Tenants’ Rights in Condominium Communities

Our firm’s other community association attorneys and I are often asked by condominium association board members about the rights of tenants who are renting units in a condominium to use the common elements – as well as their ability to participate and vote in meetings and elections.

The Condominium Act provides that tenants who are leasing units in communities “shall have all use rights in the association property and those common elements otherwise readily available for use generally by unit owners.” This means that associations must allow renters to have the same use rights as unit owners to the pool, fitness center, clubhouse, tennis court, etc. Renters may also use the parking spaces designated for their unit.

For unit owners who are leasing their residences, the law also provides that they “shall not have such rights except as a guest, unless such rights are waived in writing by the tenant.” The law further provides: “The association shall have the right to adopt rules to prohibit dual usage by a unit owner and a tenant of association property and common elements otherwise readily available for use generally by unit owners.” This means that owners who rent out their units may not also come by to swim in the pool whenever they want!

With regard to association meetings and voting, tenants do not typically have the right to attend meetings because they are not owners, however, tenants who are conferred with a Power of Attorney by their unit owners may attend and speak at the association meetings. Voting rights and requirements for board membership are generally document specific and can be found in the association’s bylaws.

Another issue that often arises is whether condominiums can prohibit tenants from having pets even if the governing documents allow unit owners to have pets. The issue turns on the exact language in an association’s governing documents. Many board members are surprised to learn that they may adopt rules that restrict tenants from having pets based on the language in their recorded documents – but this is not always the case. Many association documents require a unit owner vote to amend the documents in order to restrict tenants from having pets.

Finally, if a tenant or their landlord/unit owner violates the association’s rules and regulations or other governing documents, the Condominium Act has empowered the association to restrict the tenant’s ability to use the common elements. This also applies to the tenants of unit owners who become more than 90 days delinquent in the payment of their association dues.

With so many investor-owned units in South Florida condominium communities, significant percentages of tenants under short and long-term leases are likely to be a permanent characteristic. Associations should bear in mind that laws do exist to protect tenants’ rights in order to help ensure that associations avoid the possibility of unforeseen legal liabilities.