Filing prior to sale or lease

Common Elements summary — Section 718.502 requires every developer of a Florida condominium to file the proposed documents with the Division of Florida Condominiums (DBPR) before offering any unit for sale or lease for more than five years. The filing includes the declaration, articles, bylaws, prospectus, and all required disclosures (see 718.503, 718.504). The Division reviews for facial compliance — it is not a merits review of the project. For a developer this is the gatekeeper: no DBPR approval, no sales contracts. For unit-buyers and resale brokers it is the public-records source for the original developer documents — a critical resource when chain-of-title questions arise years later about whether an amendment was properly recorded against the as-filed declaration. For HOA/COA practitioners: when an owner asks for the "original" governing documents and the management company can only produce a current restated set, the DBPR filing under 718.502 is where to look. The Division's online portal maintains historical filings going back decades for most projects.

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