In Florida, you can request almost all of your HOA's official records, including the declaration and bylaws, meeting minutes, financial reports, budgets, contracts, insurance policies, and the membership roster (Fla. Stat. §720.303(4) and (5)). A short list is protected, such as attorney-client communications and employee personnel files. You do not have to say why you want any of it, and the association has 10 business days to produce it.

The full list of records you can see

Florida law requires the association to keep, and let you inspect, its official records for at least 7 years (Fla. Stat. §720.303(4)). Those records include:

Governing documents

  • The recorded declaration of covenants and all amendments.
  • The articles of incorporation and bylaws, and all amendments.
  • Current rules and regulations.

Meeting records

  • Minutes of all board meetings and member meetings, kept for at least 7 years.
  • Notices and agendas.

Financial records

  • The association's accounting records.
  • The most recent annual financial report and the current budget.
  • Bank statements, invoices, receipts, and the general ledger (the detailed accounting records).
  • The audit, review, or compilation, if the association prepared one.

Contracts and operations

  • All current insurance policies.
  • All written contracts to which the association is a party, and bids for work to be performed.
  • Management agreements, leases, and similar contracts.

Membership records

  • A current roster of all members, their mailing addresses, parcel identifications, and, where authorized, email addresses and fax numbers used for notice.

Correspondence and rulings

  • Ballots, sign-in sheets, and voting proxies related to elections, kept for at least one year.

The default rule is broad: if it is a record of the association's business, you can probably see it.

The short list you cannot see

A few categories are protected from inspection (Fla. Stat. §720.303(5)):

  • Attorney-client privileged communications and attorney work product prepared for litigation.
  • Personnel records of association employees (though not the compensation figures in some cases).
  • Medical records of members.
  • Certain personal identifying information of other owners, such as Social Security numbers, driver license numbers, and, in many cases, personal email addresses and telephone numbers, and information related to security systems.
  • Software and operating information the association licenses.

These are narrow exceptions. A board cannot label ordinary minutes or financials "privileged" to avoid producing them.

You do not have to explain yourself

The association may not require you to state a reason or "proper purpose" for wanting the records (Fla. Stat. §720.303(5)). If a board member asks why, you can decline to answer and still be entitled to the documents.

How to actually get them

  1. Write a specific request listing the documents above that you want.
  2. Send it by certified mail so you can prove the date.
  3. The association has 10 business days to make them available.

See how to request HOA records for the method, and use the records request letter. If they stall, see HOA won't give me records.

What you can do next

  1. Decide which records above you need, then send the records request letter by certified mail.
  2. Calendar the 10-business-day deadline.
  3. If they refuse or miss the deadline, escalate with the records-denial follow-up letter, then pre-suit mediation and court.