“The New Condo Meeting Playbook: Running Legally Compliant Video Conference Meetings in 2026” – FCAP Managers Report

During COVID, many condominium associations started using video conference meetings as a daily routine. What began as a temporary fix soon proved to be a useful tool. Video meetings help boost participation, make it easier for seasonal residents to join, let traveling board members stay involved, and keep owners with work, family, mobility, or transportation challenges informed.

But in 2026, condominium associations should no longer see video conference meetings as just informal Zoom calls. These are official association meetings, and Florida law treats them as such. Boards and managers need to know not only how to join these meetings, but also how to properly give notice, run, record, store, and post them. The technology might seem casual, but the legal responsibilities are serious.

What Is a Video Conference Meeting?

The Condominium Act now defines “video conference” at Section 718.103(33), Florida Statutes, as “a real-time audio and video-based meeting between two or more people in different locations using video-enabled and audio-enabled devices.” That definition also states the core requirements that flow through the rest of the statute: the notice for any meeting conducted by video conference must include a hyperlink, a call-in conference telephone number, and a physical location where owners can attend in person, and all such meetings must be recorded and maintained as an official record of the association. Sections 718.112(2)(c) and (d) then spell out how those requirements apply specifically to board meetings and unit owner meetings, respectively. A video conference meeting is not just a way for owners to watch from home, it is a formal meeting with specific legal requirements.

Board Meetings Are Different From Unit Owner Meetings

Florida law now expressly provides that a board meeting may be conducted in person or by video conference. Section 718.112(2)(b)5., Florida Statutes, states that a board or committee member’s participation in a meeting via “telephone, real-time videoconferencing, or similar real-time electronic or video communication counts toward a quorum,” and that the member may vote as if physically present. The statute also requires a speaker so that the remote participant can be heard by those attending in person. The ability of board and committee members to participate remotely and count toward quorum has been part of Chapter 718 for years. What HB 913 added are the new recording obligations, the formal definition of “video conference,” the specific notice content requirements, and the physical location mandate, all discussed below. For many communities, that flexibility can make the difference between conducting necessary business and canceling a meeting for lack of a board quorum.

However, boards should be careful not to assume that the same rule applies to unit owner meetings. The Condominium Act clearly says that board and committee members who attend remotely can count toward quorum. It does not say the same thing for unit owners who simply log in to watch or participate in a members’ meeting.

That does not mean owners can never be counted as present. It means associations need to be more intentional about how they authorize and structure it. Chapter 617, Florida Statutes, which governs not-for-profit corporations, may provide a path for members and proxy holders who are not physically present to participate remotely and be deemed present in person and vote at the meeting, if the board authorizes remote communication and adopts appropriate guidelines and procedures. Section 617.0721(3), Florida Statutes, provides that, if authorized by the board and subject to board-adopted guidelines and procedures, members and proxy holders who are not physically present may participate in the meeting by remote communication and may be deemed present in person and vote if the corporation implements reasonable means to verify that each person is a member or proxy holder and provides a reasonable opportunity to participate and vote, including the opportunity to communicate and to read or hear the meeting proceedings substantially as they occur.

For condominium associations, this is not something to figure out at the meeting. It should be addressed before the notice is sent. Associations should speak with legal counsel about how Chapter 617 works with Chapter 718, the association’s governing documents, proxies, electronic voting, and the specific type of membership vote or meeting being held.

Counsel can also help the board adopt the right resolution and written procedures before the meeting. Those procedures can address how remote owners and proxy holders will be verified, how voting will work, how records will be kept, and what virtual meeting etiquette will apply.

The Notice Needs to Be Clear

Section 718.112(2)(c)1., Florida Statutes, requires that if a board meeting will be conducted by video conference, the notice must state that fact and must include “a hyperlink and a conference telephone number” for owners to attend remotely, along with “the address of the physical location” where owners can attend in person. The same provision requires the meeting to be recorded and the recording maintained as an official record.

A notice that only says “Board Meeting via Zoom” is not enough. Include the date, time, agenda, video link, call-in number, meeting ID, passcode if needed, and the physical location. For meetings about budgets, special assessments, rule changes, or other items with special notice rules, associations should not rely on old templates. Many forms from before the law changed may no longer be sufficient.

There Still Needs to Be a Physical Location

A common misconception is that a video conference meeting can be entirely virtual. For condominium associations, that is not the case. Even when a meeting is conducted by video conference, the notice must include not only the hyperlink and call-in number, but also a physical location where unit owners can attend in person.

The statute has an additional requirement for annual meetings. Section 718.112(2)(d)2., Florida Statutes, provides that unit owner meetings, including annual meetings, may be conducted in person or by video conference. However, if the annual meeting is conducted by video conference, a quorum of the board of administration must be physically present at the location where unit owners can attend. That location must be the one provided in the bylaws, or if the bylaws are silent, within 15 miles of the condominium property or within the same county.

In other words, “video conference” does not mean “fully virtual.” If an owner comes in person, the room should be open and accessible. Owners present should be able to hear remote board members, remote participants should be able to hear what is happening in the room, and the association should be able to properly record the meeting.

Hybrid meetings can work well, but only if the association prepares for both groups of attendees: the people online and the people in the room.

Recording, Storage, and Posting

One of the biggest changes for associations is the recording requirement. Section 718.111(12)(a)6., Florida Statutes, includes within the association’s official records a recording of all meetings conducted by video conference, and provides that if approved minutes exist for a video conference meeting, the recording must be maintained for at least one year after the date the recording is posted as required by the website posting statute.

For associations required to maintain a website or application, section 718.111(12)(g)2.f., Florida Statutes, requires posting the video recording or a hyperlink to it for all video conference meetings held over the preceding 12 months.

Associations need to decide ahead of time where recordings will be stored, who can access them, how files will be labeled, how long they will be kept, and how to provide them upon an owner’s records request. Recordings should not be kept only in one person’s inbox or personal Zoom account. Associations also need a clear posting process, confirming that links work, that recordings are in the secure owner portal, and that the website has sufficient storage capacity.

Know Your Platform and Update Your Rules

Associations should know how their video conference software works. Free or basic versions may limit meeting time, number of attendees, recording features, or cloud storage. Larger associations should confirm early that the platform can handle the expected number of participants, especially for budget meetings, special assessments, elections, or recalls.

Associations should also review their rules for owner participation. Section 718.112(2)(c), Florida Statutes, gives unit owners the right to attend board meetings and speak on agenda items, and permits the association to adopt reasonable written rules governing the frequency, duration, and manner of owner statements. Virtual meetings raise questions that in-person rules may not address: How does an owner raise their hand online? Will chat be allowed? How will phone participants be recognized? Boards should create clear, fair rules to handle these issues before they arise.

The Bottom Line

Video conference meetings are here to stay, and the legal requirements are more detailed than many boards realize.

The best approach is to involve association counsel before the meeting, not after a challenge is raised. Counsel can help update standard notice forms, review quorum and voting issues, and confirm compliance with the new video conference requirements. Counsel can also assist with updating meeting conduct rules to address virtual participation, muting, chat functions, disruptions, and decorum.

Associations should work with management, website vendors, and counsel to ensure recordings are properly stored, maintained, and posted when required. Video conference meetings do not have to be overwhelming, but they do need to be managed carefully. With updated notices, clear meeting rules, the right platform, and help from association counsel, boards can use video conference meetings in a way that is practical, accessible, and legally compliant.

To read the original FCAP article, please click here.