alternative — publication, a published schedule, or closed-circuit broadcast “at least four times every broadcast hour.” Website or app posting is an addition, not a substitute, and the rule must also send hyperlinked electronic notice to members whose e-mail addresses are on file. Note the consent gate: “a member must consent in writing to receiving notice by electronic transmission.”

The 14-day rule — §720.303(2)(c)2.

An assessment may not be levied at a board meeting unless the notice of the meeting includes a statement that assessments will be considered and the nature of the assessments. Written notice of any meeting at which special assessments will be considered or at which amendments to rules regarding parcel use will be considered must be mailed, delivered, or electronically transmitted to the members and parcel owners and posted conspicuously on the property or broadcast on closed-circuit cable television not less than 14 days before the meeting.

— Fla. Stat. §720.303(2)(c)2. (2026)

That sentence blocks any assessment the notice did not describe: “old business” does not describe the nature of an assessment; “a special assessment for pool deck replacement, estimated $1,200 per parcel” does. The 14-day clock is both-and, not either-or, and it reaches a subject boards forget — amendments to rules on parcel use. Change the parking or rental rule and you are on it.

No proxy, no secret ballot — §720.303(2)(c)3.

Subparagraph (2)(c)3. is one line: “Directors may not vote by proxy or by secret ballot at board meetings, except that secret ballots may be used in the election of officers.”

The 20 percent petition and the MRTA item — §720.303(2)(d)–(e)

Under (2)(d), a petition from 20 percent of the total voting interests forces the item onto the agenda at the next regular or a special board meeting, “but not later than 60 days after the receipt of the petition,” on 14-day notice. Each member who signs up or asks in writing beforehand may “speak for at least 3 minutes.” The board owes a hearing, not an outcome.

Paragraph (2)(e) adds a free annual item: at the first board meeting after the annual members’ meeting, excluding the organizational meeting, the board must consider filing notices to preserve the covenants under the Marketable Record Title Act, chapter 712.

Write the agenda first. In Florida the agenda defines both your notice and the scope of owner comment. Start from our agenda template or the guide to creating an HOA meeting agenda, and name each item specifically enough that an owner knows what the board intends to decide.

§720.303(3): the minutes must record how each director voted

The second sentence is where most Florida minutes fall short:

Minutes of all meetings of the members of an association and of the board of directors of an association must be maintained in written form or in another form that can be converted into written form within a reasonable time. A vote or abstention from voting on each matter voted upon for each director present at a board meeting must be recorded in the minutes.

— Fla. Stat. §720.303(3) (2026)

“Motion carried” is not compliant in Florida. The statute wants the vote or abstention of each director present, on each matter voted upon — a roll of names. When a director with a conflict abstains, the minutes are the only place that fact survives, and three years on it is the whole defense. See how to record a motion and vote.

Free tool: HOA Board Minutes. Our board minutes generator names each director against how they voted or abstained — what §720.303(3) requires and what most Florida minutes leave out. It is free, part of HOA Fiscal; there is a minutes template too.

§720.303(4)–(5): official records and the 10-business-day rule

Subsection (4)(a) puts the official records on a 7-year clock, “unless the governing documents of the association require a longer period of time.” Two items run shorter: bids “must be kept for a period of 1 year,” and ballots, sign-in sheets and proxies “for at least 1 year after the date of the election, vote, or meeting.” Minutes sit in the 7-year tier — see how long to keep HOA meeting minutes.

Associations with 100 or more parcels owe a website or app posting under (4)(b), on a statutory deadline of January 1, 2025 — governing documents, contracts and closed bids, budget and financial report, insurance, director certifications and meeting notices — behind a members-only area with a password on written request. Paragraph (4)(c) also requires written retention rules, published there.

The inspection clock:

Unless otherwise provided by law or the governing documents of the association, the official records must be maintained within this state for at least 7 years and be made available to a parcel owner for inspection or photocopying within 45 miles of the community or within the county in which the association is located within 10 business days after receipt by the board or its designee of a written request from the parcel owner.

— Fla. Stat. §720.303(5)(a) (2026)

Electronic access satisfies it, and owners may use a phone, tablet or scanner to copy records free. Missing the deadline is expensive by design: under (5)(b) failure to give access within 10 business days of a certified-mail request “creates a rebuttable presumption that the association willfully failed to comply,” and under (5)(c) minimum damages “are to be $50 per calendar day up to 10 days, the calculation to begin on the 11th business day.”

Paragraph (5)(g) governs fees. The association may set reasonable written rules on inspections but “may not require a parcel owner to demonstrate any proper purpose for the inspection, state any reason for the inspection, or limit a parcel owner’s right to inspect records to less than one 8-hour business day per month.” Copies run up to 25 cents per page; personnel time is chargeable only above one-half hour and “if the personnel costs do not exceed $20 per hour,” never for 25 or fewer pages. Nine categories are closed to members — privileged and work-product records, lease and sale approval files, gate-visitor information, personnel and medical records, personal identifying information.

