Owner Guide · HOA and Condo Rental Rules · Palm Beach Gardens, FL
Quick Answer
Most rentals in Palm Beach Gardens sit inside a homeowners' or condominium association, and its documents can control lease length, how often you rent, tenant approval, vehicles, pets, and fines. Florida Statute §720.306(1)(h) limits how newer HOA rental restrictions apply to existing owners, but lets any HOA ban leases under 6 months and more than three rentals a year. Condo approval fees are capped at $150 per applicant by §718.112(2)(k). Read your documents before you list.
By Jean Taveras, Broker-Owner, Atlis Property Management · Updated October 2026
In Palm Beach Gardens, the rules that most often decide whether a rental runs smoothly are not in your lease. They are in the declaration, bylaws, and rules of the association your home belongs to. Those documents can set a minimum lease term, limit how often you rent, require approval of every tenant, restrict vehicles and pets, and impose fines on you for a tenant's behavior.
This guide covers the eight association rules that most affect rentals here, what Florida law says about them, and the mistakes that cost owners weeks of vacancy. It is general information, not legal advice. For a pre-listing checklist that applies countywide, see our guide to HOA rental restrictions in Palm Beach County. For our local services, see our Palm Beach Gardens property management page.
Why Association Rules Matter So Much in Palm Beach Gardens
Palm Beach Gardens is a city of planned communities, golf clubs, gated neighborhoods, and condominium buildings, so a large share of the homes offered for rent are governed by an association. As of October 7, 2026, PBP Real Estate counted 232 Palm Beach Gardens homes and condos listed for lease at a median asking rent of $3,900 a month, with two-bedroom rentals at $3,000 and three-bedroom rentals at $4,995. The median listing had been on the market 42 days, and 49% of listings were furnished.
At those rents, association delays are expensive. One week of vacancy at the $3,900 median costs $3,900 × 12 ÷ 52 ≈ $900. An approval packet that sits two extra weeks because of a missing page costs about $900 × 2 = $1,800 in rent, before dues, utilities, and the mortgage. Knowing the rules before you list is the cheapest way to avoid that.
HOA or Condo: Which Law Governs Your Home
Florida treats homeowners' associations and condominium associations differently. HOAs, which usually govern single-family homes and many townhome communities, fall under Chapter 720 of the Florida Statutes. Condominium associations fall under Chapter 718. Some communities have both: a master HOA over the whole neighborhood and a condominium association for a building inside it. Each layer can have its own rental rules, application, and fee.
| Topic | HOA (Chapter 720) | Condominium (Chapter 718) |
|---|---|---|
| Typical property | Single-family homes, many townhomes | Units in a condominium building or complex |
| New rental restrictions | §720.306(1)(h): newer limits generally bind only later buyers or consenting owners | Set by the declaration and amendments; read them closely |
| Rules that bind every owner | Leases under 6 months and more than three rentals a year may be restricted | Depends on the governing documents |
| Approval fee | Set by the governing documents | §718.112(2)(k): up to $150 per applicant, inflation-adjusted, only if approval is required |
| Association security deposit | Set by the governing documents | Up to one month's rent in escrow, if the documents authorize it |
Check the property appraiser record or your closing documents to see which associations your home belongs to, then request the current declaration, amendments, rules, and leasing application from each. If your home is a condominium unit, our guide to managing Palm Beach condos covers building-specific issues.
The 8 Association Rules That Most Affect Rentals
1. Minimum lease term
Many communities require a minimum lease, often six months or a year, and most prohibit short-term rentals. Under Florida Statute §720.306(1)(h), an HOA may amend its documents to prohibit or regulate leases shorter than 6 months, and that amendment applies to every owner, including those who bought before it passed. If you are weighing lease lengths, our guide to short-term versus long-term leases covers the trade-offs.
2. Limits on how often you rent
The same subsection allows an HOA to prohibit renting a parcel more than three times in a calendar year, again binding all owners. That matters for owners who rent seasonally or turn over often. Plan lease terms so that a short lease does not use up your allowed rentals for the year.
