Virtual Meetings Are Officially Becoming the New Normal

A few years ago, virtual meetings felt like an emergency solution.

Now?

They’re becoming a permanent part of Florida community association operations.

Managers across Florida are increasingly asking:

• Can the board meet by Zoom?
• Can owners attend remotely?
• Does there still need to be a physical location?
• Do meetings have to be recorded?
• What notices are required?
• Can owners vote electronically during virtual meetings?

The answer is becoming clearer as Florida statutes continue evolving.

For years, Florida corporate law already allowed directors to participate in meetings using communication technology, as long as everyone could hear each other simultaneously. In practical terms, that meant board members could legally participate remotely through phone or video conferencing systems.

But during the 2025 legislative session, Florida lawmakers took things much further for condominium associations.

The new condominium omnibus legislation specifically recognizes meetings conducted by “video conference” and adds detailed operational requirements for associations using this format.

And this is where things start becoming very important for managers.

What the New Law Requires

Under the updated law, condominium associations conducting meetings by video conference must now follow additional procedures.

Meeting notices must clearly state:

• that the meeting will be conducted by video conference,
• include the video meeting link,
• provide a telephone number for owners who want to attend by phone,
• and list a physical location where owners may attend in person.

That last part surprises many people.

Even though the meeting may be virtual, the law still requires a physical meeting location for in-person attendance.

The law also now requires:

• video conference meetings to be recorded,
• recordings to be maintained as official records of the association,
• and recordings or links to recordings to be posted on the association website.

That means virtual meetings are no longer simply “temporary convenience meetings.”

They are becoming structured official association records with retention obligations attached to them.

The Practical Side Managers Are Discovering

For many CAMs, virtual meetings have created real operational advantages.

• Owners who previously never attended meetings are suddenly participating.
• Seasonal residents can join from other states.
• Committee meetings are often easier to schedule.
• Emergency discussions can happen more quickly.

But virtual meetings also create new responsibilities:

• technology issues,
• owner access problems,
• recording storage,
• website posting requirements,
• electronic voting coordination,
• and questions about meeting procedure and owner participation.

Managers are quickly learning that successful virtual meetings require just as much preparation as in-person meetings — sometimes more.

One Requirement Getting Attention

One particularly interesting part of the new law involves annual membership meetings.

If the annual meeting is conducted by video conference, a quorum of the board must still be physically present at the meeting’s physical location.

At the moment, the statute does not fully explain what happens if that requirement is not met.

The law directs the Division to adopt additional rules clarifying these procedures, but as of now, those rules have not yet been issued.

That means many associations are waiting carefully to see how enforcement and interpretation may develop.

What CAMs Should Be Doing Now

Managers may want to begin reviewing:

• current notice procedures,
• recording retention practices,
• website posting capability,
• electronic voting systems,
• and board policies regarding virtual participation.

Associations using video meetings casually today may soon need more formal procedures to stay compliant.

And perhaps most importantly:

virtual meetings should still be treated like official meetings — because legally, they are.

If you’d like to review the supporting Florida statutes and legislative language regarding virtual meetings,