Palm Beach County Programs

To apply for Rental Assistance, you must reside in Palm Beach County.

You will need:

2 forms of ID & 

Last 3 months Income Verification

Emergency services income cut off is 110% of the Federal Poverty Level Income Guidelines.

Verification includes:

• Checking and/or savings account statement over the past 3 months
• Property tax bill
• Legal description of property verified by Property Appraiser's Office

Assets must not exceed $2,000 for an individual or $3,000 for a family, excluding homestead property & car.

Under no circumstances will delinquent accounts be paid if listed in a child's name under age 18.

Verification includes:

Current property tax bill

Rent receipts for last 3 months

Current mortgage statement

Local school registration

Other appropriate documents

The process takes 4 to 6 weeks from eligibility determination.  Once the applicant completes all the paperwork the social worker can advise of eligibility. If eligible, payments are made directly to the vendor.

https://www.rentalassistancepbc.org/

BOCA HELPING HANDS

BOCA RATON CORPS

CATHOLIC CHARITIES

CILO

COMMUNITY CARING CENTER

FAMILIES FIRST

FAMILY PROMISE OF SOUTH PBC

FL DEPT. OF CHILDREN & FAMILIES

GATEWAY OUTREACH

HEALTH COUNCIL OF SOUTHEAST FLORIDA

METROPOLITAN COMMUNITY CHURCH OF PBC

PBC COMMUNITY SERVICES

REACH SHELTER PROGRAM

SALVATION ARMY WEST PALM BEACH

URBAN LEAGUE

561-833-1461

WEST PALM CORPS

SPANISH RIVER CHURCH

FEEDING HOPE VILLAGE

CHANGING LIVES

JEWISH FAMILY SERVICES

FARMWORKER COORDINATING COUNCIL OF PALM BEACH COUNTY

COMMUNITY PARTNERS

PATHWAYS TO PROSPERITY

PALM BEACH COUNTY HOUSING AUTHORITY

THE LORD'S PLACE

THE URBAN LEAGUE OF PALM BEACH COUNTY

Each day in Palm Beach County, hundreds of families are faced with utility service disconnection. The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) and the Low Income Home Water Assistance Program (LIHWAP) are both designed to provide financial relief from high-energy costs to prevent service disconnection for families in crisis. 

Services include crisis utility and water payment, home energy assistance, and HVAC system replacement (only for homeowners). 

Extensive Outreach Campaigns are conducted to ensure maximum participation of the neediest families. Particular efforts are made to serve the elderly and those with special needs, including home visits and group intakes.

​Maximum Benefit Limits:
​Crisis​ - $2,000

​Home Energy - $1,350
HVAC Replacement​​​ - $15,000

​LIHWAP - $1,000 

Applicants can submit their application online at:

https://discover.pbcgov.org/communityservices/communityaction/Pages/Utility-Assistance.aspx

or

www.Utilityassistancepbc.org

Send an email at this link:

https://survey.pbcgov.com/s3/CSD-CommunityAction-ContactUs

ASCENSION CATHOLIC CHURCH MINISTRIES

CATHOLIC CHARITIES

COMMUNITY CARING CENTER

FAITH DELIVERANCE FEEDING HOPE VILLAGE

FAMILY PROMISE

PALM BEACH/TREASURE COAST HELPLINE

PBC COMMUNITY ACTION

FARMWORKER COORDINATING COUNCIL OF PALM BEACH COUNTY

COMMUNITY PARTNERS

PATHWAYS TO PROSPERITY

PALM BEACH COUNTY HOUSING AUTHORITY

THE LORD'S PLACE

THE URBAN LEAGUE OF PALM BEACH COUNTY

PBC COMMUNITY SERVICES- AIR CONDITIONING REPLACEMENT PROGRAM

WEATHERIZATION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (WAP)

EMERGENCY HOME ENERGY ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (EHEAP)

FLORIDA WEATHERIZATION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM

The Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) program operates under six national goals that focus on helping individuals and families to become self-sufficient, increasing agency collaboration and promoting community enhancement.

Community Action’s mission is to provide opportunities to the poor by combining, organizing and adjusting the available resources so that programs are tailored to the genuine needs of low-income people and communities.  This is a formula-based grant and is not competitive.

Services may include:

• Housing Assistance
• Utility Assistance (Gas and Water)
• Rent/Mortgage Assistance
• Housing Counseling
• Tax Assistance
• Access to Food & Nutrition
• Community Gardening Projects
• Emergency Health
• Financial Management Assistance
• Day Care
• Transportation Assistance
• Job Counseling
• Job Placement & Training
• Homeless Prevention Programs

(CSBG) 200% of the Poverty Income Guidelines for 2025

People in the household

1 $30,120

2 $40,880

3 $51,640

4 $62,400

5 $73,160

6 $83,920

7 $94,680

8 $105,440

For each person more than 8 people, add: $10,760

PALM BEACH COUNTY

CSBG Service Center

810 Datura Street

West Palm Beach, FL 33401

CSDCares@pbcgov.org

http://discover.pbcgov.org/communityservices/communityaction

BROWARD COUNTY

900 N.W. 31st Avenue

Suite 3100

Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33311

http://www.broward.org

Community Action Partnership is a national, 501(c)3 nonprofit membership organization that provides technical assistance, training, tools and resources to empower individuals, families, and communities to succeed. They allocate funding to connect Americans to greater opportunity and promote workable solutions that changes people’s lives, embodies the spirit of hope,

improves communities, and makes America a better place to live for everyone. Community Action cares about the entire community, and they are dedicated to helping people help themselves and each other.

