FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (NewsNation) — The power of homeowner associations (HOAs) has significantly increased over the years, but a new Florida law aims to limit their authority.
After an HOA blocked a Florida man from flying a “Trump” flag on his dock, he responded by wrapping his entire boat with the word “Trump.”
This kind of push-back is why the new law, set to go into effect July 1, faces little backlash.
What’s included in the new law?
HOAs were created to improve a community’s quality of life, provide structure, and implement a few rules to maintain harmony among neighbors. However, in recent years, HOA authority has expanded, and many Americans feel they’re becoming overly restrictive.
Gov. Ron DeSantis signed House Bill 1203, which will minimize HOA fines.
The law will prevent HOAs from imposing fines for leaving garbage cans out more than 24 hours after collection. It’ll also prohibit fines for leaving up your holiday decorations for too long unless the HOA provides written notice, giving residents a week to remove them.
Additionally, the new law limits the number of fines residents can receive and restricts how much HOAs can increase annual assessments. It’ll also prohibit HOAs from restricting where residents park a personal vehicle if it complies with state, county, and municipal regulations.
Under the law, HOA officers, directors and managers who accept bribes can face criminal prosecution and removal from office.
Nearly half of Florida homes are part of an HOA
Roughly 45% of homes in the Sunshine State are part of an HOA.
The new law will require more transparency when HOAs want to make rule changes, addressing the frustration many homeowners nationwide feel over problematic fines.
More than 75 million Americans live in HOA communities. This wasn’t always the case, as the number of HOA residents grew by 20% from 2010 to 2020. Membership fees for single-family homeowners are generally between $200 and $300.
Florida has more than 49,000 HOAs in Florida, second only to California, according to the latest data from the Foundation for Community Association Research. As of 2021, Florida associations collected nearly $14 billion annually in assessments.