§720.303(6): the budget, and reserves only if the members vote them

Under (6)(a) the annual budget must show “the estimated revenues and expenses for that year and the estimated surplus or deficit,” with recreational-amenity fees set out separately, and go to members within the subsection (5) time limits. Florida gives members no ratification right and no veto: the board adopts the budget.

Reserves are where Florida HOAs differ most from condominiums. A budget may include reserve accounts, but statutory reserves exist only if the members create them: under (6)(d) an association “is deemed to have provided for reserve accounts upon the affirmative approval of a majority of the total voting interests,” designating the components covered. Once established, (6)(h) restricts the money to authorized reserve expenditures unless another use is “approved in advance by a majority vote at a meeting at which a quorum is present,” and a waiver under (6)(f) “is applicable only to one budget year.” Where the budget provides no statutory reserves, (6)(c)1. requires a prescribed all-caps statement in each annual financial report. Subsection (7) sets the reporting tiers by revenue — a subject for a finance post.

Condominiums are different: §718.112(2)(c)

If you run a condominium, none of the above is your rule. Under §718.112(2)(c)1., notice of all board meetings, “which must specifically identify all agenda items, must be posted conspicuously on the condominium property at least 48 continuous hours before the meeting except in an emergency” — continuous hours, not Chapter 720’s plain 48 — and the 14-day notice covers a nonemergency special assessment or a rule on unit use. Unit owners “may tape record or videotape the meetings.” Since HB 913 (ch. 2025-175, effective July 1, 2025), §718.112(2)(b)5. states that “a board meeting may be conducted in person or by video conference,” and (2)(c)1. that “if the meeting is conducted via video conference, it must be recorded and such recording must be maintained as an official record of the association.”

What to do before your next meeting

1. Name each action item specifically on the agenda; post it 48 hours ahead, or mail it 7 days ahead if you do not post.
2. Check every item against the 14-day list: a special assessment or parcel-use rule amendment moves the meeting onto that clock.
3. If assessments will be considered, say so in the notice and describe their nature, or none may be levied.
4. Notice and open any committee making a final spending decision, and any architectural body.
5. Record each director’s vote or abstention by name, and file the minutes as a 7-year record.
6. Log every records request with the dates received and produced; the $50-per-day damages begin on the 11th business day.
7. Publish the (4)(c) retention rules and a fee schedule: 25 cents per page, $20 per hour.

Fla. Stat. 720.303 is a procedure, and boards that run it as one answer most owner complaints before they become disputes. Self-managed boards will find the same discipline in how to self-manage an HOA.

Frequently asked questions

Is Florida Statute 720.303 for HOAs or condos?

Homeowners’ associations only. Condominiums run on Chapter 718 — board meetings under §718.112(2)(c). Condo notice runs 48 continuous hours, owners may record the meeting, and since HB 913 a condo board may meet by video conference if the meeting is recorded.

How much notice does a Florida HOA board have to give for a meeting?

Notice must specifically identify the agenda items and be posted conspicuously in the community at least 48 hours in advance, except in an emergency. If the association does not post, it must mail or deliver notice to each member at least 7 days before the meeting. Both rules are in §720.303(2)(c)1. and apply automatically if the bylaws are silent.

Can a Florida HOA board meet in executive session?

Only two. Under §720.303(2)(b), meetings with the association’s attorney on proposed or pending litigation, and board meetings to discuss personnel matters, need not be open. Chapter 720 has no general executive-session power.

Can Florida HOA directors vote by email?

No. Section 720.303(2)(a) says directors “may use e-mail as a means of communication but may not cast a vote on an association matter via e-mail.” They also may not vote by proxy or secret ballot under (2)(c)3., except for officer elections.

Do owners have the right to speak at Florida HOA board meetings?

Yes. Section 720.303(2)(b) gives members the right to attend all board meetings and to speak “with reference to all designated items.” Reasonable written rules, including a sign-up sheet, are allowed. Because the right attaches to designated items, your posted agenda defines its scope.

What must Florida HOA minutes include?

Minutes must be kept in written form or a form convertible to it within a reasonable time, and under §720.303(3) “a vote or abstention from voting on each matter voted upon for each director present at a board meeting must be recorded.” “Motion carried” is not enough.

How long does a Florida HOA have to respond to a records request?

Ten business days after the board or its designee receives a written request, with inspection or copying available within 45 miles or within the county. Missing it on a certified-mail request creates a rebuttable presumption of willful noncompliance; minimum damages run $50 per calendar day for up to 10 days from the 11th.

What is the 14-day notice rule in 720.303?

Under §720.303(2)(c)2., notice of a meeting considering a special assessment or an amendment to rules on parcel use must be mailed, delivered or electronically transmitted to members and parcel owners and posted conspicuously on the property not less than 14 days before it. Separately, no assessment may be levied unless the notice said so and described its nature.

Florida association books that hold up to a records request. Dynamite Management provides financial management for Florida associations — monthly close and reconciliation, bills coded and routed for board approval, collections, budget prep and the CPA liaison — remotely, from your ledger. See how it works.