Vacant & Unoccupied Units: A Plan for Boards and Owners

An empty home still needs a plan

This guide covers units that are unoccupied for any reason: a seasonal trip, an extended absence, a move to another home or care setting, a sale, a gap between tenants, repairs, or an owner’s death. A furnished unit can still be unattended. The practical question is who will notice a problem and who can respond.

For Century Village boards, start with a workable communication and response plan. Owners continue to have obligations while their units are empty. The association’s duties also continue, but a vacant unit does not automatically become the board’s responsibility to watch or manage.

Different vacancies need different arrangements

Situation	What to establish
Seasonal or other planned absence	Departure and expected return dates, local contact, check arrangements, and an emergency response plan.
Listed for sale or between tenants	Who checks the unit between showings or occupancies; who maintains utilities and insurance; and when responsibility changes at closing or tenant handoff. A listing agent is not automatically the property watcher.
Hospitalization, rehabilitation, or a move to care	A reachable owner or authorized representative, an agreed contact chain, and practical access arrangements. Request only the information needed to coordinate; medical details are generally unnecessary.
Owner has died	Identify the legally authorized person who can act for the estate or other title holder. Being a relative or having a key does not by itself establish authority. Route title, access disputes, and collection questions to counsel.
Repairs or a prolonged renovation	Identify the responsible contractor and owner contact, approved access, utility needs, permits, and who checks conditions when workers are absent.
Owner cannot be reached / possible abandonment	Document factual observations and contact attempts. Have counsel assess the applicable entry and preservation procedures before treating the unit as abandoned.

For boards: build a practical vacancy procedure

The following is a Board Synergy planning framework, not an adopted rule. Have counsel check the association’s authority and adoption process before imposing requirements, charges, access obligations, or penalties.

Review the declaration, existing rules, insurance conditions, and current maintenance responsibilities. Identify what the board can require and what it should recommend.
Offer owners a consistent way to report an extended absence and update contact and access information. Define a reasonable reporting trigger for this property rather than copying an arbitrary number of days.
Ask who is responsible for checking each unit, how that person can be reached, and who serves as backup. Clarify the scope of checks and whether any association service is actually being provided.
Agree on an escalation path: report an observed leak, unusual odor, loss of climate control, or storm damage promptly; contact the designated responder; and arrange lawful access or emergency assistance as appropriate.
Review water-heater, appliance-line, shutoff-valve, and AC maintenance guidance with qualified professionals. Account for shared systems and equipment that must remain operating.
Assign one person to maintain the restricted contact record and a backup to use it when needed. Avoid public lists advertising which homes are empty.
Record notices, contact attempts, authorized entry, observations, and work performed factually. Protect keys, access codes, personal information, and privileged communications.
Explain the procedure to owners, then review it periodically and after any significant incident. Apply adopted requirements consistently.

Owners arranging private property checks should identify the person or service, the expected tasks, reporting arrangements, and backup response. Volunteers should understand their assignment and limits. A casual favor should not quietly become an association guarantee of continuous monitoring.

For owners: before the unit becomes unoccupied

Give the association current contact details and a local emergency contact through its designated process. Include a backup and update changes promptly.
Arrange periodic checks suited to your unit, insurance conditions, and absence. Confirm who will report problems and who can authorize or perform repairs.
Ask your insurer about vacancy or unoccupancy definitions, time limits, coverage restrictions, and any required inspections or documentation. Tell the insurer the actual situation.
Have qualified professionals advise on plumbing isolation and equipment settings. Do not shut a shared supply, disable required protection, or turn off equipment without understanding the consequences.
Maintain appropriate air conditioning and humidity control. Arrange service for known AC, drain, plumbing, or electrical problems before leaving.
Confirm safe emergency access under the association’s applicable procedures. Keep keys and codes secure; do not place them in public messages.
Prepare the unit for storms, including outdoor belongings and applicable hurricane protection. Identify who can act when you are away.
Keep assessment payments, association correspondence, utilities needed to protect the home, and insurance current. Arrange mail handling and a reachable contact.
On return or handoff, inspect for leaks, unusual odors, humidity, and damage; report concerns promptly. Restore equipment and water supplies using appropriate professional instructions.

These checkboxes are temporary and are not saved. Use “Print this page” to retain a working copy. This page does not collect contact information.

Vacant does not automatically mean abandoned

Section 718.111(5)(a) provides association access during reasonable hours when necessary for specified association maintenance or to prevent damage. Paragraph (5)(b) separately addresses abandoned units, with defined circumstances, notice requirements, and preservation powers. An empty unit alone does not establish that those provisions apply. Read the statutory access provisions.

DBPR explains that the statute does not specifically require every owner to give the association a key. Confirm any document-based access or key requirement rather than presenting one as a universal statutory rule. Read DBPR’s access guidance.

When an owner is unreachable, keep a chronology of observations and reasonable contact efforts. Have counsel determine the appropriate nonemergency notices and authority. For an active emergency, use the applicable emergency-response procedure and qualified responders. Do not use this guide as authorization for an entry, lock change, removal of belongings, or assumption of possession.

Insurance, maintenance, and payment responsibility

Insurance coverage, maintenance responsibility, and liability for damage are separate questions. Association property insurance does not replace a unit owner’s policy. Review §718.111(11), the declaration, the actual policies, and the facts with the appropriate advisers. Florida condominium insurance provisions.

Do not assume that an owner’s absence or the location where a leak began determines who pays. Report a loss promptly, mitigate safely, preserve evidence, and coordinate the response. Obtain advice before promising reimbursement, charging an owner, or accepting responsibility.

Suggested contact record

Adapt this field list to the association’s needs. Store completed records securely; do not post them with public meeting materials. This is a suggested administrative tool, not a required statutory form.

Field	Information to record securely
Unit and responsible contact	Owner / legally authorized representative, preferred contact method, and backup.
Absence / transition	Expected period if known; sale, tenant, repair, or representative handoff requiring an update.
Local response	Designated contact, backup, and scope of the arrangement.
Checks and access	Who checks the unit, agreed reporting process, and reference to secure access arrangements. Keep actual codes separate.
Follow-up	Last information update; unresolved concern; person assigned; next action.

Sources & review notes

Prepared November 7, 2026. Becker’s article prompted this broader guide. The situation table, checklists, and contact-record framework are Board Synergy recommended practices for adaptation. No vacancy duration, inspection interval, equipment setting, or policy is prescribed universally. Governing documents, current law, actual insurance terms, and professional advice control.