HB 913 Compliance Made Easy: The Practical Guide for COAs and HOAs
Your Roadmap to Florida’s Latest and Toughest HOA and COA Legislation
If you serve on a co-op, HOA, or condominium board in Florida, there’s a chance you’ve heard of House Bill 913. Signed by Governor Ron DeSantis in June 2025, the law reshapes the operations of more than 49,000 associations across the state.
Born from the tragedy of the Surfside condo collapse, HB 913 requires boards to prioritize building safety, reserve funding, and transparent financial reporting. Some provisions apply only to condominiums and co-ops with three or more stories, while others apply to every HOA that hires a licensed manager.
The bottom line is that every board (including yours) should know what has changed and why.
As Governor DeSantis said, the goal is to “strengthen oversight” and “empower unit owners.”
This guide walks you through what’s changed and how your board can stay compliant.
The Big Picture: What Florida HB 913 Covers
HB 913 is a sweeping law that reshapes how Florida’s condominium and co-op boards handle building safety, reserves, and transparency. It officially took effect on July 1, 2025, after passing quickly through the legislature.
What HB 913 Means for Your HOA
The law applies differently depending on your community:
- Condominiums and Cooperatives: Condo or residential unit buildings with three or more stories must comply with strict new inspection and reserve study rules, aimed at preventing another Surfside tragedy.
- HOAs That Use Licensed Management Companies: There are updated reporting and licensing requirements under the new legislation.
The Goals of HB 913
Florida has nearly 3.9 million homes in HOAs and more than 49,000 associations statewide. At this scale, lawmakers designed HB 913 to raise safety standards while also improving financial transparency and accountability across numerous communities.
To these ends, the new Florida legislation focuses on three goals: 
Inspection and Reserve Requirements
One of the most significant shifts under HB 913 is how associations must handle inspections and reserves. These requirements are designed to prioritize building safety and prevent boards from delaying critical maintenance.
Milestone Inspections
Condominiums and cooperatives with three or more stories are now required to undergo milestone inspections once a building reaches 30 years of age, and every 10 years after.
A licensed engineer or architect must complete the report, which must also be filed with local officials and shared with the owners.
As Governor DeSantis stressed, the law aims to “strengthen oversight” and keep unit owners informed.
Structural Integrity Reserve Studies (SIRS)
Every HOA and COA must also complete a Structural Integrity Reserve Study (SIRS). The SIRS must be completed by December 31, 2025, which is an extension from the original 2024 deadline.
The study should cover major components, including the following:
- Roofs and foundations
- Load-bearing walls and plumbing
- Long-term cost projections
Boards can also no longer waive or underfund reserves because the minimum reserve threshold has been raised from $10,000 to $25,000. To meet the threshold, boards may now use loans, credit lines, or special assessments (with owner approval).
Why Higher Minimum Reserve Thresholds
The reason your HOA would now need to have at least $25,000 in reserves comes down to one thing — ensuring you have enough for building safety.
A 2024 Community Associations Institute report found that more than 70% of U.S. associations had underfunded reserves. The widespread deficit leaves owners vulnerable to steep special assessments.
HB 913 closes that gap by making reserve funding mandatory and more enforceable.
Financial Oversight and Reporting
There’s more to HB 913 than building safety. Besides safety, provisions governing financial reporting are in place. In the new legislation, you’ll also find new rules involving financial oversight.
What the New Financial Reporting and Oversight Laws Mean for Your HOA
These new guidelines were enacted to strengthen transparency and financial reporting. So, if you’re operating an HOA or COA, you must be more careful with how your board reports and prepares financial statements.
Ledgerly’s HOA accounting services can keep your financial reporting transparent, comprehensive, and, most importantly, compliant with new HOA laws like Florida’s HB 913.
What the New Laws Cover
Below are the latest changes as of July 2025:
- Insurance appraisals every three years: Your associations must update insurance valuations regularly to avoid being underinsured.
- Expanded owner access to records: Homeowners now have greater rights to view bank statements, ledgers, and meeting recordings.
- Reserve investment flexibility: Your board may need to invest reserves prudently without requiring an owner vote (as long as funds remain protected).
- Annual DBPR reporting: Starting October 1, 2025, your HOA or COA must file reports with the Department of Business and Professional Regulation through its online portal.
What’s the Big Deal with Oversight, Anyway?
Florida has more than 3.9 million homes in HOAs, generating billions in annual fees. With so much at stake, lawmakers wanted to ensure owners see exactly how boards manage community money.
As Governor DeSantis noted, HB 913 is designed to “empower unit owners” with stronger financial oversight.
Let’s also not forget how critical transparency is for trust. A 2023 CAI survey found that financial mismanagement was among the top concerns for HOA members nationwide.
