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FL Condo Governance Handbook
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2026 Edition · Chapter 718, Florida Statutes

Better Governance Begins with Better Knowledge.

A comprehensive guide to Florida condominium board leadership, fiduciary responsibility, financial stewardship, and regulatory compliance.

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By Katherine Murphy, PhD, and Robert Levin

Front cover of The Florida Condominium Governance Handbook, 2026 Edition: the title in navy and gold above a Florida coastal waterway with condominium towers and palm fronds, with a navy banner reading Katherine Murphy, PhD and Robert Levin

About the Book

Why condominium governance matters

A condominium association is a business entity governed by statute, its declaration, and its bylaws. The decisions a board makes affect every owner's property, finances, and quality of life.

Florida law asks volunteer directors to act as fiduciaries, manage shared funds, maintain records, and follow defined procedures. Many take office with little preparation for those obligations.

This handbook sets out what the law requires and how well-run boards meet those requirements, in plain language organized for reference.

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The governing framework

Chapter 718, Florida Statutes: the Florida Condominium Act

Readership

Who should read this handbook

Written for everyone with a role in how a Florida condominium is run.

  • Board directors & officers

    Understand your duties, authority, and limits before you vote.

  • Unit owners

    Know your rights to information, meetings, and elections.

  • Association managers

    Align daily operations with statutory requirements.

  • Attorneys & advisors

    A structured reference to share with the boards you serve.

  • Prospective board candidates

    Learn what the role involves before you run.

What's Inside

Key subjects covered

Seven parts and twenty-six chapters, organized from legal foundations to governance implementation.

  1. 01

    Foundations of governance

    The legal framework, the business judgment rule, fiduciary duties, and board authority.

  2. 02

    Financial governance

    Financial statements, reserves and SIRS, budgets, special assessments, and fraud controls.

  3. 03

    Records & digital governance

    Official records, owner access, transparency, cybersecurity, and artificial intelligence.

  4. 04

    Meetings & elections

    Meeting procedures, voting, recalls, board composition, committees, and management.

  5. 05

    Contracts & enforcement

    Procurement, conflicts of interest, fines, due process, and investigations.

  6. 06

    Communications & risk

    Owner communications, hurricanes and disaster recovery, insurance, and vendor risk.

  7. 07

    Governance excellence

    Governance audits, board performance, annual compliance, and the implementation blueprint.

Preview

Look inside the handbook

Twenty-six chapters plus a governance toolkit of fifteen practical appendices.

Table of contents

Part I — Foundations of Condominium Governance

  • 1 · The Evolution of Florida Condominium Governance
  • 2 · The Legal Framework Governing Florida Condominiums
  • 3 · The Business Judgment Rule
  • 4 · Fiduciary Duties of Condominium Directors
  • 5 · Understanding Board Authority
  • 6 · Ethics and Conflicts of Interest: Foundations

Part II — Financial Governance

  • 7 · Understanding Association Financial Statements
  • 8 · Reserve Funds and Structural Integrity Reserve Studies (SIRS)
  • 9 · Budget Development and Special Assessments
  • 10 · Internal Financial Controls and Fraud Prevention

Part III — Records, Transparency, and Digital Governance

  • 11 · Official Records and Records Management
  • 12 · Owner Access to Official Records and Transparency
  • 13 · Digital Governance, Electronic Records, Cybersecurity, and Artificial Intelligence

Part IV — Meetings, Elections, and Board Organization

  • 14 · Board Meetings and Meeting Procedures
  • 15 · Unit Owner Meetings, Elections, Voting, Proxies, and Ballots
  • 16 · Board Composition, Officers, Vacancies, Recalls, Removal, and Succession
  • 17 · Committees, Management Delegation, and Professional Advisers

Part V — Contracts, Ethics, Enforcement, and Accountability

  • 18 · Contracts, Procurement, Competitive Bidding, and Major-Project Governance
  • 19 · Conflicts of Interest, Ethics, Fiduciary Conduct, Gifts, and Self-Dealing
  • 20 · Enforcement, Violations, Fines, Suspensions, and Due Process
  • 21 · Complaints, Investigations, Whistleblowers, and Internal Misconduct

