Florida Condominium Official Records: Retention Requirements and Unit Owner Access
A practical guide for Florida condominium association boards and community association managers
Florida condominium associations must preserve a broad range of official records, make many of them available for inspection, and protect certain confidential information. Section 718.111(12), Florida Statutes, establishes the principal requirements. Condominium boards and community association managers should understand the different retention periods and the procedures for responding to records inspections requests.
What Constitutes a Condominium Association’s Official Records?
Official records include the documents expressly identified in Section 718.111(12)(a), Florida Statutes, as well as other written records related to the operation of the association. Examples include:
Recorded declaration, bylaws, articles of incorporation, amendments, and current rules;
Meeting minutes and required videoconference recordings;
Unit-owner roster, voting certifications, and designated notice information;
Insurance policies, contracts, bids, and property-transfer documents;
Accounting records, bank statements, invoices, audits, and financial reports;
Voting records, rental records where the association acts as rental agent, and the current statutory question-and-answer sheet;
Structural integrity reserve studies, qualifying inspection reports, building permits, board educational certificates, and required affidavits.
Are Emails, Text Messages, and Social Media Communications Official Records?
Electronic communications concerning association operations can be official records when they are sent by or to the community association manager. Likewise, when these communications are sent or received using equipment or accounts that are owned by the association. However, communications that are sent and received using personal phones, private email accounts, a director’s own computer, and social media platforms generally do not create official records. The content of the communication, the equipment or accounts used, and the recipient of the communication matter tremendously to the analysis. Association legal counsel should be asked to review if there is a question over whether an electronic communication is an official record.
How Long Must Condominium Associations Keep Records?
Permanent records
Section 718.111(12)(b), Florida Statutes, requires permanent retention, from the inception of the association, of the categories identified in Section 718.111(12)(a)1.–6.: developer-provided plans, permits, warranties and related materials; recorded declarations and amendments; recorded bylaws and amendments; certified articles of incorporation or other formation documents and amendments; current rules; and the association’s meeting minutes and required videoconference recordings, subject to the specific recording-retention provision described below.
Fifteen-year records
Structural integrity reserve studies must be retained for at least 15 years after completion. Reports described in Sections 553.899 and 718.301(4)(p), Florida Statutes, and other reports relating to structural or life-safety inspections of condominium property, must be retained for 15 years after receipt. Whether a particular building requires a milestone inspection or structural integrity reserve study is a separate question governed by applicable law; the retention rule applies to covered reports and studies that exist.
One-year records
Ballots, sign-in sheets, voting proxies, and other paper or electronic voting records must be maintained for one year from the relevant election, vote, or meeting. Bids for work, materials, equipment, or services must be maintained for at least one year after receipt. When approved minutes exist for a videoconference meeting, the recording must be retained for at least one year after the recording is posted as required by Section 718.111(12)(g), Florida Statutes.
Seven-year general rule
Other official records, including ordinary accounting records, audits, reviews, and financial reports, generally must be maintained in Florida for at least seven years unless another law requires otherwise. The statute does not impose a blanket fifteen-year period on all financial reports. Associations should also preserve records longer when litigation holds or other applicable obligations require it.
Records must be organized to facilitate inspection. If official records are lost, destroyed, or unavailable, the association has a good-faith obligation to obtain or recover them as reasonably possible. See Section 718.111(12)(b), Florida Statutes.
Which Records Are Exempt from Unit Owner Inspection?
An association is required to retain certain official records that the law prohibits members from inspecting. Section 718.111(12)(c)5, Florida Statutes, identifies protected categories of records, including:
Attorney-client privileged records and qualifying attorney work product;
Information obtained in connection with approval of a parcel sale, lease, or other transfer;
Information about guests’ visits in gated communities;
Specified personnel records of association or management-company employees (but not written employment agreements or financial records reflecting compensation);
Medical records of owners or residents;
Social Security numbers, driver license numbers, credit card numbers, emergency contact information, and mailing addresses outside of the community that are not used for purposes of notice;
Electronic security measures, including passwords;
Software and operating systems used to manipulate data (although the underlying data remains an official record); and
Affirmative acknowledgments concerning certain assessment-invoice delivery changes under Section 718.121(4)(c), Florida Statutes.
Florida law permits certain owner directories, subject to statutory limitations and an owner’s ability to request exclusion of their telephone number. Associations should redact protected information from otherwise disclosable records rather than assume the entire document is exempt.
How Must Associations Respond to Records Inspection Requests?
A unit owner or authorized representative generally may inspect and copy nonexempt official records at reasonable times without stating a purpose. The association must make records available within ten (10) working days after receiving a written request, at a location within forty-five (45) miles of the condominium or in the same county, or through permitted electronic access. Special rules apply to timeshare condominiums. See Section 718.111(12)(b)–(c), Florida Statutes.
The association must simultaneously provide a checklist identifying records made available and official records not made available, and retain the checklist for seven years. A failure to provide access within ten (10) working days creates a rebuttable presumption of willful noncompliance; statutory damages and other remedies may apply. Owners may use their own portable scanning devices without an association-imposed device-use charge.
What Must Condominium Associations Post Online?
Beginning January 1, 2026, an association managing a condominium with twenty-five (25) or more units that does not contain timeshare units must make specified documents available on a website or downloadable mobile application. The website or application must include a protected owner-access area. Unless a shorter deadline applies, covered records generally must be posted within 30 days after receipt or creation. See Section 718.111(12)(g), Florida Statutes.
Required postings include governing documents and rules; recent board minutes and videoconference recordings; a list of contracts that remain in effect, bids, budgets and financial reports; director certifications and conflict-of-interest materials; meeting notices and agendas; qualifying structural and life-safety inspection reports; the most recent structural integrity reserve study, if applicable; and other records enumerated in the statute. Associations should consult the full statutory list and its specific posting deadlines rather than relying on this summary as an exhaustive checklist.
Practical Recordkeeping Steps
Maintain a centralized, access-controlled record system and retention schedule.
Preserve permanent documents and track separate one-, seven-, and fifteen-year categories.
Train directors and managers to preserve association-business communications.
Maintain a written workflow for inspection requests, redactions, and the required checklist.
Audit website postings and protect information exempt from owner inspection.
Conclusion
Sound recordkeeping helps Florida condominium associations meet statutory obligations, respond promptly to unit owners, and reduce avoidable disputes. Boards and managers should periodically review their practices as the law and association operations change. For assistance with condominium official records, retention, or inspection requests, please contact Pope Mazzara & Menendez.
Homeowners’ associations follow a separate statute; see our companion guide to Florida HOA official records.
Legal Sources
About the Author
Alexander J. Menendez is a founding partner at Pope Mazzara & Menendez, PLLC. He represents condominium and homeowners associations throughout Southwest Florida and regularly advises boards and community managers on governance, compliance, and enforcement matters.
Last updated October 2026.
Disclaimer: This article is provided for general informational purposes only and is not intended as legal advice. Associations should consult legal counsel regarding their specific circumstances.
