Serving on Your Florida HOA Board

Volunteer boards run Florida's homeowners' associations. Serving is one of the most direct ways to protect your investment and your community, but it comes with real legal duties. Here's what to know before you run.

Who can serve

Under §720.306(9), all members are eligible to serve, with two exceptions:

• Delinquent members. You can't run if you owe the association any fee, fine or other money on the last day you could be nominated, and your name can't go on the ballot. A sitting director who becomes more than 90 days delinquent is treated as having abandoned the seat.
• Felony convictions. A person convicted of a felony can't run or serve unless their civil rights have been restored for at least 5 years when they seek election.

A director charged with certain crimes, such as theft of association funds or forging a ballot envelope, must be removed from office while the charge is pending (§720.3033(4)).

How elections work

• Your documents control. Elections must follow the procedures in the governing documents (§720.306(9)(a)).
• Nominations. A member can self-nominate at the meeting where the election is held, unless the process allows nominations in advance.
• No contest, no vote. If there are no more candidates than open seats, the candidates take office without an election.
• Plurality wins, unless the documents say otherwise.
• Absent voters can vote by proxy (§720.306(8)). If the documents allow, they can vote by secret ballot using the statute's inner and outer envelopes. The association can also use online voting for members who consent (§720.317).
• Challenges must start within 60 days after the results are announced, through binding arbitration with the Division or in court.

Follow notice procedures exactly. Fraud in an association election, including changing a ballot or buying a vote, is a first-degree misdemeanor (§720.3065).

Term limits

Florida's HOA law (Chapter 720) sets no term limits for HOA directors. How long a term lasts is up to your articles or bylaws. If they don't say, Florida's nonprofit corporation law sets a default term of one year (§617.0805).

Condo boards are different. Under §718.112(2)(d), a condominium board member may not serve more than 8 consecutive years, unless two-thirds of the votes cast in the election approve it or there aren't enough eligible candidates to fill the open seats. Only service on or after July 1, 2018, counts toward the limit.

The education requirement

Under §720.3033(1), newly elected or appointed directors must complete state-approved education within 90 days of taking office and retake it at least every 4 years. Directors must also complete continuing education every year: 4 hours, or 8 hours if the association has 2,500 or more parcels. A director who misses the 90-day deadline is suspended from the board until they comply. See the full requirements in our guide to Florida HOA board member certification.

Your fiduciary duties

Directors and officers have a fiduciary relationship to the members (§720.303(1)). In practice that means:

• Duty of care. Make informed decisions. Read the budget, contracts and any reserve studies.
• Duty of loyalty. Put the association's interests ahead of your own. Disclose any conflict of interest at least 14 days before voting on it or entering the contract (§720.3033(6)(b)).
• Follow the documents and the law. Enforce the governing documents consistently. Selective enforcement is a common source of lawsuits.
• Protect the association's money. Budget responsibly, and fund any reserves your association is required to keep.

Accepting a kickback is a third-degree felony, and the board must immediately remove a director it finds has taken one (§720.3033(3)).

For what the duty requires in detail, how the business judgment rule protects board decisions, and when a director can be personally liable, see our guide to fiduciary duty for Florida HOA board members.

Common mistakes that create liability

• Skipping the notice-and-hearing process before levying fines (§720.305).
• Selective or inconsistent rule enforcement.
• Deciding association business outside noticed meetings, or voting by email.
• Ignoring records requests. See How to Request HOA Records in Florida.
• Skipping competitive bids on contracts over 10 percent of the total annual budget, including reserves, unless an exception applies (§720.3055).
• Using an association debit card, which §720.303(13) prohibits for any association expense.
• Failing to carry adequate insurance, including the required fidelity bond or a member-approved waiver (§720.3033(5)). Directors-and-officers (D&O) coverage isn't required by Chapter 720, but it's worth reviewing.

Serving well is mostly about process: notice things properly, document decisions, treat every owner the same, and lean on your association attorney and manager when in doubt.

Learn more

• HOA Board Member Duties
• Florida HOA Board Member Certification
• Fiduciary Duty for Florida HOA Board Members
• Florida Statutes §720.303 — association powers, meetings and records (2026)
• Florida Statutes §720.3033 — officers and directors (2026)
• Florida Statutes §720.306 — meetings and elections (2026)
• Florida DBPR — community association resources

Statutory content on this page was last verified against the 2026 Florida Statutes on 2026-11-04. Confirm current statute text at flsenate.gov before relying on it.