Florida HOAs with 100 or more parcels face a website mandate under F.S. 720.303(4): maintain an independent website, post specific document categories, keep it current. The statute doesn't specify technical implementation, which means boards pick vendors + architectures on their own. Get this right + compliance runs itself; get it wrong + the association accumulates continuous mini-violations that surface on the next records-request dispute.
This post is the setup + maintenance playbook.
Beat 1: determine coverage
Count the parcels. If 100 or more, the website mandate applies. If fewer, the mandate doesn't, but voluntary compliance is still good practice + improves owner communication.
See F.S. 720.303(4) website-posting mandate for the statutory text + exemptions.
Beat 2: domain + hosting selection
Best-practice domain pattern:
<community-name>.com (or .org / .community)
Avoid:
- CAM-company-branded subdomains (when the CAM changes, the website accessibility changes)
- Expired-renewal domain traps (register minimum 3-year cycles)
- Non-US registrars (harder to dispute if lost)
Hosting options:
- Association-owned WordPress or static site hosting: $10-30/mo, board retains control
- CAM-managed website platform: bundled with CAM contract, but CAM change = hosting change
- Specialized HOA website vendor (TownSq, HOAStart, etc): turnkey compliance templates, monthly fee
Board owns the domain registration independently of hosting choice. Domain travels with the association regardless of vendor changes.
Beat 3: required document categories
F.S. 720.303(4) enumerates what must be posted:
- Recorded governing documents (declaration + amendments, articles of incorporation, bylaws)
- Current rules + regulations
- Names of directors + officers with email addresses used for association business
- Current + most recent annual financial report
- Current + proposed annual budget
- Meeting notices for board meetings + member meetings
- Summaries of any financial report obtained
- Management + vendor contracts with term exceeding 1 year
Missing any category is a compliance failure that surfaces on the next records request or regulator complaint.
Beat 4: information architecture
The site needs clear navigation so owners can find documents within 2-3 clicks. Recommended structure:
- Home: community overview + CAM contact + latest announcement
- Documents: governing documents + rules + financials (nested by category)
- Meetings: upcoming + past minutes
- Contact: board + CAM + emergency
- ARB: standards + application form
- Amenities: rules + hours
- Directors: name + email (board members only)
Keep the architecture flat. Deeply-nested menus cause owners to fail to find documents + file records requests for things already posted.
Beat 5: member vs public content
Two categories of pages:
Publicly accessible (no login required):
- Community name + location + photo
- Board contact information
- CAM company + contact
- General community description
Member-only (login required per association's own policy):
- Full governing documents
- Financial reports
- Board meeting minutes
- Vendor contracts
- Director email addresses
The statute doesn't distinguish; either approach is compliant. Member-only access reduces spam + protects some privacy. Open access is simpler + prevents owners from claiming they couldn't log in.
Beat 6: accessibility compliance
ADA Title III applies to public websites. A basic accessibility floor:
- Alt-text on all images
- Sufficient color contrast (4.5:1 for body text)
- Keyboard navigation works (no mouse-only interactions)
- Forms labeled properly
- Mobile-responsive layout
Annual axe-core or WAVE scan to catch regressions. A compliant accessibility posture is itself a Florida litigation risk area (FL is one of the top ADA Title III lawsuit states).
Beat 7: document upload cadence
Operational discipline:
- Meeting notices: uploaded the same day as the member notification
- Meeting minutes: uploaded within 7 days of board adoption
- Financial reports: uploaded within 7 days of board acceptance
- New governing documents: uploaded the day after recording
Track the cadence in the CAM's records. Lag past these targets is the records-request compliance failure waiting to happen.
Beat 8: privacy + personal data review
Some items the statute requires posting raise privacy concerns:
- Director email addresses (statutorily required but should be association-business-only emails, not personal)
- Owner mailing addresses (NOT required by 720.303(4); do NOT post publicly)
- Financial records that contain account numbers (redact before posting)
Never post resident SSNs, DL numbers, property-tax parcel IDs (which can correlate to owner identity), or owner phone numbers without explicit consent.
Beat 9: audit log + records
Maintain a log of:
- When each required category was last updated
- Who made the update
- What changed
Useful for the annual compliance audit (see annual legal + compliance audit playbook).
Beat 10: vendor change migration
When the association changes CAM or hosting provider:
- Full website content backup before the switch
- New provider imports content OR rebuilds with the same structure
- Domain registration remains with the association (not the vendor)
- Test all required document categories post-migration
- Archived CAM's access removed
Missing any step creates a compliance gap during transition.
Five website-compliance failure modes
Observed in records-request disputes + regulator complaints:
- Posted category gap. Board missed uploading the latest vendor contract; owner notices; records-request complaint filed; 720.303(4) violation cited.
- Domain lost at CAM change. CAM owned the domain; changed CAMs; new CAM redirected to their branded subdomain; old links 404; statutory posting effectively gone.
- Minutes uploaded 45 days after adoption. Past the statutory-expectation window; owner argues the record wasn't accessible in time for their decision-making; records challenge.
- Inaccessible website. WAVE scan reveals 30+ accessibility violations; owner files ADA demand letter; association pays $5-10k to settle + rebuild.
- Personal data inadvertently posted. Financial report includes unredacted bank account numbers; owner whose account appears files privacy complaint + regulatory action.
Bottom line
The Florida HOA website compliance mandate is a background obligation that never goes away. A board + CAM who set up the website properly + run the upload cadence on a checklist handle it as routine operations. A board + CAM who treat it as "we'll post things when we get to it" accumulate a continuous stream of mini-violations that eventually surface as a records dispute, regulatory complaint, or ADA Title III demand.
The statute sets the floor. The operational discipline makes compliance invisible.
This post is an operational walkthrough, not legal advice. For specific ADA-compliance or records-posting disputes, consult a licensed Florida attorney familiar with community-association compliance practice.