Florida HOA Estoppel Certificates

If you're buying or selling a home in a Florida community with an HOA or condo association, you'll run into an estoppel certificate. It's one of the most important documents at closing, and one of the most misunderstood. The rules for HOAs (§720.30851) and condos (§718.116(8)) are nearly identical.

What is an estoppel certificate?

An estoppel certificate is the association's statement of what a specific unit or parcel owes on the day it's issued. The law sets the form. It must include:

• The regular assessment, how often it's due, the date it's paid through, and the next installment
• An itemized list of all assessments, special assessments and other money owed on the date of issuance
• An itemized list of amounts scheduled to come due during the certificate's effective period
• Any capital contribution, resale, transfer or other fee due
• Whether there's an open violation noticed to the owner in the association's official records
• Whether the board must approve the transfer, and whether it has
• Whether there's a right of first refusal, and whether it has been exercised
• Other associations the property belongs to, and contact information for the association's insurance
• The attorney's contact information if the account has been turned over for collection

Why it matters

The association waives the right to collect any money above the certified amounts from anyone who relies on the certificate in good faith, and from that person's successors. That's the "estoppel."

This matters because a buyer is jointly liable with the seller for assessments unpaid when title transfers (§720.3085(2)(b), §718.116(1)(a)).

• Buyers: read it. A large open special assessment can change the economics of the purchase.
• Sellers: order it early. A slow or disputed certificate is a common cause of delayed closings.

What it costs

The statute caps the fee and requires the DBPR to adjust the caps for inflation every 5 years. The statute's text still shows the original 2017 amounts ($250, $100 and $150). The amounts that apply now are the ones the DBPR publishes:

So a certificate on a delinquent account can cost up to $478, or $597 if expedited. The DBPR's next update is due by July 1, 2027.

For several parcels owned by the same owner, requested together from the same association, with nothing past due, the total can't exceed $896 for 25 or fewer, $1,194 for 26 to 50, $1,791 for 51 to 100, and $2,985 for more than 100.

A few other rules limit the fee:

• Authority. The right to charge a fee must come from a written board resolution or a written management, bookkeeping or maintenance contract.
• Late certificates are free. If the association misses the 10-business-day deadline, it can't charge a fee for that certificate.
• No fee for corrections. The association can't charge for an amended certificate.
• Refunds. If the closing doesn't happen, a payor who isn't the owner can get the fee refunded. The request must be in writing, with reasonable documentation, within 30 days after the planned closing date. The preparer must refund it within 30 days, and the owner then owes that amount to the association. The contract can't waive this right.

The deadline, and how long it lasts

The association must issue the certificate within 10 business days after it receives a written or electronic request. Only an owner, a mortgagee, or a designee of either can make the request. The association must name on its website a person or entity with a street or email address for requests.

A certificate is good for:

• 30 days if it's hand delivered or sent electronically
• 35 days if it's sent by regular mail

If the association finds a mistake or new information during that period, and the sale or refinance hasn't been completed, it can deliver an amended certificate, which starts a new 30- or 35-day period.

If the association doesn't comply, a summary court proceeding can compel it, and the prevailing party recovers reasonable attorney fees.

Learn more

• DBPR — current estoppel certificate fees
• Florida Statutes §720.30851 — estoppel certificates, HOAs (2026)
• Florida Statutes §718.116 — condo assessments and estoppel certificates (2026)
• Buying Into a Florida HOA

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.