The Community Action program comes out of President Lyndon B. Johnson’s War on Poverty and from the advocacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.  The Economic Opportunity Act of 1964 created the Community Action Network of national and locally-focused organizations that connect millions of children and families to greater opportunity.

Director: Hong Truong

Email: htruong@pbcgov.org 

810 Datura Street 

West Palm Beach, FL 33401

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT BOARD (BDB) OF PALM BEACH

https://bdb.org/

SCORE PALM BEACH COUNTY

FLORIDA SMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CENTER (SBDC) AT FLORIDA ATLANTIC

CAREERSOURCE PALM BEACH COUNTY

FLORIDA WOMEN'S BUSINESS CENTER (FLWBC)

PALM BEACH COUNTY OFFICE OF EQUAL BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY (OEBO)

FLORIDA INSTITUTE FOR THE COMMERCIALIZATION OF PUBLIC RESEARCH

BROWARD COUNTY

SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION (SBA) 

Palm Beach County 211

​

https://www.211.org/

 2-1-1 receives requests to help find housing, shelters, and financial assistance for housing expenses and makes connections to resources related to preventing homelessness and housing insecurity.  

Your local 211 is the best resource for help finding options to pay your rent, mortgage, or utilities bills and stay in your home. 

You can call 211 to speak with someone immediately. Be ready to answer a few questions about your current living situation, any income you have, and any children or other dependents who live with you.

​

Start here by using the Benefit Finder at this website:

 https://www.benefits.gov/benefit-finder

There are several state & federal benefits available to help you with housing, utilities, food, & medical expenses. 

Simply answer a few questions and you'll receive information about benefits you may be eligible for. 

https://www.hud.gov/topics/housing_choice_voucher_program_section_8

April 14, 2023

HUD announced the availability of $30.3 billion for the Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) Program for 2023. This will help Public Housing Authorities address recent inflation in rents & enable more low-income families to use housing vouchers to afford a safe, decent place to call home.

 The housing choice voucher (HCV) program is the federal government's primary program for assisting very low-income families, the elderly, & persons with disabilities to afford decent, safe, & sanitary housing in the private market. Since housing assistance is provided on behalf of the HCV tenant, participants are able to find their own housing, including single-family homes, townhouses & apartments. Housing choice vouchers are administered locally by public housing agencies (PHAs) that receive federal funds from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to administer the HCV program. This means that the tenant, landlord and PHA all have obligations and responsibilities under the HCV program.

Our community is full of people who want to help. We work to help the people providing services with the people who need them.  Come connect with people in new ways.  Click the links below to learn more about Volunteer Opportunities.

https://discover.pbcgov.org/Pages/Volunteer.aspx

The first Saturday of every month we partner with Journey Church who mobilizes teams of volunteers to make a real difference in Palm Beach County. Join us and see what can be accomplished when you get an impassioned team to focus on change.

https://gojourneychurch.churchcenter.com/registrations/events/category/1842

https://www.gojourneychurch.com/outreach-ministry/outreach

Building Safety

https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2022D/4D 

The bill requires the Florida Building Code to provide that when 25 percent or more of a roofing system or roof section is being repaired, replaced, or recovered, only the portion of the roofing system or roof section undergoing such work need be constructed in accordance with the current Florida Building Code in effect at the time of such work. This new provision applies only to roof systems and roof sections built, repaired, or replaced in accordance with the requirements of the 2007 Florida Building Code or subsequent editions. The provision revises the current Florida Building Code which requires that not more than 25 percent of the total roof area or roof section, of any existing building or structure, may be repaired, replaced, or recovered in any 12-month period—unless the entire existing roofing system or roof section conforms to the current requirements of the Code.

The bill also provides building safety inspection requirements for condominium and cooperative association buildings, increases the rights of unit owners and prospective unit owners to access information regarding the condition of such buildings, and revises the requirements for associations to fund reserves for the continued maintenance and repair of such buildings.

