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NEW BOARD MEMBER ONBOARDING CHECKLIST

Florida HOA — Your First 90 Days

Read this first

This checklist is general information, not legal advice. It reflects Florida law (Chapters 720 and 617, Florida Statutes) as of September 2026. Your association's declaration, articles of incorporation, and bylaws may add requirements. Florida community association law changes often, so confirm any statute at flsenate.gov before relying on it, and ask your association's attorney when a question carries legal risk.

HOA Guide Florida is not a law firm. No attorney-client relationship is created by using this document.

Director name: ______________________________

Date elected or appointed: ______________ 90-day certification deadline: ______________

Office held (if any): ______________________________

Week 1 — Deadlines and access

  • ☐ Register for the state-approved director education course. You must submit your certificate of completion within 90 days of being elected or appointed. A director who misses the deadline is suspended until they comply. (§720.3033(1))
  • ☐ Put the annual continuing-education requirement on your calendar: 4 hours a year, or 8 hours if the association has 2,500 or more parcels. (§720.3033(1))
  • ☐ Confirm whether you have any conflict of interest (a business, family, or financial connection to a vendor or deal) and disclose it to the board in writing. (§720.3033(2), §617.0832)
  • ☐ Confirm you are current on everything you owe the association. A director more than 90 days delinquent is deemed to have abandoned the seat. (§720.306(9))
  • ☐ Get contact details for the community manager, the association attorney, the insurance agent, and the accountant.
  • ☐ Get access to the association's official email or portal, and use it for association business. Keep association business out of personal text threads.

Weeks 1–3 — Read the governing documents

  • ☐ Declaration of covenants and every recorded amendment
  • ☐ Articles of incorporation
  • ☐ Bylaws: note how officers are chosen, what each officer does, quorum, term length, and how vacancies are filled (§617.0840, §617.0841)
  • ☐ Current rules and regulations adopted by the board
  • ☐ Architectural or design guidelines, if any

Question to answer: What does our declaration actually authorize the board to regulate? The board has only the authority the documents give it. (§720.3035(1))

Weeks 2–4 — Read the numbers

  • ☐ Current year's annual budget (§720.303(6))
  • ☐ Most recent annual financial report, and whether it was compiled, reviewed, or audited (§720.303(7))
  • ☐ Most recent reserve study, if the association has one
  • ☐ Last 3 months of bank statements and the current balance sheet
  • ☐ Current delinquency report, and which accounts are with the attorney
  • ☐ List of everyone authorized to sign checks, approve payments, or access bank accounts. Remove anyone who is no longer on the board.

Weeks 2–4 — Review insurance

  • ☐ Property insurance (common areas and any association-owned buildings)
  • ☐ General liability
  • ☐ Directors and officers (D&O): who's covered (including former directors and committee members), limits, whether defense costs are inside or outside the limit, and main exclusions
  • ☐ Fidelity bond or crime coverage for everyone who controls or disburses association funds, sized to the maximum funds held at any one time. If members voted to waive it, note the date of that vote. It must be approved every year. (§720.3033(5))
  • ☐ Renewal dates for each policy

Weeks 3–6 — Know what's in motion

  • ☐ Minutes from the last 12 months of board and member meetings
  • ☐ Open violations and pending fining hearings
  • ☐ Pending lawsuits, demand letters, arbitration, or mediation
  • ☐ Open records requests and their 10-business-day deadlines (§720.303(5))
  • ☐ Major projects underway or planned
  • ☐ Vendor contracts: management, landscaping, security, pool, and others. Note terms, renewal dates, and termination clauses.

Before your first meeting — Learn the rules of the room

  • ☐ A meeting happens whenever a quorum of the board gathers to conduct association business. Be careful with group texts or email threads that include a quorum of the board. (§720.303(2)(a))
  • ☐ Board meeting notices must list agenda items and be posted 48 hours ahead, except in an emergency. 14 days' notice is needed for special assessments or changes to rules on parcel use. (§720.303(2))
  • ☐ Directors may not vote by email, by proxy, or by secret ballot, except that officers may be elected by secret ballot. (§720.303(2))
  • ☐ Owners may attend board meetings and speak on designated agenda items. (§720.303(2))
  • ☐ Each director's vote or abstention must be recorded in the minutes. (§720.303(3))
  • ☐ If you disagree with an action, vote no or abstain. A director who is present is presumed to agree unless they object, vote against, or abstain. (§617.0824(4))
  • ☐ Fines require notice and a hearing before an independent committee of at least three members. (§720.305)

By day 90 — Confirm you're compliant

  • ☐ Certificate of completion submitted to the association (§720.3033(1))
  • ☐ Conflict disclosure on file
  • ☐ You have read the governing documents, budget, financial report, and insurance summary
  • ☐ You know who the officers are and what the bylaws assign to each
  • ☐ Optional: the board has adopted a code of conduct

Notes

From HOA Guide Florida — Florida HOA Board Member Duties. Florida law verified September 27, 2026.