Florida law overrides HOA covenants on several fronts: Fla. Stat. § 163.04 voids any deed restriction prohibiting solar collectors, § 720.304(2) protects display of the U.S. flag, and HB 1203 protects vegetable gardens and other items not visible from the frontage. Section 604.71 separately bars cities and counties from regulating residential vegetable gardens.
Section 163.04 states a 'deed restriction, covenant, declaration, or similar binding agreement may not prohibit or have the effect of prohibiting solar collectors,' though the association may set placement within 45 degrees of due south if it does not impair efficiency. Section 720.304(2) lets a homeowner display a portable U.S. flag and erect a freestanding flagpole up to 20 feet to fly the U.S., Florida, military, POW-MIA, and first-responder flags regardless of contrary covenants. Section 720.3075 protects Florida-friendly landscaping (per s. 373.185), and HB 1203 (2024) bars associations from restricting items, including vegetable gardens, not visible from the frontage. Separately, § 604.71 provides that a 'county, municipality, or other political subdivision of this state may not regulate vegetable' gardens on residential property, voiding such local ordinances; it limits governments, not HOAs.
An HOA covenant that prohibits solar collectors, U.S. flag display, Florida-friendly landscaping, or non-visible vegetable gardens is void and unenforceable to that extent. An owner can recover attorney fees in a solar-collector dispute under § 163.04. A city or county ordinance regulating residential vegetable gardens is void under § 604.71.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
Sarasota, FL
Beekeeping in Sarasota is governed primarily by Florida state law - F.S. §586 (Honeybee Law) preempts most local regulation of beekeeping. Beekeepers must re...
Sarasota, FL
Sarasota does not have a citywide wildlife-feeding ban, but Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) rules under F.A.C. 68A-4.001 prohibit int...
Sarasota, FL
Florida Statute §373.185 (Florida-Friendly Landscaping Act) preempts HOA and local-government bans on Florida-Friendly Landscaping (FFL). Sarasota homeowners...
Sarasota, FL
The City of Sarasota observes the Southwest Florida Water Management District (SWFWMD) year-round watering restrictions: two days per week for residential ad...
Sarasota, FL
Sarasota's property maintenance rules require lawns and lots to be maintained free of overgrown vegetation. While the Code does not specify an exact maximum ...
Sarasota, FL
Tree trimming in Sarasota is governed by Zoning Code Sec. VII-309 et seq. and ANSI A300 industry standards. Heavy pruning (more than 25% canopy removal) typi...
See how Sarasota's hoa vs. city rules rules stack up against other locations.
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.