In 2024, Florida Senate Bill 1203 passed unanimously in the Senate, amending Florida Statutes 720, and requiring that an association with 100 units or more to have a website by January 1, 2025, and post digital copies of official records on it.

Since 2005, CondoSites has been providing websites to Florida condos and HOAs. Our product is fully compatible with the old and new sections of the "Sunshine Law" (a.k.a. Florida's Homeowner Association Act), and we can help guide you through the process of making sure your new community website is fully compliant with the law.

Note: If you are a Florida Condominium (governed under FS 718) click here.

Note: If you are a Florida Cooperative (Co-Op) (governed under FS 719) click here.

Florida House Bill HB 1243 and Senate Bill SB 1203 propose requirements for homeowner associations governed under FS Chapter 720 to operate an association website by January 1, 2025 and dictates certain minimum content including official records. The content requirement differs from what is required for condominium associations governed under chapter 718.

Florida Senate Bill SB 1203 passed unanimously in the Senate; and on March 8, House Bill HB 1243 died in the Commerce Committee.

Governor Ron DeSantis signed SB 1203 into law.

Below is an excerpt of the law amended March 7, 2024.

You can download a copy of the bill from the Florida Senate website here.

Professional practice standards; liability; community association manager requirements.—
720.303(3)(b), Florida Statutes
(CODING: Words Emphasis added for convenience.)

3. A community association manager or community association management firm that is authorized by contract to provide community association management services to a homeowners' association shall do all of the following:
2. Provide to the members of the homeowners' association the name and contact information for each community association manager or representative of a community association management firm assigned to the homeowners' association, the manager's or representative's hours of availability, and a summary of the duties for which the manager or representative is responsible. The homeowners' association shall also post this information on the association's website or application required under s. 720.303(4)(b). The community association manager or community association management firm shall update the homeowners' association and its members within 14 business days after any change to such information.

OFFICIAL RECORDS
720.303(4)(b), Florida Statutes
(CODING: Words Emphasis added for convenience.)

1. By January 1, 2025, an association that has 100 or more parcels shall post the following documents on its website or make available such documents through an application that can be downloaded on a mobile device:
1. The articles of incorporation of the association and each amendment thereto.
2. The bylaws of the association and each amendment thereto.
3. The declaration of covenants and a copy of each amendment thereto.
4. The current rules of the association.
5. A list of all current executory contracts or documents to which the association is a party or under which the association or the parcel owners have an obligation or responsibility and, after bidding for the related materials, equipment, or services has closed, a list of bids received by the association within the past year.
6. The annual budget required by subsection (6) and any proposed budget to be considered at the annual meeting.
7. The financial report required by subsection (7) and any monthly income or expense statement to be considered at a meeting.
8. The association's current insurance policies.
9. The certification of each director as required by s. 720.3033(1)(a).
10. All contracts or transactions between the association and any director, officer, corporation, firm, or association that is not an affiliated homeowners' association or any other entity in which a director of an association is also a director or an officer and has a financial interest.
11. Any contract or document regarding a conflict of interest or possible conflict of interest as provided in ss. 468.436(2)(b)6. and 720.3033(2).
12. Notice of any scheduled meeting of members and the agenda for the meeting, as required by s. 720.306, at least 14 days before such meeting. The notice must be posted in plain view on the homepage of the website or application, or on a separate subpage of the website or application labeled "Notices" which is conspicuously visible and linked from the homepage. The association shall also post on its website or application any document to be considered and voted on by the members during the meeting or any document listed on the meeting agenda at least 7 days before the meeting at which such document or information within the document will be considered.
13. Notice of any board meeting, the agenda, and any other document required for such meeting as required by subsection (3), which must be posted on the website or application no later than the date required for notice under subsection (3).
2. The association's website or application must be accessible through the Internet and must contain a subpage, web portal, or other protected electronic location that is inaccessible to the general public and accessible only to parcel owners and employees of the association.
3. Upon written request by a parcel owner, the association must provide the parcel owner with a username and password and access to the protected sections of the association's website or application which contains the official documents of the association.
4. The association shall ensure that the information and records described in paragraph (5)(g), which are not allowed to be accessible to parcel owners, are not posted on the association's website or application. If protected information or information restricted from being accessible to parcel owners is included in documents that are required to be posted on the association's website or application, the association must ensure the information is redacted before posting the documents. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the association or its authorized agent is not liable for disclosing information that is protected or restricted under paragraph (5)(g) unless such disclosure was made with a knowing or intentional disregard of the protected or restricted nature of such information.

720.303(4)(c), Florida Statutes
(CODING: Words Emphasis added for convenience.)

3. The association shall adopt written rules governing the method or policy by which the official records of the association are to be retained and the time period such records must be retained pursuant to paragraph (a). Such information must be made available to the parcel owners through the association's website or application.

In comparative language to the Act...
The association rents the CondoSites product, a web page and portal designed to provide information on an association’s activities, and serve required notices, records, and documents for the association. The CondoSites product is accessible through the Internet and contains subpages that are inaccessible to the general public and only accessible to parcel owners and employees of the association. Each user creates their own login and password by completing a form accessible on the home page of the website. Access to password-protected areas is subject to approval and/or audit by the Primary Administrator, an individual appointed by the association’s directors.

"The purpose of this requirement is that in the event of a change in management companies or manager, the association must maintain control of the website."
- Howard J. Perl, Becker & Poliakoff P.A.
Link to source article

The CondoSites product exceeds the technological requirements set by the State of Florida by including SSL encryption, individual passwords for each user that are hashed before being transmitted and that are only known by that user, and offers separate password restricted content areas for both renters and realtors while still protecting owner privileged data.

Every CondoSites customer in Florida receives a copy of our Florida Content Requirements Guide, designed as a kind of check-list and planner to help the association organize their state required content. The guide also includes requirements found outside the excerpt of the Act above that applies to all associations in Florida governed under chapters 718, 719, and 720, regardless of size.

There are still associations out there who still are not compliant! If this is you, please know that your association is in violation of Florida statutes, and can be fined by the state. Owners can report their own non-compliant associations to the FL Department of Business and Professional Regulation!