Regarding building safety inspections, the bill:

• Requires condominium and cooperative association buildings that are three or more stories in height to have a “milestone inspection” of the buildings’ structural integrity by an architect or engineer when a building reaches:
  • 30 years of age and every 10 years thereafter, or
  • 25 years of age and every 10 years thereafter if the building is located within three miles of a coastline.
• Requires, if a milestone inspection is required and the building’s certificate of occupancy was issued on or before July 1, 1992, the building’s initial milestone inspection to be performed before December 31, 2024.
• Requires that a phase one milestone inspection must commence within 180 days after an association receives a written notice from the local enforcement agency.
• Requires a phase two milestone inspection if there is evidence of “substantial structural deterioration” as determined by a phase one inspection.
• Specifies the minimum contents of a milestone inspection report.
• Requires inspection report results to be provided to local building officials and the associations, and requires an inspector-prepared summary to be provided to unit owners by mail and by email to unit owners who have consented to receive notices by email.
• Requires that the contract between an association that is subject to the milestone inspection requirement and a community association manager (CAM) or CAM firm must require compliance with those requirements as directed by the board.
• Requires the local enforcement agency to review and determine if a building is safe for human occupancy if an association fails to submit proof that repairs for substantial deterioration have been scheduled or begun within at least 365 days after the local enforcement agency receives a phase two inspection report.
• Requires the Florida Building Commission to make recommendations to the Governor and Legislature regarding the inspection requirements in the bill and inspection for other types of buildings and structures that are three stories or more.
• Provides that a willful and knowing failure by an officer or director of an association to have a milestone inspection performed is a breach of the officer’s and director’s fiduciary relationship to the unit owners.
• Gives unit owners the right to inspect and copy, as official records, the milestone inspection report and all other inspection reports relating to structural or life safety, and gives renters the right to inspect the milestone inspection reports.
• Requires the developer’s turnover inspection report to comply with the milestone inspection requirements.
• Requires associations to report to the Florida Division of Condominiums, Timeshare, and Mobile Homes (division) the number of buildings that are three stories or higher in height and the total number of units in such buildings on or before January 1, 2023, and requires the division to publish that information on its website.
• Requires developer and non-developer unit owners to give prospective buyers of a unit a copy of the inspector-prepared summary of the milestone inspection report.
• Extends the jurisdiction of the division to investigate complaints to include complaints related to the procedural completion of milestone inspections.

Regarding the funding of reserves for the continued maintenance and repair of condominium and cooperative buildings, the bill:

• Requires condominium associations and cooperative associations to complete a structural integrity reserve study every 10 years for each building in an association that is three stories or higher in height.
• Requires associations existing on or before July 1, 2022, that are controlled by non-developer unit owners to have a structural integrity reserve study completed by December 31, 2024.
• Defines “structural integrity reserve study” as a study of the reserve funds required for future major repairs and replacement of the common elements based on a visual inspection of the common elements.
• Requires the study to include a visual inspection, state the estimated remaining useful life, and the estimated replacement cost of the roof, load bearing walls or other primary structural members, floor, foundation, fireproofing and fire protection systems, plumbing, and any item with a deferred maintenance or replacement cost that exceeds $10,000.
• Requires the visual inspection to be performed by a person licensed as an engineer or an architect. However, any qualified person or entity may perform the other components of a structural integrity reserve study.
• Requires a developer to have a structural integrity reserve study completed for each building in the association that is three stories or more in height before turning over control of an association to the non-developer unit owners.
• Provides that it is a breach of a board member or officer’s fiduciary duty if an association fails to complete a structural integrity reserve study.

For Reference:

https://www.flsenate.gov/Committees/BillSummaries/2022D/html/2875

https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2022D/4D/BillText/er/PDF

Condominium and Cooperative Associations

The bill revises the milestone inspection requirements for condominium and cooperative buildings that are three or more stories in height to:

• Limit the milestone inspection requirements to buildings that include a residential condominium or cooperative;
• Provide that the milestone inspection requirements apply to buildings that in whole or in part are subject to the condominium or cooperative forms of ownership, such as mixed-ownership buildings;
• Clarify that all owners of a mixed-ownership building in which portions of the building are subject to the condominium or cooperative form of ownership are responsible for ensuring compliance and must share the costs of the inspection;
• Require a building that reaches 30 years of age before December 31, 2024, to have a milestone inspection before December 31, 2024; (HB 913 extended this deadline to December 31, 2025.)
• Delete the 25-year milestone inspection requirements for buildings that are within three miles of the coastline;
• Authorize the local enforcement agencies that are responsible with enforcing the milestone inspection requirements the option to set a 25-year inspection requirement if justified by local environmental conditions, including proximity to seawater;
• Authorize the local enforcement agency to extend the inspection deadline for a building upon a petition showing good cause that the owner or owners of the building have entered into a contract with an architect or engineer to perform the milestone inspection and it cannot reasonably be completed before the deadline;
• Permit local enforcement agencies to accept an inspection and report that was completed before July 1, 2022, if the inspection and report substantially comply with the milestone requirements; however, associations must still comply with the unit owner notice requirements, and if a local enforcement agency accepts a previous inspection as a milestone inspection, the deadline for a subsequent 10-year re-inspection is based on the date of a previous inspection;
• Provide that the inspection services may be provided by a team of design professionals with an architect or engineer acting as a registered design professional in responsible charge;
• Provide that the condominium or cooperative association is responsible for all costs associated with the inspection attributable to the portions of the building for which it is responsible under the governing documents of the association;
• Require associations to give unit owners notice about the inspection deadlines, electronically or by posting on the association’s website, within 14 days after they receive the initial milestone inspection notice from local enforcement agency;
• Require the milestone inspector to submit a phase two progress report to the local enforcement agency within 180 days of submitting the phase one inspection report; and
• Clarify that an association must distribute a copy of the summary of the inspection reports to unit owners within 45 days of its receipt.

