If you live in a community association in Florida, one of the most common points of confusion is this:
Are you governed by HOA laws or condominium laws?
A lot of people use the terms interchangeably—but legally, they are not the same, and neither are the laws that apply.
Understanding that difference is the starting point for everything else—how your association operates, what the board can and cannot do, what rights owners have, and how financial obligations are handled.
Florida HOA Laws vs Florida Condo Laws
In Florida, community associations generally fall into two categories:
- Homeowners Associations (HOAs) → governed by Chapter 720
- Condominiums → governed by Chapter 718
These are two separate statutory frameworks. While they may overlap in some respects, they operate differently in practice—and applying the wrong one can lead to confusion very quickly.
Chapter 720 — Florida HOA Laws
Chapter 720 applies to homeowners associations, typically made up of single-family homes, townhomes, or planned developments.
This statute governs key issues such as:
- assessments and collections
- architectural control
- board authority
- meetings, elections, and voting
- member rights and responsibilities
If your property is part of an HOA, this is the law that controls how your association operates.
If you want a breakdown of recent updates and how they may affect your community:
👉 Florida HOA Laws 2026 — What You Need to Know
If you prefer to have the full statute in one place instead of navigating section by section:
👉 Florida HOA Laws (Chapter 720) — Complete 2026 Printable PDF
Chapter 718 — Florida Condo Laws
Chapter 718 applies specifically to condominiums.
While there are similarities at a high level, condominium law is more detailed and often includes additional requirements related to:
- financial reporting and disclosures
- reserve funding
- maintenance and structural responsibilities
- governance and owner protections
If you own a condominium unit, this is the statute that applies to your association.
To understand recent changes and what they mean in practice:
👉 Florida Condo Laws 2026 — What You Need to Know
And if you want a complete version of the law that you can actually use:
👉 Florida Condominium Laws (Chapter 718) — Complete 2026 Printable PDF
Why This Difference Matters
This isn’t just a technical distinction.
It affects real-world questions people deal with every day, including:
- what authority the board has
- how assessments are handled
- what records owners can access
- how voting and elections work
If you start from the wrong statute, you’re applying the wrong set of rules.
The Practical Issue Most People Run Into
Even after identifying which law applies, most people run into another problem:
The statute itself is not easy to use online.
Both Chapter 718 and Chapter 720 are broken into sections across multiple pages, which makes it difficult to:
- read the law from beginning to end
- understand how provisions connect
- use it in real-world situations
For many owners and board members, that becomes a practical limitation.
A More Practical Way to Work with the Law
Having the full statute in one place—organized and printable—makes it easier to:
- reference specific provisions quickly
- follow the law in context
- bring a working copy to meetings or discussions
If your community is an HOA:
👉 Get the full Florida HOA Laws (Chapter 720) — 2026 Printable PDF
If your community is a condominium:
👉 Get the full Florida Condominium Laws (Chapter 718) — 2026 Printable PDF
Bottom Line
The first step is knowing which law applies to your community—Chapter 718 or Chapter 720.
From there, understanding how that law works—and having access to it in a format that’s actually usable—puts you in a much better position to navigate issues as they come up.
