Florida lawmaker floats ban on HOAs amid growing backlash

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — A South Florida lawmaker says it may be time to do away with homeowners associations altogether, as more Floridians speak out about rising fees, costly lawsuits, and even arrests tied to HOA disputes.

Watch full report from Forrest Saunders

Rep. Juan Carlos Porras (R-Miami) said this week that he is considering filing legislation in the next session that would abolish HOAs statewide.

“You know, it might just be time we take a look if HOAs are really even necessary,” Porras said. “Maybe we should just do away with homeowner associations as a whole.”

The lawmaker, who has been working on HOA reform bills for the last two years, said he’s heard enough from frustrated homeowners to question whether the system still makes sense.

“In Miami-Dade County, where I live, it’s just a bunch of houses. The HOA doesn’t really maintain anything other than the grass in some areas,” Porras said. “And yet, you’re being charged $500, $600 plus a month. In reality, you don’t see a lot of that money going back to your community.”

Porras called HOAs a “failed experiment” that, after decades of abuse and mismanagement, “does more harm than good.”

Residents Speak Out

His comments come as frustration with HOAs reaches a boiling point across the state.

In Tampa, residents of one of Hillsborough County’s largest HOA communities say their board spent hundreds of thousands of dollars fighting legal battles — including a years-long dispute over a single proxy ballot that ultimately failed in court. Homeowners told the Tampa Bay 28 I-Team that those legal costs were passed along in the form of higher dues and drained reserve funds.

Palm Beach County residents are also feeling the squeeze. At the Sandalwood Lakes neighborhood, monthly HOA fees hover around $605 — with some units paying nearly $700. One longtime resident said she nearly lost her home after fees spiked while she was out of work due to illness.

“I understand that it’s a business, I understand that the business is to make sure the properties are maintained,” said homeowner Sharon Siebert. “But at the same time, when you’ve been here a long time and always maintained your property, it’s difficult when you find yourself in a tough situation and there’s no help.”

Extreme Enforcement

In Riverview, HOA disputes escalated into arrests and foreclosure threats. One homeowner was jailed for a week over brown grass, while another faced a lien and thousands in legal fees tied to her house paint.

The stories have struck a nerve: more than 1 million people have watched coverage of the cases online, and thousands have left comments saying they would rather “live under a bridge than under an HOA.”

What’s Next

Roughly 9.5 million Floridians — nearly half the state’s population — live in HOA communities, making any proposal to abolish them a massive political and legal undertaking.

Porras acknowledged condominiums, with shared roofs and common areas, present a more complicated case. But he said single-family HOAs in particular have lost their purpose.

“It was a failed experiment, to be quite honest,” Porras said. “That’s something I would say to look forward to for the next session.”

Whether the idea gains traction in the Republican-controlled legislature remains to be seen. So far, Governor Ron DeSantis has not weighed in.