The Florida Building Commission is required by the bill to establish by rule a building safety program to implement the milestone inspection requirements within the Florida Building Code. The commission must specify the minimum requirements for the commission’s building safety program by December 31, 2024, including inspection criteria, testing protocols, standardized inspection and reporting forms that are adaptable to an electronic format, and record maintenance requirements for the local authority having jurisdiction.

The bill exempts unit owner policies from the requirement that all personal lines residential policies issued by the Citizens Property Insurance Corporation must include flood coverage. 

Regarding the governance of condominium or cooperative, the bill:

• Clarifies that any unit owner and any person authorized by any owner as his or her representative may inspect the official records of the association; and
• Excludes insurance premiums from the calculation which permit members to petition for a substitute budget if assessments increase by 115 percent.

The reserve funding requirements relating to condominium and cooperative associations are revised by the bill to:

• Require associations that are subject to the structural integrity reserve study (SIRS) requirement to base a budget adopted on or after January 1, 2025, on the findings and recommendations of the association’s most recent SIRS;
• Clarify that reserves are required for the SIRS items for which the association is responsible under the condominium declaration;
• Clarify that reserves for replacement costs do not need to be maintained for any item with an estimated remaining useful life of greater than 25 years, but the SIRS study may recommend a deferred maintenance expense amount for such item;
• Permit associations that are not subject to the SIRS requirement to waive reserves if approved by a majority vote of the total voting interests of the association;
• Permit multicondominium associations to waive reserves if an alternative funding method has been approved by the division; and
• Provide that reserve assessments may be adjusted for inflation.

The bill amends the SIRS requirements to:

• Limit the SIRS requirement to residential condominiums and cooperatives;
• Clarify that the SIRS recommendation must include a reserve funding schedule;
• Include the building structure as a SIRS building component, consisting of load-bearing walls and other primary structural members and primary structural systems as those terms are defined in s. 627.706, F.S., and delete “floor” and “foundation” from the list;
• Permit the visual inspection portion of the SIRS to be verified by an engineer or architect;
• Permit persons who have been certified as a reserve specialist, or professional reserve analyst by the Community Associations Institute or the Association of Professional Reserve Analysts to perform or verify the visual inspection portion of the SIRS;
• Exempt from the SIRS requirement:
  • Single-family, two-family, or three-family dwellings with three or fewer habitable stories above ground; and
  • Any portion or component of a building that has not been submitted to the condominium or cooperative form of ownership; or any portion or component of a building that is maintained by a party other than the condominium or cooperative association.
• Permit associations that are required to complete a milestone inspection on or before December 31, 2026, to complete the SIRS simultaneously with the milestone inspection, but the associations must complete the SIRS by December 31, 2026; and
• Permit associations to satisfy the SIRS requirement with a previous milestone inspection, or an inspection performed for a similar local requirement, if the inspection had been performed within the previous five years.

Effective July 1, 2027, the bill permits condominium and cooperative unit owners to use the mediation process in this section for specified disputes related to compliance with the milestone inspection or SIRS requirements.

Regarding the turnover inspection report that a developer must provide to the association when condominium and cooperative unit owners other than the developer are authorized to elect the majority of the board, the bill permits reserve specialists and professional reserve analysts to prepare the turnover report in addition to engineers and architects, and adds the turnover inspection report to the required presale disclosures.

The bill also provides additional presale notice requirements in contracts for sales of a unit by a developer or nondeveloper. A developer and a nondeveloper must give a prospective buyer of a condominium or cooperative unit a copy of a turnover inspection report completed on or after July 1, 2023, if applicable, and a copy of the inspector-prepared summary of the milestone inspection, if applicable. This provision is similar to current contract notices to unit owners obligated to furnish certain governing documents to the prospective buyer of a unit more than three days before closing for sales by a nondeveloper or 15 days before closing for sales by a developer. A contract that does not conform to these notice requirements is voidable at the option of the purchaser prior to closing.

The bill also provides an appropriation ($1,301,928 recurring and $67,193 nonrecurring) to the Division of Florida Condominiums, Timeshare, and Mobile Homes within the Department of Business and Professional Regulation to implement the requirements in the bill, including funds for 10 additional full-time employees.

For Reference:

https://www.flsenate.gov/Committees/BillSummaries/2023/html/3187

https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2023/154/BillText/er/PDF

Community Associations

https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2024/1021/BillText/er/PDF

The bill relates to the governance of condominium and cooperative associations and the practice of community association management.