3. Newer rental restrictions and the grandfather rule
Other rental restrictions adopted by an HOA after July 1, 2021 generally apply only to owners who acquire title after the change, or who consent to it. The statute also says a transfer to an affiliated entity, a transfer that does not change beneficial ownership, or a transfer to an heir is not a change of ownership for this purpose. Restrictions already in the documents before that date still apply. When the history of an amendment is unclear, an attorney should review it before you rely on it.
4. Tenant approval
Many associations require written approval of each tenant before move-in. Expect an association application, a background check run by the association or its management company, a fee, and sometimes a board review or interview. Screen to the association's standard first, so a tenant who meets your criteria is not rejected later. Our guide to legal tenant screening in Palm Beach Gardens covers screening within fair housing rules.
5. Approval fees and association deposits
For condominiums, Florida Statute §718.112(2)(k) allows a transfer or approval fee only when the association is required to approve the lease and its documents provide for the fee. The fee may not exceed $150 per applicant, adjusted every five years for inflation, and spouses or a parent with dependent children count as one applicant. No fee may be charged for a renewal with the same tenant. If its documents allow, a condo association may also require a security deposit of up to one month's rent, held in escrow to protect the common elements. Our guide to buying a condo as a rental covers what to check before you buy.
6. Vehicles, parking, and gate access
Rules on commercial vehicles, boats, trailers, overnight street parking, and the number of cars per home are common, and gate access often requires registration of each tenant and vehicle. Put the parking rules in front of applicants before they sign, so a tenant with a work truck does not discover the problem after move-in.
7. Pets and amenities
Associations often restrict pet size, number, or breed, and may require registration. Many also control tenant access to pools, clubhouses, and fitness centers, sometimes with separate fees or cards. Tell applicants exactly what they will and will not have access to. A tenant who expected the clubhouse and cannot use it is a renewal risk.
8. Exterior standards and fines
Lawn height, landscaping, trash containers, exterior paint, and window coverings are typical standards. Violation notices usually go to the owner, with a period to cure before fines begin. Summer growth in Palm Beach Gardens is fast, so lawn schedules that work in winter can fall short in the rainy season. Our guide to managing landscaping and outdoor spaces covers schedules that keep a home within standard.
Putting the Rules Into the Lease
Association rules bind the owner, but the tenant is the one living in the home, so the lease has to carry those rules to the tenant. A sound approach includes an association addendum that the tenant signs, a copy of the current rules delivered before move-in, a clause making approval a condition of the lease, and a clear statement of how fines caused by the tenant will be handled. Our guide to having a compliant Florida lease covers the rest of the document.
Keep a file for each association: the governing documents, the leasing application, fee schedule, approval letters, and every violation notice and response. When a question comes up mid-lease, the answer is in that file instead of in someone's memory.
Common Mistakes Owners Make With Palm Beach Gardens Association Rules
- Signing or moving a tenant in before written approval. If the association denies the application, you are left with a lease you cannot perform. Make approval a written condition of the lease.
- Assuming a newer restriction does not apply to you. The grandfather rule in §720.306(1)(h) has exceptions, and the 6-month minimum and three-rentals-a-year limit apply to everyone.
- Ignoring the master association. A condo or townhome inside a larger community may need two approvals and two fees.
- Not delivering the rules to the tenant. A tenant who never received the rules is harder to hold to them.
- Letting violation notices sit. Cure periods are short. Respond in writing, fix the issue, and confirm the cure with the association.
- Listing without checking the leasing calendar. Some boards meet on a schedule, so an application filed the day after a meeting can wait weeks.
Each of these mistakes shows up as vacancy, fines, or a dispute with a tenant, and each is avoidable with a review of the documents before the home is listed. Jupiter owners face a similar set of rules, covered in our guide to HOA rules in Jupiter communities. Our guide to increasing tenant retention in Palm Beach Gardens covers keeping good tenants once they are approved.
