Florida HOA and condo records retention schedule — every category, in plain English

The retention schedule side by side

Both §718.111(12)(b) (condominiums) and §720.303(4)(HOAs) organize official records into the same broad tiers. The categories and periods below reflect the statutory text for each chapter. “Inside Florida” refers to the requirement that certain records be kept within the state of Florida.

Table reflects §718.111(12)(b) items (a)1–6 for condominiums and the corresponding §720.303(4) categories for HOAs. Always verify against the current enrolled statute.

Where the records must live

For condominiums of 150 or more units, §718.111(12)(g) requires a password-protected statutory website or digital portal where unit owners can access the official records online. The portal must be segregated by owner credentials — not a single shared password. Records on the portal must be the same records kept in the physical official record, and the two must stay synchronized.

For associations below the 150-unit threshold, records must be kept within the county where the property is located, or accessible for inspection within that county. Electronic storage is permissible provided the association can produce legible copies on request within the 10-business-day window.

Penalty for losing or withholding records

Failing to produce records within the 10-business-day window under §718.111(12) exposes the association to $50 per calendar day in statutory damages, with a $500 maximum per records request, per owner. This is a civil remedy available without filing suit.

Criminal exposure exists for willful destruction, alteration, or concealment of official records. Under the escalating tiers in §718.111(12)(c)2–4 and the parallel HOA provisions in §720.303(5)(d)–(f), destroying records to prevent owner inspection can constitute a misdemeanor or, where fraud is alleged, a felony. The same escalation applies to officers or directors who knowingly cause records to go missing before a pending inspection or litigation.

An auditable retention policy a board can adopt

Boards that adopt a written records-retention policy in advance are better positioned to defend against claims of willful destruction. A defensible policy covers:

• Assign a records custodian by title, not by name.The policy should name the “Secretary” or “Designated Records Officer” rather than an individual, so the obligation survives board turnover.
• Map each record category to its statutory period. Use the table above as a starting point and annotate each row with the corresponding statute section.
• Create a disposition log. Every time a record is destroyed at the end of its retention period, log the destruction: what was destroyed, when, by whom, and under what authority. A signed destruction certificate is the standard.
• Confirm the “inside Florida” requirement for 7-year records. If the association uses a cloud storage provider, confirm the primary data center is located in Florida or that the SLA guarantees Florida-resident storage.
• Integrate the SIRS and milestone reports into the 15-year track explicitly. These reports are often stored alongside general engineering correspondence. Create a separate folder or vault labeled with the retention period so they are not inadvertently culled with shorter-lived records.
• Review the policy annually at the organizational board meeting. Add a standing agenda item for records-policy confirmation. The confirmation goes in the minutes as evidence of ongoing compliance intent.

We are not your lawyer. Nothing on this page is legal advice.