Community Association Managers

• The bill requires community association managers (CAMs) and CAM firms to return all community association records in their possession within 20 business days of termination of a services agreement or a written request whichever occurs first, with license suspension and civil penalties for noncompliance, except that the time frames applicable to timeshare plans apply to the records of a timeshare plan.
• The bill provides conflict of interest disclosure requirements and a process for associations to follow when approving contracts with CAMs and CAM firms, or a relative, that may present a conflict of interest. The requirements are similar to the conflicts of interest provisions for condominium associations and their officers and directors, including:
• Providing that, if the association receives and considers a bid to provide a good or service that exceeds $2,500, other than community association management services, from a CAM or CAM firm, including directors, officers, persons with a financial interest in a CAM firm, or a relative of such persons, the association must also solicit multiple bids from other third-party providers of such good or service.
• Requiring that the proposed activity that may be a conflict of interest must be listed on, and all contracts and transactional documents related to the proposed activity must be attached to, the board’s meeting agenda and entered into the meeting minutes.
• Requiring the board must approve the contracts with a potential conflict of interest, and all management contracts, by an affirmative vote of two-thirds of all directors present.

Milestone Inspections

• Currently, single-family, two-family, and three-family dwellings are exempt from the milestone inspection requirements. The bill exempts four-family dwellings with three or fewer habitable stories above ground.

Official Records – Condominiums

• Regarding access to the official records of a condominium association, the bill provides that, if records are lost or destroyed, there is a good faith obligation to obtain and recover the records as is reasonably possible.
• Allows e-mail addresses and facsimile numbers to be accessible to unit owners if consent to receive notice by electronic transmission has been provided.
• Prohibits the sale or sharing of such personal information to third parties.
• Effective January 1, 2026, decreases from 150 units to 25 units the threshold requirement for an association to maintain specified records available on the association’s website or on a mobile device.
• Requires official records to be provided to the unit owner at no charge if the Division of Condominium, Timeshares, and Mobile Homes (division) within the Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR) subpoenas records an association has failed to timely provide in response to a unit owner’s written request.
• Requires associations to maintain additional financial records (e.g., invoices and other documentation that substantiates any receipt or expenditure).
• Requires associations to respond to a records request with a checklist of all records provided.
• Authorizes the division to request access to an association’s website to investigate complaints related to unit owner access to official records on such website.

Criminal Violations – Condominiums

The bill provides the following criminal penalties related to condominium associations, and the official records of the association:

• Second degree misdemeanor for any director or member of the board or association to knowingly, willfully, and repeatedly violate (two or more violations within a 12-month period) any specified requirements relating to inspection and copying of official records of an association;
• First degree misdemeanor for knowingly and intentionally defacing or destroying required accounting records, or failing to create or maintain required accounting records, with the intent of causing harm to the association or one or more of its members;
• Third degree felony to willfully and knowingly refuse to release or produce association records, with the intent to avoid or escape detection, arrest, trial, or punishment for the commission of a crime, or to assist another person with such avoidance or escape;
• Third degree felony for an officer, director, or manager of a condominium association to knowingly solicit, offer to accept, or accept a kickback; and
• First degree misdemeanor for engaging in specified fraudulent voting activity, and knowingly aiding, abetting, or advising a person in the commission of a fraudulent voting activity related to association elections.
• The bill provides that officers and directors charged with a criminal violation under ch. 718, F.S., are deemed removed from office and a vacancy declared.

Budgets, Financial Reporting, and Reserves – Condominiums and Cooperatives

• Regarding condominium association budgets, financial reporting, and reserves, the bill prohibits associations from reducing the required type of financial statement (compiled, reviewed, or audited financial statements) for consecutive years.
• Requires associations to provide unit owners with a notice that the structural integrity reserve study (SIRS) is available for inspection and copying within 45 days of completion of the study. The notice may be provided electronically.
• Allows associations to temporarily pause the funding of reserves or a reduce reserve funding if the entire condominium building is uninhabitable due to a natural emergency, as determined by the local enforcement agency, upon majority approval of the members.

SIRS NOTICE

• Condominium and cooperative associations must notify the division within 45 days after the SIRS is completed. By January 1, 2025, the division must create a database of associations that have completed the SIRS. After December 31, 2024, the division must include in its annual report a list of all associations that have completed the SIRS.

Meetings of Condominium Associations

• The bill requires: Associations of 10 or more units to meet quarterly and four times each year the agenda must allow members to ask questions concerning the status of construction or repair projects, revenues and expenditures, and other condominium issues; and
• The notice for meetings on assessments must include the cost and purpose of assessments and a copy of any proposed contract.