Under HB 913, financial records are more accessible and standardized across associations for greater transparency.
Government and Management Rules
Under HB 913, you and your fellow board members are expected to run with greater accountability. These rules are designed to make sure:
- Conflicts are disclosed.
- Your (and your community manager’s) licenses are verified.
- Your management practices are transparent.
Conflict-of-Interest Disclosure
If you or your manager has any contracts or relationships that could influence board decisions, you must disclose them. Doing so protects your community and ensures decisions are made in the owners’ best interest.
Manager Licensing and Restrictions
Any community association manager you hire must stay licensed with the Department of Business and Professional Regulation. If a manager loses their license, they are barred from holding any ownership or employment role in a management firm for ten years. With more than 49,000 associations statewide, these safeguards are designed to prevent unqualified or unethical individuals from holding positions of influence.
Oversight of Management Companies
When you renew or sign contracts with a management company, it is essential to verify licenses, review disclosures, and ask compliance-related questions.
Florida HOAs and COAs collectively can manage up to billions in annual budgets. With this in mind, you can’t afford to take risks with financial oversight.
Meetings and Board Participation
Many of the changes introduced by HB 913 may seem restrictive — and they might be. With that said, there’s good news.
Because one of the goals of the new legislation is to promote transparency, running board meetings has never been simpler under HB 913. There are several key changes, particularly in how to go about virtual meetings.
This way, you and your HOA/COA board will be able to operate with more openness and flexibility. Most importantly, your members and property owners will now have meaningful ways to stay engaged.
Video Conferencing and Electronic Voting
In the past, your board may have relied only on in-person meetings and paper ballots. Under HB 913, you now have clear authority to conduct meetings through video conferencing and allow electronic voting.
These alternative arrangements are beneficial if your community has seasonal residents or members who can’t always attend in person.
Notice and Access Requirements
You’re still responsible for providing proper notice before every meeting. And if your board records meetings, those recordings must be made available to owners.
While these requirements may seem minor, they build trust by demonstrating to your community that decisions are being made transparently.
Best Practices for Virtual Meetings
You can have all the tech in your meetings, but without following best practices for HOA meetings, you won’t be running them effectively.
To keep your meetings flowing and your board and homeowners engaged, you must:
- Set clear agendas
- Testing your tools ahead of time
- Make sure the owners have a voice.
When done right, your virtual meeting can be more inclusive and engaging than the traditional format.
Key Dates and Deadlines
With HB 913 already in effect, your board must track several important compliance dates. Some deadlines are immediate, while others phase in over time. Missing any of them can expose your association to fines or legal challenges.
July 1, 2025: Law Takes Effect
HB 913 officially became law on July 1, 2025. From this date forward, you are expected to align your policies and budgets with its requirements.
October 1, 2025: DBPR Reporting
Starting October 1, 2025, your board must file annual reports with the Department of Business and Professional Regulation. This reporting creates consistent visibility into your association’s finances and governance practices.
December 31, 2025: SIRS Deadline
By the end of 2025, your board must complete its first Structural Integrity Reserve Study (SIRS). While this deadline was extended from 2024, don’t wait.
Engineers and architects will be in high demand, and delaying could leave you scrambling at year’s end.
Ongoing Deadlines
Beyond the first round of compliance, you must also prepare for recurring tasks:
- Insurance appraisals every three years to keep coverage accurate
- Milestone inspections at 30 years, then every 10 years after
- Annual DBPR filings every October 1
Remember:
Plan ahead, and you’ll avoid last-minute stress and demonstrate to your owners that the board is committed to meeting every compliance requirement.
Of course, your financial statements will require consistent attention, preparation, and reporting, regardless of the time of year. We’re just a call away if you need a team that can handle the ledger legwork for you.
At Ledgerly, we provide HOA/COA bookkeeping services to associations across the Sunshine State. Contact us today and experience financial accounting that provides your HOA/COA with clarity and confidence.
The Risks of Non-Compliance
As you delve deep into the new legislation, one of the first questions you might be asking is what happens if you fail to follow any of the new laws.
Failure to comply with HB 913 can put your board and community at significant financial and legal risk. With more than 3.9 million Florida homes in HOAs and billions of dollars in fees at stake, regulators are under pressure to enforce compliance across the state.
Fines and Legal Exposure
If your board misses deadlines or fails to meet requirements, the state may issue fines and penalties. Beyond that, homeowners may file lawsuits if they believe leadership was unable to uphold its duty.
After the Surfside collapse, which killed 98 residents, Florida lawmakers gave regulators stronger enforcement tools to prevent another tragedy.
