By Leslie Alvarez, CMCA, AMS, LSM, PCAM | Founder & CEO, Community ACE | communityace.com
Every year, Florida HOA and condo boards sign management contracts without asking the questions that would have predicted the experience they were about to have. I understand why — the proposal looks professional, the sales presentation is polished, and the board is exhausted from dealing with a previous management situation. But the difference between a management company that transforms your community and one that creates more problems than it solves often comes down to what you asked — and what you did not — during the evaluation process.
Here are the ten questions I recommend every Florida board ask before signing a management contract.
This is not a question about the company — it is a question about the person. Many management companies sell the relationship at the executive level and then assign your community to a junior manager you have never met. Ask to meet your assigned manager before you sign. Review their credentials. Ask how long they have been with the company. Find out how many other communities they are currently managing.
A licensed Community Association Manager (CAM) in Florida is required by law for communities with more than 10 units or annual budgets over $100,000. Ask whether your assigned manager holds their CAM license and any advanced designations such as CMCA, AMS, or PCAM.
Portfolio size is one of the most direct predictors of service quality. A manager carrying 30 communities cannot give your board the same attention as a manager carrying 12. Ask specifically about your assigned manager’s current portfolio count — not the company’s average. There is no universal right number, but anything above 20 communities per manager warrants a serious conversation about how your community will receive adequate attention.
Ask for their written response time policy. A reputable management company should be able to tell you specifically: how long it takes to acknowledge a resident request, how long it takes to respond substantively, and how emergencies are handled after hours and on weekends.
Then ask how those standards are enforced and measured. Any company can recite a policy in a sales meeting. Ask whether they have a ticketing system that tracks response times, and whether boards receive reports on those metrics.
Technology is now a baseline expectation in community association management, not a differentiator. But not all platforms are equal. Ask specifically what owners can do through the resident portal: pay assessments online, submit work orders, access governing documents, view their account history. Ask what the board can see in real time: financial reports, vendor invoices, open work orders, compliance violations.
A management company that cannot show you a live demonstration of their platform during the proposal process is a red flag.
Management fees in Florida typically range from $10 to $30 per unit per month depending on community size, type, and service level. But the base fee often does not include everything your community will need. Ask for a complete fee schedule and specifically ask about:
Understand the total cost of the relationship — not just the headline number on the proposal.
Ask to see a sample of the monthly financial reports you would receive. Look for: balance sheet, income statement versus budget, accounts receivable aging (delinquent assessments), accounts payable, and bank reconciliation. Reports should be easy to read and delivered within a specific timeframe each month — not weeks after the period closes.
Also ask about their internal controls. Who has check-signing authority? Are there dual controls on disbursements? Does the association maintain its own bank accounts, or are funds commingled with other communities?
High manager turnover is one of the most common and least discussed problems in the community association management industry. Every time your manager leaves, your community loses institutional knowledge, relationships with vendors, and continuity on ongoing projects. Ask how long the manager assigned to your community has been with the company. Ask what the company’s overall manager retention rate is.
A company that cannot answer this question, or that deflects it, is telling you something important.
Florida’s community association laws change regularly. In the past three years alone, boards have had to navigate SB 4-D, SB 154, HB 1203, HB 913, and ongoing updates to Chapters 718 and 720 of the Florida Statutes. Ask specifically whether the management company is familiar with current Milestone Inspection and SIRS requirements, HB 1203 website compliance, and the governance changes introduced in recent legislative sessions.
A management company that is not up to date on Florida law is not equipped to protect your board from liability.
This is non-negotiable. Any reputable management company should be able to provide references from current clients — not former clients, not hand-selected testimonials. Call those references and ask:
Listen not just for what is said but for how it is said. A tepid reference is rarely a positive reference.
Before you sign, understand how you can exit. Most Florida management contracts require 30 to 90 days written notice to terminate. Some have auto-renewal clauses that lock the association in for another year if notice is not given in time. Make sure your attorney reviews the contract before signing, and make sure the board understands the exit terms before committing to the relationship.
A management company that is confident in the quality of their service should not need a contract that makes it difficult to leave. Ready to take the next step? Community ACE helps HOA and condo boards across Florida operate more efficiently, stay compliant, and lead with confidence. Schedule a free 20-minute consultation with Leslie Alvarez, PCAM at communityace.com.
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