Director Education – Condominiums

• The bill provides education requirements for the officers and directors of condominium associations to require newly elected or appointed directors to submit both the written certification that they have read the association’s governing documents, will work to uphold the documents to the best of their ability and faithfully discharge their duties, and submit a certificate of completion of an approved condominium education course;
• Four hours of training which includes instruction on milestone inspections, SIRS, elections, recordkeeping, financial literacy and transparency, levying of fines, and meeting requirements;
• Directors to annually complete at least one hour of continuing education about recent changes to the condominium laws and rules during the past year; and
• Association directors, excluding directors for a timeshare condominium, to certify, on a form provided by the division, that all directors have completed the required written certification and educational certificate requirements.

Voting in Condominium and Cooperative Associations

• Regarding voting in condominium and cooperative associations, the bill requires associations to notify a condominium unit owner or member that his or her voting rights may be suspended due to nonpayment of a fee or other monetary obligation at least 90 days before an election.
• Allows cooperative and condominium owners to consent to electronic voting in elections by using an electronic means of consent.
• Provides that if the cooperative and condominium board authorizes online voting, the board must honor a unit owner's request to vote electronically at all subsequent elections, unless the unit owner opts out.

Hurricane Protections – Condominiums

• The bill revises the requirements for the installation of hurricane protection in a condominium building, including creating a uniform definition for “hurricane protection;”
• Requiring condominium declarations to delineate the responsibilities of unit owners and associations for the costs of maintenance, repair, and replacement of hurricane protections, exterior doors, windows, and glass apertures;
• Providing a uniform procedure for approval of hurricane protection; and
• Providing that unit owners are not responsible for the cost of removal and reinstallation of hurricane protection if the removal is necessary to repair condominium property.

SLAPP and Defamation Suits

• The bill revises the prohibitions against “strategic lawsuits against public participation” or “SLAPP suits,” which occur when association members are sued by individuals, business entities, or governmental entities for matters arising out of a unit owner's appearance and presentation before a governmental entity on matters related to the condominium association.
• The bill includes condominium associations in the SLAPP suit prohibition, and protects unit owners who report complaints to government agencies or law enforcement, or make public statements critical of the operation or management of an association by prohibiting associations from:
  • Retaliating against unit owners, by increasing assessments, threatening to bring an action for possession or other civil action; and
  • Spending association funds in support of defamation, libel, or tortious interference actions against a unit owner.

Condominium Officers and Directors

• The bill provides that the attendance of an officer or director at a meeting of the board is sufficient to constitute a quorum for the meeting and for any vote taken in his or her absence when the director is required to leave the room during the discussion and the taking of a vote on a contract in which the director, or his relative, has an interest.

Division of Condominium, Timeshares, and Mobile Homes

• The bill expands the division’s post-turnover jurisdiction to include procedures and records related to financial issues, including annual financial reporting, assessments for common expenses, fines, and commingling funds;
• Elections, including election and voting requirements, and recall of board members;
• The maintenance of and unit owner access to association records;
• The procedural aspects of meetings, such as unit owner meetings, quorums, voting requirements, proxies, board of administration meetings, and budget meetings;
• Disclosure of conflicts of interest;
• Removal of a board director or officer under ch. 718, F.S.;
• The procedural completion of structural integrity reserve studies; and
• Any written inquiries by unit owners to the association.
• Requires that the division must refer to local law enforcement authorities any person it believes has engaged any criminal activity.
• Provides that the division and the office of the condominium ombudsman may attend and observe any meeting of the board or any unit owner meeting, for the purpose of performing the duties of the division or the office of the ombudsman.
• The division must submit findings by January 1, 2025, to the Governor, the President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, of its review and recommendations of the website or application requirements for official records.

Condominium Ombudsman

• The bill provides for the appointment of the Condominium Ombudsman by the DBPR secretary instead of the Governor, and deletes the requirement that the ombudsman must be an attorney.

Limitations on Actions by Condominium and Cooperative Associations

• The bill provides that the statute of limitations and statute of repose for certain actions available to a condominium association or a cooperative association, will not begin to run until the unit owners have elected a majority of the members of the board of administration.

Pre-Sale Disclosures and Requirements

• The bill revises the form in which the prospective purchaser of a condominium unit acknowledges receipt of specified documents to include a copy of the most recent annual financial statement and annual budget of the condominium association.
• Effective October 1, 2024, the bill also Includes the annual financial statement and annual budget of the condominium association among the documents a nondeveloper seller of a unit must give to a prospective purchaser of a unit.
• Allows developers of nonresidential condominiums the option of delivering to the escrow agent a surety bond or an irrevocable letter of credit with specified conditions, and
• Revises escrow requirements for developers.

Condominiums Within a Portion of a Building or Within a Multiple Parcel Building

• The bill revises the definition for the term “condominium property” to mean “the lands, leaseholds, improvements, any personal property, and all easements and rights appurtenant thereto, regardless of whether contiguous, which are subjected to condominium ownership.”
• Effective October 1, 2024, the bill provides disclosure requirements for the creation of condominiums within a portion of a building or within a multiple parcel building. The association of a condominium created within a portion of a building or within a multiple parcel building has the right to inspect and copy the books and records upon which the costs for maintaining and operating the shared facilities are based and to receive an annual budget with respect to such costs.