Part VI — Communications, Emergency Governance, and Enterprise Risk

  • 22 · Transparency, Owner Communications, Websites, and Crisis Communications
  • 23 · Emergency Governance, Hurricanes, Casualty Events, and Disaster Recovery
  • 24 · Risk Management, Insurance Oversight, Cybersecurity, and Vendor Risk

Part VII — Governance Excellence and Implementation

  • 25 · Governance Audits, Board Performance, and Continuous Improvement
  • 26 · The Governance Implementation Blueprint

Governance Toolkit — fifteen appendices including the 100-Point Governance Compliance Audit, Annual Board Self-Evaluation, Treasurer's Monthly Financial Review Checklist, Procurement and Bid Evaluation Matrix, Master Annual Compliance Calendar, Florida Statutory and Case Law Quick Indexes, and a Governance Glossary.

Sample chapter opening

Chapter 1 — The Evolution of Florida Condominium Governance

From Shared Property Ownership to Modern Corporate Governance

Executive summary

Florida condominium governance has evolved from a property-ownership framework into a sophisticated system of corporate, financial, operational, and safety oversight. Chapter 718, Florida Statutes — the Florida Condominium Act — gives statutory recognition to condominium ownership and establishes procedures for the creation, sale, and operation of condominiums.

The partial collapse of Champlain Towers South in Surfside on June 24, 2021, was a defining event in this evolution. It accelerated legislative attention to structural inspections, reserve planning, building maintenance, transparency, and board accountability.

Sample reference page

Statutory Authorities

As they appear at the close of each chapter

  • § 718.101, Fla. Stat. — Short title; identifies Chapter 718 as the Condominium Act.
  • § 718.102, Fla. Stat. — Purposes of the Condominium Act.
  • § 718.104, Fla. Stat. — Creation of condominiums and declaration requirements.
  • § 718.111(1)(a), Fla. Stat. — Association as a corporate entity; fiduciary relationship of officers and directors to unit owners.

Every chapter closes with cross-references, statutory authorities, key cases, and practice notes for further research.

About the Authors

Meet the authors

[AUTHOR PHOTO]

Katherine Murphy, PhD

Co-author

[AUTHOR BIO — TO BE SUPPLIED]

[CREDENTIALS — TO BE SUPPLIED]

[AUTHOR PHOTO]

Robert Levin

Co-author

[AUTHOR BIO — TO BE SUPPLIED]

[CREDENTIALS — TO BE SUPPLIED]

Resources

Educational articles and edition updates

A library of governance articles is planned for a later phase.

Read the FAQs

FAQs

Frequently asked questions

What is this handbook about?

It is an educational guide to how Florida condominium associations are governed under Chapter 718, Florida Statutes, the Florida Condominium Act. It covers board roles, fiduciary duties, meetings, finances, records, and compliance.

Who is the handbook written for?

Board directors and officers, unit owners, community association managers, attorneys and other advisors, and anyone considering service on a condominium board.

Is this book legal advice?

No. The handbook provides general educational information. Specific situations should be reviewed with a qualified Florida attorney.

Does the 2026 Edition reflect recent changes to Florida law?

[PUBLICATION DETAILS — TO BE SUPPLIED: confirm which statutory amendments and effective dates the 2026 Edition covers.]

Where can I buy the handbook?

The handbook is available on Amazon. [AMAZON LINK — TO BE SUPPLIED]

Front cover of The Florida Condominium Governance Handbook, 2026 Edition: the title in navy and gold above a Florida coastal waterway with condominium towers and palm fronds, with a navy banner reading Katherine Murphy, PhD and Robert Levin

Purchase the Handbook

The Florida Condominium Governance Handbook, 2026 Edition

By Katherine Murphy, PhD, and Robert Levin

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