Applying and moving in
Condo and HOA approval for renters in South Florida
Many South Florida condos, and some HOAs, have to approve a renter before the lease can start, with their own application, background check and sometimes an interview, on top of the landlord's. Florida caps a condo association's approval fee at $150 per applicant, with a married couple or a parent and dependent children counting as one, and lets the association hold a deposit of up to one month's rent if its documents allow it. Each association sets its own timeline, so get it in writing before you pick a move-in date.
Updated Last checked 5 min read
Quick answer
- Two approvals: the landlord's and the association's. The landlord can't skip the second.
- Condo approval fee: up to $150 per applicant under section 718.112. A couple counts as one applicant.
- The association can ask for a deposit up to one month's rent if its documents allow it.
- The timeline comes from the association documents. Ask for the number of days and whether there is an interview.
- Ask for a lease clause that refunds your money if the association says no.
On this page
Why there is a second approval
When you rent a condo, you're moving into a building run by an association of owners. Its declaration and rules bind your landlord, and they often say no one moves in until the association approves the tenant. The landlord can say yes to you and still not be able to hand you the keys.
HOAs in single-family and townhome communities can have approval rules too, under their own declarations. Read the listing and ask.
What the association asks for
- Its own application form, separate from the landlord's
- A photo ID for every adult who will live there
- Consent to a background check, and often a credit check
- A copy of the signed lease or the lease you plan to sign
- Vehicle make, model and plate, for parking and gate access
- Pet details and photos, where pets are allowed
- The association fee, and its deposit if it charges one
Some buildings add a short interview or orientation, often with a board member, to go over the rules on parking, the pool, move-in elevator times and trash. It's a chance to meet the people who run the building.
What it can charge you
Section 718.112(2)(k) lets a condo association charge a fee for approving a lease only if the association has to approve the transfer and its documents provide for the fee. The fee can't be more than $150 per applicant. A husband and wife, or a parent or parents and their dependent children, count as one applicant. The law adjusts that cap for inflation every five years through the state's Department of Business and Professional Regulation, and its 2024 update put the figure at $150. An association also can't charge anything to approve a renewal with the same tenant.
If the association's documents allow it, the association can also require you to post a deposit of up to one month's rent, held in an escrow account, to protect the common areas. Florida's landlord and tenant act governs that deposit, including how claims and refunds work.
- Association approval fee
- 2 applicants x up to $150 = up to $300
- Association deposit, if its documents require one
- Up to $2,600
- Landlord's application fees
- Whatever the landlord charges, often per adult
A married couple renting the same condo would count as one applicant for the association fee.
How long approval takes
There's no single Florida deadline for renters. The association's declaration and rules set how long the board has to decide, and boards that meet monthly can take longer than ones with a manager on site. Ask the manager three things before you sign anything: how many days the association has, whether there's an interview, and whether the application can go in before the lease is signed.
Then plan backward from the date you need to move. If the building gives itself 30 days and your current lease ends on the 31st, the association application needs to go in on the 1st, with everything attached.
Rules you agree to live by
- Minimum lease terms. Many condos bar leases shorter than a set number of months, which rules out a seasonal rental in those buildings.
- Limits on how many times a year a unit can be leased.
- Pet limits by number, weight or breed, which can be stricter than the landlord's.
- Vehicle rules, like no commercial trucks or boats in the lot.
- Move-in rules: elevator reservations, hours, and a refundable move-in deposit in some buildings.
- Storm rules: when shutters go up, who installs them, and what can stay on a balcony.
Protect yourself if approval falls through
Ask for a line in the lease saying it depends on association approval, and that your deposit and any prepaid rent come back if the association says no. Until the approval letter is in your hand, book movers for a date you can change.
Most delays come from a missing page, so send the whole package at once and get the manager to confirm it's complete. The federal Fair Housing Act reaches associations as well as landlords, so a denial can't rest on race, disability, familial status or another protected class.
On Rentvana
Checked listings include the association's application fee in the move-in total under the price, so it isn't a surprise.
Questions people ask
How long does condo association approval take in Florida?
It depends on the association's documents, not a statewide rule. Ask the manager how many days the board has and whether there's an interview, then plan your move date around it.
How much can a Florida condo charge for a rental application?
Up to $150 per applicant under section 718.112(2)(k), with inflation adjustments every five years. A married couple, or a parent with dependent children, counts as one applicant.
Can a condo association require a security deposit from a renter?
Yes, if its documents allow it: up to one month's rent, held in escrow to protect the common areas, under the same rules as other Florida deposits.
Can the association deny me even if the landlord approved me?
Yes. The association applies its own standards from its documents. It can't deny you for a reason that violates fair housing law.
Do HOAs have the same fee cap?
The $150 cap in section 718.112 is in the condominium law. An HOA's approval rules and fees come from its own declaration, so ask for the fee in writing.
Free help from Rentvana
Name the building and we'll walk you through its approval.
Renters never pay Rentvana. A licensed agent replies within 1 hour, 8am to 9pm.
Questions first? Call 888-601-8344 or email hello@rentvana.com.
Words in this guide
Sources
- Florida Statutes, section 718.112: Bylawsleg.state.fl.us
- Florida Statutes, section 83.49: Deposit money or advance rent, duty of landlord and tenantleg.state.fl.us
- 42 U.S.C. 3604: Discrimination in the sale or rental of housing (Fair Housing Act)law.cornell.edu
- Berger Singerman: DBPR increases fees for condominium and HOA estoppel certificates and transfer fees (June 2024)bergersingerman.com
Checked against these sources on by Rentvana Editorial. If something has changed, email hello@rentvana.com and we'll fix it.
Questions?
Call 888-601-8344 to talk to a licensed agent, or email hello@rentvana.com and one gets back to you within 1 hour, 8am to 9pm. Renters never pay Rentvana.