The 20 Questions Every Florida HOA Board Gets Asked (And How to Stop Answering Them Manually)
Every board member knows the feeling. The same questions, from different residents, every single week. The answers are in the documents — but nobody can find them. Here are the top 20, with the answers and statute references boards need.
If you've served on a Florida HOA or condo board for more than a month, you can probably recite these questions from memory. Pet policies. Parking rules. Assessment amounts. Pool hours. Rental restrictions. Meeting schedules.
The answers to all of them exist somewhere in your community's governing documents — bylaws, declarations, rules and regulations, budgets, meeting minutes. But research shows it takes an average of 18 minutes to locate a single document manually. Multiply that by the volume of questions a board fields each week, and you begin to understand why volunteer burnout is at an all-time high.
Below are the 20 most common questions, organized by category. For each one, we've included what Florida law says, where to find the answer in your documents, and the statute reference where applicable.
Pets & Animals
Question 1
"Can I have a dog/cat in my unit? Are there breed or weight restrictions?"
Most Florida HOAs can restrict pets by breed, weight, or number — but only if these restrictions are in the Declaration of Covenants, not just the rules. Common limits are 25–30 lbs. However, service animals and emotional support animals are exempt under the Fair Housing Act regardless of any HOA restriction. As of October 2023, Florida §767.14 prohibits local governments from breed-specific bans — but HOAs can still enforce their own.
Question 2
"Do I need to register my pet with the HOA?"
This depends entirely on your governing documents. Many associations require pet registration (name, breed, weight, vaccination records) and may charge a refundable deposit. Check your Rules & Regulations document.
Rentals & Airbnb
Question 3
"Can I rent my unit on Airbnb?"
Under Florida Statute §720.306(1)(h), HOAs can restrict short-term rentals. However, any rental restriction adopted after July 1, 2021 only applies to owners who purchased after the amendment or who voted for it. HOAs can still restrict rentals with terms under 6 months and prohibit renting more than 3 times per year for all owners. Check your Declaration — if it's silent on rentals, you're likely permitted to rent.
Question 4
"What's the minimum lease term?"
This varies by community. Many Florida HOAs set minimum lease terms of 30 days, 90 days, or one year in their Declaration. Some also limit the number of leases per calendar year. The answer is always in the Declaration of Covenants.
Assessments & Finances
Question 5
"How much are the quarterly/monthly assessments?"
Assessment amounts are set in the annual budget, approved by the board. In Florida, average condo assessments range from $300/month in Jacksonville to $655/month in Tampa, with South Florida significantly higher. Your specific amount is in the current year's adopted budget.
Question 6
"Why did my assessment go up?"
The most common drivers: insurance premium increases (up 28.8% for Florida condos since 2022), new SIRS reserve funding requirements (reserve waivers banned as of January 1, 2026), and deferred maintenance catch-up. The budget comparison document shows exactly what changed.
Question 7
"Is there going to be a special assessment?"
Special assessments in Florida condos have ranged from $50,000 to $400,000 per unit in extreme cases. Whether your community faces one depends on its reserve fund status and upcoming capital projects. The reserve study and SIRS report contain the projections.
Parking & Vehicles
Question 8
"What are the parking rules? Can I park a truck/RV/boat?"
Report it to property management or the board with the vehicle details (make, model, plate number). Most associations have a towing policy in their rules. Florida law requires proper signage before vehicles can be towed from private property.
Pool, Amenities & Common Areas
Question 10
"What are the pool hours?"
Pool operating hours are set by the board and listed in the community rules. Most Florida HOAs restrict pool use to daylight hours unless the pool area is properly lit. Capacity limits, guest policies, and reservation requirements for private events also apply.
Question 11
"Can I bring guests to use the amenities?"
Most associations allow guests but with limits — how many guests per resident, whether they must be accompanied, and whether overnight guests must be registered. If you're delinquent on assessments, your amenity access can be suspended.
Question 12
"How long can a guest stay before they're considered a resident?"
This varies by community — typically 14 to 30 consecutive days. After that threshold, the occupant may need to be registered as a tenant or lessee. Check your Declaration and guest policy.
Architectural Changes & Exterior Modifications
Question 13
"Can I paint my front door / install a fence / change my landscaping?"
