Florida HB 465 and SB 822 (2026): Failed Mandatory Community Association Manager Bills

Quick Answer

Florida CS/HB 465 (2026), "Community Association Management," did not become law. It cleared two House committees, was placed on the Second Reading Calendar, and "Died on Second Reading Calendar" on March 13, 2026. Its Senate companion, CS/SB 822, "Died in Judiciary" the same day. Nothing in either bill is in force.

The bills would have required larger associations to hire a licensed community association management firm (House version) or a firm or a manager with a named professional certification (Senate version), with a proposed effective date of January 1, 2027. Because they failed, Florida associations are still free to self-manage or to hire a licensed manager as their documents and current law allow.

At a Glance

What the Bills Would Have Done

The two bills were companions that "compare" but were not identical. The Legislature's bill pages and the House Commerce Committee analysis (February 11, 2026) show the following.

CS/HB 465, House version

• Mandatory firm. Condominium, cooperative and homeowners' associations with total annual revenues of $750,000 or more would have been required to contract with a community association management firm. A condominium association that operates a multicondominium would have been required to do so regardless of revenue. The committee amendment raised the revenue figure from $500,000 to $750,000.
• Licensing and board duty. The firm would have had to hold all licenses required by part VIII of chapter 468, and each board member and officer would have had a duty "to ensure" that a manager or firm is properly licensed before contracting.
• Insurance. A manager or firm would have had to carry errors or omissions insurance with a minimum combined single limit of $1 million, separate from any coverage the association carries.
• License revocation. Under the analysis, a manager convicted of (or pleading guilty or no contest to) a first-degree felony, a capital felony, or a felony involving money laundering, theft or embezzlement would have had the license immediately revoked and been permanently barred from future licensure.
• Timeshares. Several sections clarified that timeshare management firms are governed by the Timeshare Act (chapter 721) and only subject to certain licensing and disciplinary provisions.

CS/SB 822, Senate version

The Senate committee substitute was shorter. Its text would have amended sections 718.111, 718.405, 719.106 and 720.303 to say that an association "with total annual revenues of $750,000 or more and consisting of 100 or more units" (parcels, for an HOA) "must contract with a community association management firm or a community association manager certified" by two named professional certifying bodies, in one of three named credentials. The manager or firm would have had to hold all licenses required by part VIII of chapter 468, and each board member or officer would have had "a duty to ensure" the manager or firm "is properly licensed and certified before entering into a contract."

Our reading: the two bills used different tests. The House analysis describes a revenue-only trigger (plus multicondominiums), while the Senate text required both $750,000 in revenue and 100 or more units, and allowed a certified individual manager as an alternative to a firm. We did not read the House committee substitute's own text, only the Legislature's bill page and the staff analysis, so we do not state its wording beyond that.

What Current Law Still Is

Since neither bill passed, there is no statutory requirement that a Florida association hire a manager or a management firm. Current licensing rules apply only if an association chooses to hire one. According to the House analysis, a person may not manage, or hold themselves out as able to manage, a community association in Florida unless licensed by DBPR under part VIII of chapter 468, and a firm responsible for management of more than 10 units or a budget of $100,000 or more must also be licensed. The analysis defines the covered services as practices requiring "substantial specialized knowledge, judgement, and managerial skill" performed for pay for associations with more than ten units or an annual budget above $100,000. Read section 468.432 and related sections in the current statutes for the exact wording.

The analysis also lists enacted changes affecting managers: 2024 HB 1021, 2024 HB 1203 and 2025 HB 913. See our pages on HB 1021, HB 1203 and HB 913.

What This Means in Practice

For boards

No new management mandate applies. Boards that already use a licensed manager should keep checking the manager's license status in DBPR's records, because licensing for managers is existing law. Our reading: the bills show that the House and Senate committees were willing to move toward requiring professional management for larger associations, so a similar proposal could return in a later session. We found no refiled bill and make no prediction.

For owners

If someone tells you a manager or firm is now legally required for your community, check the source. As of this writing the bills are dead and the 2027 effective date never arrived.

Open questions

• The exact wording of the House committee substitute (c1) was not read; the description above relies on the Legislature's bill page and the committee staff analysis.

Timeline

Related Florida Law

• Chapter 468 part VIII: community association managers
• Rule chapter 61E14: community association manager rules
• Section 718.111: the association, official records and insurance
• Section 720.303: HOA powers, records and budgets
• HB 657 (2026): another failed 2026 association bill
• Florida HOA laws complete guide

Board Checklist

• Confirm that no current Florida statute requires your association to hire a manager; HB 465 and SB 822 are not law.
• If you use a manager, verify the individual's and the firm's DBPR license status on the state's records.
• Read the management contract against the manager-related provisions now in force in part VIII of chapter 468.
• Ask your insurance advisor what errors and omissions coverage your manager actually carries; the $1 million figure was only proposed.
• Ask counsel to flag if a similar bill is filed in the next session.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is HB 465 a law in Florida?

No. The Legislature's bill page lists its last action as "Died on Second Reading Calendar" on March 13, 2026.

What happened to SB 822?

The Senate companion passed Regulated Industries 9 to 0 as a committee substitute on February 10, 2026, then "Died in Judiciary" on March 13, 2026.

Must a Florida association with over $750,000 in revenue hire a management firm?

No. That requirement appeared only in the failed bills.

Do managers in Florida need a license today?

Yes, under existing law in part VIII of chapter 468 as summarized in the House analysis, a person who manages an association (above the size and budget thresholds described there) generally must be licensed by DBPR. Confirm the current section text with counsel.

Would the bills have required errors and omissions insurance?

The House committee version would have required a $1 million minimum combined single limit. It never became law.

Where This Comes From

We read the Florida Senate's bill pages for CS/HB 465 and CS/SB 822 (history, citations, related bills), the full text of the CS/SB 822 committee substitute, and the House Commerce Committee bill analysis of CS/HB 465 dated February 11, 2026. We did not read the House committee substitute text itself. Official page: flsenate.gov, CS/HB 465.

How APM Helps

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Legal disclaimer: This article is general information, not legal advice. Laws change and associations differ. Confirm the current statute text and how it applies to your governing documents with a licensed Florida attorney before acting.