Fiduciary Duty at Stake
As a board member, you have a fiduciary responsibility to act in the best interests of your community. Skipping inspections, underfunding reserves, or failing to report finances could be viewed as a breach of that duty.
A lack of financial transparency is one of the top concerns among HOA members nationwide. For this reason, your community’s homeowners are more likely to challenge your board if it appears secretive.
DBPR Enforcement
The Department of Business and Professional Regulation now has broader oversight powers under HB 913. Your filings, reserve reports, and manager licenses are all subject to state review, giving regulators direct visibility into your operations.
Reputational Risk
Even if you avoid fines, not complying can damage trust in your leadership. Owners who see missed deadlines or limited transparency may become less confident in your board.
How Ledgerly Can Help
Financial reporting can be the difference between whether your HOA stays compliant or becomes at risk for penalties. When it comes to HOA bookkeeping, Ledgerly can help.
At Ledgerly, we take financial transparency and accuracy seriously. This is why our HOA/COA accounting services are designed to keep your financial reports easy-to-read, comprehensive, presentation-ready, and compliant with new laws like Florida’s HB 913.
Don’t leave your financial reporting and HOA compliance to chance. Reach out today and see how our HOA/COA bookkeeping service can help your board meet FB 913’s strict guidelines.
Practical Steps for Boards
There’s no doubt that HB 913 can look daunting on paper, but believe it or not, you can meet many, if not all, of the new provisions by just following these actionable steps.
1. Conduct a Compliance Audit
First, you’ll want to review your association’s current practices against the law’s requirements.
Identify gaps in inspections, reserves, financial reporting, and management oversight. A written checklist or audit worksheet helps you see where you’re already aligned and where action is needed.
2. Line Up Engineers and Inspectors Early
Did you know that Florida has over 49,000 HOAs and COAs? All of them will require professional services at the same time as you. This means securing an engineer or architect now to handle milestone inspections and reserve studies — and quickly, due to high demand during critical deadlines.
3. Update Budgets for Reserve Funding
Under the new law, funding your reserves is no longer optional.
- Review your financial statements
- Evaluate current balances
- Start adjusting the annual budget to reflect realistic funding levels.
Remember:
Incremental increases today protect you from extensive special assessments tomorrow.
4. Learn the DBPR Online Reporting System
The Department of Business and Professional Regulation will require annual filings beginning October 2025.
Filing is online, so your board should familiarize itself with the system ahead of time, practice data entry, and ensure records are ready for upload.
5. Use Templates and Checklists
When you’re trying to stay compliant, the last thing you and your board want is to overlook something. Luckily, structured tools reduce the risk of oversight.
Not sure where you can get these tools?
At Ledgerly, we provide all the practical resources you need as part of our service.
Through them, we give boards like yours the clarity to manage meetings and financial reports — and not the other way around.
Stay connected to get access to our templates and checklists.
Tools and Templates for HOA Boards
With the right tools, complying with HB 913 and other Florida HOA laws can be as simple as ticking off items on a checklist.
And if you’re reading this, today is your lucky day because we at Ledgerly are here to provide.
Subscribe today to get your hands on the following must-haves for total Hb 913 compliance:
- HB 913 Compliance Checklist: A step-by-step guide that tracks deadlines, inspection schedules, and reporting tasks. It keeps everything in one place, so no requirement slips through the cracks.
- Sample Reserve Study Budget Template: Designed as a straightforward spreadsheet, this template helps your board project costs and plan reserves in line with the new Structural Integrity Reserve Study and building safety requirements.
- Board Meeting Agenda Template: This agenda outline includes sections and checklists on notice, recording, and virtual access requirements.
- Fiduciary Duty Quick Guide: This resource provides a concise explanation of what fiduciary responsibility means for board members under HB 913. It provides your leaders with clarity on their obligations, free from heavy legal jargon.
- Vendor Due Diligence Checklist: This is a practical list of questions and items to verify when hiring engineers, architects, or management companies. It ensures that the professionals you choose are licensed, reliable, and aligned with compliance needs.
Changes and Takeaways
Your COA/HOA needs to be compliant, and compliance entails reserve planning, scheduling inspections promptly, and preparing reports that provide a clear picture of your community’s building safety and financial health.
A big part of what makes your HOA or COA compliant is whether it has solid financial preparation.
Luckily, you don’t need to handle the bookkeeping alone.
Our team is your partner in HOA/COA bookkeeping services. Our accounting services for community boards are designed to simplify your financial statement reporting and preparation, ensuring your association remains compliant.
At Ledgerly, you handle your association while we do the tough bookkeeping. Contact us today for a complimentary consultation and a customized quote, or download our free resources for community boards.