Florida Building Commission – Water Intrusion Study

• The bill also requires the Florida Building Commission to submit a report by December 1, 2024, to the Governor, the President of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and the chairs of the legislative appropriations committees and appropriate substantive committees with jurisdiction over ch. 718, F.S., of its review of the standards to prevent water intrusion through the tracks of sliding glass doors.

Appropriation

• For Fiscal Year 2024-2025, the bill appropriates $6,122,390 in recurring and $1,293,879 in nonrecurring funds from the General Revenue Fund to the Department of Business and Professional Regulation, and 65 full-time equivalent positions with an associated salary rate, for the purpose of implementing the provisions of this bill.

For Reference:

https://www.flsenate.gov/Committees/BillSummaries/2024/html/3512

https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2024/1021/BillText/er/PDF

Condominium and Cooperative Associations

Effective 7-1-25

https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2025/913 

The bill relates to the governance of condominium and cooperative associations and the practice of community association management.

Community Association Managers

Regarding community association managers (CAMs) and CAM firms, the bill:

• Revises the conflict-of-interest disclosure requirements for CAMs and CAM firms, including exempting conflicts of interest that are disclosed in the management contract from current law requirements;

• Prohibits persons who have had their CAM license revoked from having an indirect or direct ownership interest in a CAM firm, or being an employee, partner, officer, director, or trustee of a CAM firm for 10 years and may not reapply for a license for 10 years; 

• Requires CAMs to maintain and update an online account with the Department of 

Business and Professional Regulation (department) specifying any services he or she is providing for a condominium, cooperative, or homeowners’ association; and 

• Requires the Division of Condominiums, Timeshares, and Mobile Homes (division) to give written notice to the CAM firm and to the community association when a CAM’s license is suspended or revoked.

Milestone Inspections

Regarding milestone inspections of the structural integrity of condominium and cooperative buildings, the bill:

• Revises the requirements for milestone inspections to apply to condominium and cooperative buildings that are three “habitable” stories or more in height instead of three or more stories under current law;

• Requires local enforcement agencies report to the department, by October 1, 2025, specified information regarding the inspections, including the number of buildings inspected, and a list of buildings that have been deemed unsafe or uninhabitable;

• Requires the Office of Program Policy and Government Accountability to compile milestone inspection data and to submit a report to the Legislature; and

• Requires the boards of county commissioners to adopt an ordinance requiring associations and any other owners that are subject to milestone inspection requirements to commence repairs within 365 days after a phase two inspection is received.

Conflicts of Interest – Milestone and Structural Integrity Reserve Studies

The bill requires design professionals, e.g., architects and engineers, and licensed contractors who bid on structural integrity reserve studies (SIRS) and milestone inspections, to disclose in writing if they intend to bid on maintenance, repair, or replacement work related to the SIRS. A person who conducts or performs a SIRS or milestone inspection or provides recommended services may not have a direct or indirect interest in the firm conducting the study or be related to someone with such an interest unless disclosed to the association in writing. Failure to disclose makes the contract voidable and may result in professional discipline.

Insurance

The bill requires every condominium association to provide adequate property insurance, and:

• That the amount of adequate insurance coverage for full insurable value, replacement cost, or similar coverage may be based on the replacement cost of the property to be insured which must be determined at least once every three years.

• Clarifies the association’s obligation to provide adequate insurance coverage for at least three or more community associations may be satisfied by obtaining and maintaining insurance coverage sufficient to cover an amount equal to the probable maximum loss for the communities for a 250-year windstorm event.

Annual Financial Statements

The bill revises the annual financial statement requirements for condominiums by:

• Increasing from 120 days to 180 days, the date by which the financial report must be completed after the end of the fiscal year;

• Allowing the association, as an alternative to delivering the annual financial statement, to provide a notice that the financial report will be mailed, hand delivered, or provided electronically via the Internet as requested by the unit owner; 

• Requiring that an officer or director of the association sign an affidavit evidencing compliance with the requirements for delivery of the annual financial statement; and

• Requiring the approval of a majority of all of the voting interests to reduce the type of financial reporting.

Official Records

The bill requires condominium associations to keep as official records all: 

• Bank statements and ledgers as official records;  Recordings of meetings held by video conference;

• Affidavits required by ch. 718, F.S., including on the association’s website; and

• Approved minutes of the board over the preceding 12 months on the association’s website. 

Associations must update the association’s website within 30 days of any change.

Condominium Association Meetings

The bill allows condominium associations to conduct meetings by video conferencing, including board meetings, budget meetings, and unit member meetings, and:

• Allows board members who appear by video conference to vote, but their presence may not count towards a quorum; 

• Requires meetings conducted by video conference to be recorded and kept as official records;

• Requires that the notice for a video conference meeting include a hyperlink and the address for the physical location of the meeting; 

• Requires meetings to be held within 15 miles of the condominium property or within the same county; and

• Requires the division to adopt rules for the conduct of meetings by video conference. 