How Atlis Handles Association Rentals
Atlis is a broker-owner led residential management firm headquartered on PGA Boulevard in Palm Beach Gardens, serving the city and the rest of Palm Beach County. Our results: a 21-day average lease-up, a 74% renewal rate, and 98%+ of rent collected monthly. Management is full service only, at 5 to 9 percent of collected rent with a $200 monthly minimum, no management fees on vacant units, and no markup on maintenance, with 24/7 AI-assisted maintenance triage. Our eight written guarantees include a fee rate locked for the life of the partnership.
From Our Files
When we take over a home, we walk it three times. The forensic walk documents the condition of the home as we receive it, with dated photos. The systems walk locates and checks what the home runs on: the shutoffs, the electrical panel, the air conditioning, and the water heater. The owner walk is done with the owner, so we agree on standards and priorities before the first tenant decision. In an association community, those three walks give us a documented baseline to measure every later inspection and violation notice against.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a Palm Beach Gardens HOA stop me from renting my home?
It depends on the governing documents and when they changed. Under Florida Statute §720.306(1)(h), a rental restriction adopted after July 1, 2021 generally applies only to owners who acquire title after it took effect, or who consent to it. Two exceptions apply to every owner: an association may prohibit or regulate leases shorter than 6 months, and may prohibit renting a parcel more than three times in a calendar year. Older restrictions that were already in the documents still apply. Read the declaration and any amendments, and consult an attorney if the answer is unclear.
What is the difference between HOA and condo rental rules in Florida?
Homeowners' associations are governed by Chapter 720 of the Florida Statutes and condominium associations by Chapter 718. The rental provisions differ. Section 720.306(1)(h) limits how new rental restrictions apply to existing HOA owners. Section 718.112(2)(k) governs condominium transfer and approval fees, capping them at $150 per applicant with an inflation adjustment, and allows a condo association to require a security deposit of up to one month's rent if its documents authorize it. Palm Beach Gardens has both kinds of communities, so confirm which chapter governs yours.
How much can a condo association charge to approve my tenant?
Under Florida Statute §718.112(2)(k), a condominium association may charge a transfer or approval fee only if it is required to approve the lease and its documents provide for the fee. The fee may not exceed $150 per applicant, adjusted every five years for inflation, with the current figure published by the Department of Business and Professional Regulation. Spouses, or a parent and dependent children, count as one applicant. No fee may be charged when a lease is renewed with the same tenant.
Who pays an HOA fine if my tenant breaks the rules?
Associations generally look to the owner, because the owner is the member bound by the governing documents. Even when the tenant caused the violation, the notice and any fine usually come to you. That is why the lease should require the tenant to follow the community's rules, the tenant should receive those rules before move-in, and the lease should say how fines caused by the tenant are handled. Respond to every violation notice promptly and in writing, and fix the issue within the cure period the notice gives you.
How long does HOA tenant approval take in Palm Beach Gardens?
Each association sets its own process, so timing varies by community. Some approve in days and others route applications to a board that meets on a schedule. Ask the association or its management company for the current application, fee, and expected timeline before you list, and submit a complete packet the day the lease is signed. Do not let the tenant move in before written approval. As of October 7, 2026, the median Palm Beach Gardens asking rent was $3,900, so each week of delay costs about $3,900 × 12 ÷ 52 ≈ $900.
Does Atlis handle association approvals for Palm Beach Gardens rentals?
Atlis is a full-service residential management firm based on PGA Boulevard in Palm Beach Gardens, and association applications are part of leasing a home in a community that requires them. Results across our management include a 21-day average lease-up, a 74% renewal rate, and 98%+ of rent collected monthly. The fee is 5 to 9 percent of collected rent with a $200 monthly minimum, no management fees on vacant units, and no maintenance markup, backed by eight written guarantees you can read before you sign.
If you own a rental in a Palm Beach Gardens association and want a second look at the rules before you list, we are glad to help.
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About the Author
Jean Taveras is the Broker-Owner of Atlis Property Management (FL Brokerage CQ1071712), a boutique, broker-led residential management firm headquartered on PGA Boulevard in Palm Beach Gardens. Atlis manages single-family homes, townhomes, condos, and small multifamily across Palm Beach County and backs every account with eight written guarantees. Questions about a specific property: 561.473.3664 or info@atlispm.com.
