A large forever home resting on the head of a cul-de-sac with trash valet, lawns with crisp lines and amenities such as clear pools and tranquil tennis courts is the dream for seeking buyers in Florida. All is perfect for the agreement with the price of signing yourself to an HOA to mandate this lifestyle.
HOAs oversee a dominant majority of neighbors across the state, however a new bill promises unsatisfied homeowners the ability to gut out their associations via majority vote. The bill has been strongly backed by State Representative Juan Porras.
The storming waves of associations across Florida
HOAs have been a dominating element within Florida neighborhoods for past decades with rapid growth as time moves on. In late 2024, the Foundation for Community Associations Research reported there to be an estimated 50,000 associations just in the state of Florida alone making it the second highest number behind California.
Originally anticipated to be a small governing body overlooking the neighborhood and assuring safety, maintenance and amenities to residents in exchange for a fee included with participating homes. In practice, however, many homeowners and state officials have grown mixed feelings regarding the HOAs authority within these neighborhoods making parties question the true role of these associations.
The conversation on the role of HOAs
In Miami-Dade County, the youngest state Rep. Juan Porras has made rounds recently for his vocal push towards revamping and potentially terminating HOAs all across the state. The bill HB 657 proposes to give Floridian Homeowners the power to wipe their HOAs —if dissatisfied with the structure —and reorganize a more practical body to replace it.
This bill has been brewing over growing conflicts among homeowners regarding the overstepping nature some associations have and the need to reinstitute a more appealing alternative.
There are opposing sides to this bill as agents such as Senada Azdem, a top agent with Douglas Elliman in the Delray/Boca Raton, FL, market.
“One of the biggest challenges is that many homeowners do not realize how much the HOA handles behind the scenes,” Azdem elaborated. “Without a clear replacement structure, buyers worry about inconsistent maintenance, disputes between neighbors, and unexpected costs. Those concerns often matter more to buyers than the HOA itself because they directly affect daily life and future resale value.”
These warnings of the negative effects of such a bold bill to be passed making the current market turn red put into question whether or not the bill is more good than bad.
Polls also suggest that the majority of homeowners are, in reality, satisfied with their current HOAs and have no wish to remove them. WUSF NPR reported a poll from the Tyson Group national research firm revealed that “73% believe that reforming the current system ‘is the right fix for bad actors.’ It also shows that over 70% of respondents agree that the removal of HOAs would only bring issues such as neighbor disputes, and an absence of those responsible for maintenance of common areas or protecting property values.”
The future of the Florida Market if this bill gets passed
This bill, expected to be in effect in early July of this year, will have major effects on the current Florida market whether to improve/worsen homeowner satisfaction, real estate sales, and the overall market’s direction in the state.