Annual Budget Requirements

Relating to the budget requirements for condominium associations, the bill:

• Requires associations to simultaneously propose a substitute budget that excludes any discretionary spending if the proposed budget exceeds 115 percent of the assessments of the preceding year;

• Requires that the substitute budget be presented to the unit owners for approval before a budget can be adopted; and

• Revises the expenses that associations can exclude when determining whether assessments exceed 115 percent of the assessments of the preceding year by: 

o Removing “assessments for the betterment of the community;” and o Limiting the exclusion of anticipated expenses to expenses related to the SIRS inspection.

Reserves Relating to the maintenance of reserves by condominium and cooperative associations, the bill:

• Allows all multicondominiums to use the “alternative funding method;”

• Increases the monetary threshold for reserve items from $10,000 to $25,000, with annual inflation increases;

• Provides for investment of reserve funds in certificates of deposit or deposits in banks and credit unions without a vote of the unit owners;

• Allows a unit-owner-controlled association that is required to have a SIRS to fund reserves by a special assessment, a line of credit, or loan, with the approval of a majority of the voting interests of the association;

• Allows condominium boards to pause reserve funding without unit owner approval when the condominium building is declared uninhabitable by the local building official;

• Allows unit-owner-controlled associations, for a budget adopted on or before December 31, 2028, that have completed the milestone inspection in the previous two years to temporarily pause or reduce reserve contributions for no more than 2 consecutive annual budgets, upon a vote of a majority of the total voting interests, in order to fund needed repairs recommended by the milestone inspection. If an association pauses or reduces 

reserve funding, it must perform a SIRS before continuing reserve contribution in order to determine the association’s reserve funding needs and to recommend a reserve funding plan; and

• Allows for funding of SIRS reserves by the pooling accounting method and allows boards to change the accounting method for reserves to a pooling accounting method or a straight-line accounting method without a vote of the members.

Structural Integrity Reserve Studies

Relating to condominium and cooperative associations, the bill: 

• Revises the requirements for SIRS to apply the requirement to buildings that are three “habitable” stories or more in height;

• Extends the deadline by which associations must complete a required SIRS from 

December 31, 2024, to December 31, 2025;

• Requires that the SIRS, include a reserve “baseline” funding plan that ensures the reserve cash balance stays above zero;

• Requires that the SIRS must differentiate between mandatory reserve items and other reserve items;

• Allows associations that have completed the required milestone inspection to delay the SIRS for the two consecutive budget years following a milestone inspection in order to prioritize funding for repairs and maintenance required the milestone inspection;

• Exempts four-family dwellings with three or fewer habitable stories above ground from the SIRS requirements;

• Requires officers and directors of associations to sign an affidavit acknowledging receipt of a completed SIRS; and

• Requires the division to adopt by rule the form for the SIRS in coordination with the Florida Building Commission.

Electronic Voting

The bill revises electronic voting requirements for condominiums, including requiring the board to adopt a resolution allowing electronic voting if at least 25 percent of the voting interests petition the board to adopt a resolution for electronic voting.

Presale Disclosure

The bill extends the 3-day recission period for condominium sales by nondeveloper unit owners to 7 days. 

Condos Within a Portion of a Building or Within a Multiple Parcel Building

The bill revises the provision in section 31 of Chapter 2024-244, Laws of Florida (CS/CS/CS/HB

1021), to provide that provisions related to condominiums within a portion of a building or within a multiple parcel do not apply retroactively and only apply to condominiums for which declarations were initially recorded on or after October 1, 2025.

The bill also provides that a condominium association created within a portion of a building may inspect and copy the books and records of the owner of the non-condominium portion of the building and that the condominium association must receive a financial report with respect to such costs.

Jurisdiction of the Division of Condominiums, Timeshares, and Mobile Homes

The bill expands the condominium jurisdiction of the division to include:

• Completion of milestone inspections;

• Requirements to maintain insurance and fidelity bonding for persons who disperse funds;  Board member education requirements; and  Reporting requirements for SIRS.

Reporting Requirement for Condominiums and Cooperatives

The bill requires condominium and cooperative associations to create an online account with the division and provide specified information by October 1, 2025, and only once per year thereafter, except that contact information must be updated within 30 days of a change. The division must provide associations at least 45 days to submit the information after the account is established. The information associations may be required to submit includes:

• Contact information for the association, its members of the board, and its CAM; and 

• The number of units, age of buildings, and assessments, including the purpose for the assessments.

Law Enforcement

Redefines the term “official investigation” to include official investigations by the division relating to the criminal prohibitions against tampering with, harassing, or retaliating against a witness, victim, or informant. 

Additional Condominium Provisions

The bill also:

• Expands the emergency powers of condominium and cooperative associations to require the evacuation of the property in the event of any evacuation order, instead of a mandatory evacuation order;

• Revises requirements related to maintenance and hurricane protection; and

• Revises requirements for nonresidential condominiums, including to the unit, appurtenances, or share of the common expenses.