Records & TransparencyFL
Florida HOA Records: What Homeowners Are Entitled To (§720.303)
By The HOARebel Team · May 18, 2026 · 2 min read
When a board treats the association's books as off-limits, it's often relying on members not knowing §720.303 of the Florida Statutes. Under that statute, official records are not the board's private property — they belong to the membership, and homeowners have a statutory right to inspect and copy them. Here's what the law provides, as general information rather than legal advice.
What counts as an "official record"
The list under §720.303(4) is broad. It includes, among other things:
- The declaration, bylaws, articles of incorporation, and current rules
- Meeting minutes for the members and the board
- Current insurance policies
- Contracts to which the association is a party
- Financial records, budgets, and the most recent financial report
- A current roster of members and their addresses
- Bids for work to be performed
If the association has it and it relates to the operation of the community, it's generally an official record unless a narrow statutory exception applies (like attorney-client privileged material or certain personnel records).
The deadline: 10 business days
Once a member makes a written request, the association must make the records available within 10 business days after receiving it. The records are made available at a location within 45 miles of the community or within the county in which the association is located.
How the request is sent can matter for the penalty below — many homeowners use certified mail, return receipt requested because it documents when the association received it, and the clock starts on receipt.
The penalty for non-compliance
Under §720.303(5), where a request was sent by certified mail, return receipt requested and the association fails to provide access within 10 business days, the law creates a rebuttable presumption that the association willfully failed to comply. A member who is denied access is entitled to actual damages or minimum damages, and minimum damages are $50 per calendar day for up to 10 days, beginning on the 11th business day after receipt:
"The minimum damages are $50 per calendar day up to 10 days, the calculation to begin on the 11th business day after receipt of the written request." — §720.303(5), Fla. Stat.
That's a real financial consequence the statute attaches to a stonewalling board.
What a request often looks like
Homeowners commonly make the request specific and dated, citing the statute — for example:
Pursuant to §720.303(5), Florida Statutes, I request to inspect and copy the following official records: [list]. Please make these available within 10 business days of your receipt of this request.
Naming the specific documents tends to get a clearer response than a broad, vague request.
The member's side of the process
The association can adopt reasonable written rules governing the time, location, notice, and manner of inspections, and may impose reasonable costs for copies. It cannot use those rules to effectively deny access — and following the documented procedure leaves less room for the association to blame the member for a delay.