How much an HOA can fine
Under section 720.305(2), a homeowners' association may levy reasonable fines against a member or a member's tenant, guest or invitee. A fine may not exceed $100 per violation unless the governing documents say otherwise. For a continuing violation the board may fine for each day after a single notice and opportunity for hearing, but the total may not exceed $1,000 unless the governing documents provide otherwise (as of 2026).
A fine of less than $1,000 may not become a lien against the parcel. The association may also suspend the right to use common areas, but a suspension cannot block vehicle or pedestrian access to the home, including parking.[1]
Notice, hearing and payment date
Before a board-imposed fine or suspension takes effect, the owner must receive at least 14 days' written notice of the right to a hearing. The hearing must be held within 90 days of the notice before a committee of at least three members appointed by the board who are not officers, directors or employees of the association, or their close relatives. The committee may meet by phone or other electronic means.
The notice must describe the alleged violation and any cure that would resolve it. If the owner cures the violation as the notice specifies, no fine or suspension may be imposed. If the committee approves a fine, it sends written findings within 7 days, and the payment date must be at least 30 days after that written notice is delivered.
Two things an HOA cannot fine for
The 2024 changes to the HOA Act (HB 1203, effective July 1, 2024) added specific protections. An association may not fine or suspend an owner for leaving garbage receptacles at the curb or end of the driveway within 24 hours before or after the designated collection day. It also may not fine for holiday decorations or lights left up longer than the governing documents allow unless they remain more than one week after the association's written notice of the violation.[1][2]
Key takeaways
- Florida HOA fines are capped at $100 per violation and $1,000 total for a continuing violation unless the governing documents allow more.
- Owners get 14 days' written notice and a hearing before an independent three-member committee.
- Curing the violation as the notice describes means no fine can be imposed.
- A fine under $1,000 cannot become a lien on the home.
- Trash cans within 24 hours of pickup and holiday decorations within a week of notice can't be fined.
Sources
- [1]Florida Statutes § 720.305 — Obligations of members; remedies at law or in equity; levy of fines and suspension of use rights
- [2]The Florida Senate — Bill summary, CS/CS/HB 1203 (2024), Homeowners' Associations
Reviewed October 14, 2026. General real-estate information for Florida, not legal, tax, lending or insurance advice. Laws, rates and deadlines change — confirm property-specific facts with the agency cited, a Florida real-estate attorney, CPA or licensed insurance agent.