Board Synergy Club
For experienced condominium directors

Your experience matters.
So does your next update.

You know your building, your neighbors, and what it takes to get things done. Continuing education helps you apply that experience to the responsibilities boards face today.

What might I have missed?Explore the Academy
A changed job

You may know the community better than anyone. The rules still move.

The Surfside tragedy brought building safety and reserve planning into sharp focus. In the years since, Florida has also changed everyday condominium governance. Some duties depend on building height; others reach small associations, too.

A method that worked for years deserves a fresh check before it becomes next year’s procedure. Asking for an update is a sign of responsible leadership—and gives newer directors permission to learn alongside you.

Eight reasons to take a fresh look

Would your board recognize these requirements?

01

Long service does not replace current education.

Florida condominium directors must provide both a written document-and-duty certification and an approved educational certificate. The initial curriculum is at least four hours; at least one hour of approved continuing education on recent law and rule changes follows annually. Directors serving before July 1, 2024, had a June 30, 2025 compliance deadline.

Practical next step: Ask your secretary to check each director’s certificates and next education date. An old “I read the documents” statement alone does not meet today’s framework.

DBPR: Director education ↗

Use the guide: Certification and education tracker

02

A two-story building needs a different answer from a taller one.

The statewide milestone program generally covers condominium buildings of three or more habitable stories, beginning at 30 years and recurring every 10 years. Local enforcement may require the first inspection at 25 years based on local conditions, including environmental exposure. Statutory exceptions apply.

Practical next step: Confirm your building’s status with the local building official. A statewide exemption does not establish that a building is safe or eliminate local requirements.

§553.899: Milestone inspections ↗

Use the guide: Building safety resources

03

SIRS applicability and reserve decisions need separate checks.

The SIRS requirement generally concerns buildings three stories or higher, subject to statutory exceptions. Ordinary reserve duties still require review for shorter buildings. SIRS reserve funding has special restrictions and permitted alternatives; a familiar waiver procedure may be inappropriate.

Practical next step: Ask your manager and reserve professional which reserve rules apply before proposing a vote.

§718.112(2)(f)–(g): Reserves and SIRS ↗

Use the guide: Reserves and financial planning

04

A 26-unit condominium can have an online-records duty.

The website/app threshold is 25 units for a condominium without timeshare units. Required documents need a protected owner-access area. Unless a shorter deadline applies, specified records must generally be available online within 30 days of creation or receipt.

Practical next step: A public home page alone is insufficient. Check required documents, access credentials, privacy, and the update process.

§718.111(12)(g): Website or app ↗

Use the guide: Association website requirements

05

“We meet when something comes up” may fall short.

Residential condominium associations with more than 10 units must hold board meetings at least quarterly, with an owner question opportunity on at least four agendas annually.

Practical next step: Use a meeting calendar and an agenda template that reflect current requirements.

§718.112(2)(c): Board meetings ↗

Use the guide: Board meeting guide

06

Email agreement is not a board vote.

Directors may communicate by email but may not vote on association matters by email.

Practical next step: When a contractor needs approval, route the decision through the proper meeting process. Preserve a clear record of who approved what.

§718.112(2)(c): Email and voting ↗

Use the guide: Conflicts of interest · Meeting minutes

07

A records request now needs a checklist, too.

Written owner records requests generally carry a 10-working-day access deadline. The response must include a checklist identifying records provided and records not made available; retain that checklist for seven years.

Practical next step: Assign intake, tracking, privacy review, and response responsibilities before a request arrives.

§718.111(12)(b)–(c): Records access ↗

Use the guide: Records request procedure

08

Records must survive the handoff.

Outgoing board or committee members must relinquish association records and property within five days after the election. Required records also need organized retention; certain foundational records are permanent.

Practical next step: Keep association accounts, files, and credentials under association control, with an orderly transition plan.

§718.111(12): Records and transitions ↗

Use the guide: Election and appointment handover · Separate owner and resident records

Good management gives experience more reach.

The board sets direction and oversees performance. A capable property manager helps turn decisions into organized work.

Ask for a written responsibility schedule covering meetings, notices, records, financial reports, maintenance follow-up, vendor coordination, and deadlines. Match it to the management contract. Identify work that needs an attorney, accountant, engineer, or reserve specialist.

Hiring a manager does not transfer the board’s fiduciary responsibility. It gives directors a professional partner to supervise. Education helps you recognize missing work, ask better questions, and evaluate whether the service is effective.

Explore management and vendor resources →

Clarify board and manager responsibilities · Use the management review tools

A useful test: can someone else find the answer?

Imagine a new director asks, “Where is our current compliance calendar, which reserve rules apply to our buildings, and who is responsible for each deadline?” If the answer depends entirely on one person’s memory, that is an opportunity to strengthen the association.

Bring one real question to your next class. Share one useful change with the board. Update one procedure. Learning becomes valuable when it improves the way the association works.

Turn one update into a better routine

Board Synergy recommended practice
Choose one area where your board still relies on an old form, an informal custom, or one person’s memory. Work with the manager and relevant professional to check the source and decide what needs to change.

  1. Confirm your education record. Check the certificates on file, their dates, continuity of service, and next approved education requirement with the secretary. Use the certification guide; attendance at a general presentation is not automatically approved credit.
  2. Identify the actual instruction. Label it as Florida law, a governing-document requirement, UCO procedure, contractual duty, or recommended practice. Record the source, date checked, applicability, and reviewer.
  3. Assign a practical change. Use the Operations Starter Kit for a responsibility chart and annual calendar. Identify the approvals needed before changing an adopted procedure.
  4. Keep evidence and share the work. Use the handbook’s decision/action log and deadline register. Record the lead, reviewer, actual due date, completion evidence, and next review.
Make experience transferable: pair a serving director with a newer director to walk through the source and procedure. The New Director Orientation and Century Village Operating Checklist provide a common starting point. Share anonymized examples in educational discussions.

For local account and service changes, check the DBPR account guide, Sunbiz record guide, and Explaining UCO directory. These are separate processes with their own instructions.

Start with one update. Build from there.

  1. Check your education file. Verify certificates and due dates with the secretary.
  2. Choose approved training. Use DBPR’s education resources for statutory certification and continuing education.
  3. Bring your experience to Board Synergy. Explore the proposed Academy and its published lesson materials to discuss practical problems, exchange ideas, and improve board routines. A scheduled pilot depends on community interest, facilitators, and qualified reviewers.
Find DBPR education ↗Explore Board Synergy’s Academy

Board Synergy activities supplement required training. Do not assume an Academy session earns statutory credit unless that specific course and provider are approved.

Sources and scope

Resource and styling update: October 16, 2026. Statutory examples checked against the linked official provisions; original review October 15, 2026. Linked Florida statutes and DBPR guidance support the requirements summarized above. Building characteristics, governing documents, exceptions, and later changes can affect application. Educational information; obtain professional guidance for association-specific decisions. The practical suggestions on this page are Board Synergy recommendations.

Return for updates after a relevant change in law, governing documents, insurance, contracts, management, or agency systems. A course can identify a question; association-specific professional review resolves its application.