Almost all exterior modifications require prior approval from the Architectural Review Committee (ARC). Under Florida Statute §720.3035, the board must base decisions on objective, written standards — not subjective preferences. The ARC typically has 30–60 days to respond. Your architectural guidelines document lists what's allowed.
Question 14
"Can I install solar panels?"
Yes. Florida law expressly permits solar collectors, clotheslines, and other energy-saving devices. The HOA can regulate their placement or manner of installation but cannot prohibit them.
Meetings, Records & Communication
Question 15
"When is the next board meeting? Can I attend?"
Board meetings must be noticed at least 48 hours in advance and are open to all members. Under recent Florida law, virtual attendance is now explicitly authorized. Meeting notices should be posted on the community website and in common areas.
Question 16
"Where can I find the meeting minutes?"
Meeting minutes are official records and must be retained for at least 7 years. Under HB 913 (effective July 2025), approved minutes must be posted to the association's secure website within 30 days. Any member can request copies under the official records inspection process.
Question 17
"Can I see the HOA's financial records?"
Yes. Under §720.303, you have the right to inspect all official records — including budgets, bank statements, invoices, and financial statements — within 10 business days of a written request. The association cannot require you to state a reason.
Rules, Violations & Complaints
Question 18
"How do I report a violation or maintenance issue?"
Most associations have a process — written complaint form, email to the management company, or an online portal. Under Florida law, fines for violations are capped at $100 per violation (aggregate maximum $1,000) and must go through a fining committee hearing before being imposed.
Question 19
"Who do I call about a leak / elevator / broken gate?"
Your association should maintain a contact directory with emergency contacts, vendors, management company numbers, and board member contact info. This document should be accessible to all residents — and is one of the official records that must be maintained under §720.303.
Move-In & New Residents
Question 20
"I just moved in. What do I need to know?"
New residents need access to the governing documents (declaration, bylaws, rules), the current budget, the assessment payment schedule, amenity access information, parking assignments, trash/recycling schedules, and emergency contacts. Under Florida law, buyers must receive these documents as part of the purchase process — but renters and new occupants often don't.
The pattern — and the fix
Every one of these questions has a documented answer. The problem isn't the questions themselves — it's the retrieval process. A volunteer board member receiving question #6 ("Why did my assessment go up?") at 9 PM on a Tuesday doesn't want to dig through last year's budget PDF, find the line items that changed, cross-reference the insurance renewal, and compose an email. They want to go to bed.
Traditionally, boards have tried FAQ documents, community newsletters, and bulletin board postings. These help — but they require manual maintenance, they go stale, and they can't answer follow-up questions.
A more effective approach: make the documents themselves searchable. Mosaic ingests every document your association has — bylaws, budgets, meeting minutes, insurance policies, vendor contracts, rules — and lets residents ask questions in plain language. The AI searches across all documents and returns a sourced answer with citations in seconds. It knows Chapter 718 and Chapter 720 too — so it can cross-reference your community's rules with Florida law.
Question #5 ("How much are assessments?") gets answered in 10 seconds with the exact dollar amount, due dates, and a citation to the budget document. No board member involved. No email to respond to. No 18-minute document hunt.
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Frequently Asked Questions
It depends on your Declaration of Covenants. Most Florida HOAs allow pets but with restrictions on breed, weight, or number. Check the pet policy section of your CC&Rs -- not the bylaws. The board cannot change pet rules without amending the Declaration, which requires a membership vote.
Assessment increases are typically driven by rising insurance premiums, reserve funding requirements (especially under Florida's SIRS mandate for condos), increased maintenance costs, and vendor contract renewals. The board must adopt a budget annually and provide it to members. You have the right to request and review the budget under FL 720.303.
Yes, if the parking rules are in your governing documents (Declaration or Rules) and the towing procedures comply with Florida Statute 715.07. The association must post proper signage and follow specific notice requirements before towing. However, even if amenity access is suspended, your right to vehicular access to your parcel cannot be blocked.
Written and fact-checked using Florida Statutes Chapters 718 and 720, published legal analyses, and verified community association industry sources. All statutory references verified against the 2026 Florida Statutes. About Mosaic
