What do Florida condominiums have to do about hurricane protection?
Florida requires the board of every residential or mixed-use condominium to adopt hurricane protection specifications for the building — standards for things like shutters, impact glass, and other protections — so that installations are consistent and up to code. This has been a standing requirement since July 1, 2024; there is no single deadline date, so it's best understood as "required now." Installing approved hurricane protection is not treated as a "material alteration," so it doesn't need the usual 75%-owner vote (a majority vote may still apply when the unit owners are to be required to install it, and a board-recorded certificate memorializes that vote).
Separately, when the Governor declares a state of emergency, a condominium board gains temporary emergency powers — for example to change meeting procedures, close or restrict parts of the property, contract for emergency repairs and debris removal, and (within limits) borrow money — but only for as long as reasonably necessary to respond to the emergency (§ 718.1265).
What § 718.113(5); § 718.1265 says, section by section
| Subsection | Plain-English translation | Citation |
|---|---|---|
| 718.113(5) | Board must adopt hurricane-protection specifications for each building (standing mandate — no deadline date in the text; the Jul 1 2024 start is session-law history), which may cover color, style, and other factors and must comply with the building code; owner-install votes memorialized in a recorded certificate with installation deadline; when association work forces removal/reinstallation of owner-installed protection, (5)(d) allocates those costs. Association-installed hurricane protection is charged to owners individually (not a common expense) and is enforceable as an assessment — that rule lives in § 718.115(1)(e)1, collected per § 718.116. | § 718.113(5); § 718.115(1)(e)1 |
| 718.113(2) | Material alterations to common elements need 75% of total voting interests unless the declaration says otherwise; hurricane protection is NOT a material alteration. (Stub — expand as its own topic.) | § 718.113(2) |
| 718.1265 | Emergency powers triggered by a Governor-declared emergency: ~13 enumerated board powers (notice relief, evacuation, utility shutoff, borrowing without owner approval, debris/repair contracting), limited to time reasonably necessary. | § 718.1265 |