What Is an Estoppel Certificate?

Short answer

An estoppel certificate is a signed statement from a Florida condo or HOA association listing every assessment, fee and other amount owed on a unit, so the title company can pay it off at closing. Florida law caps the fee at $250, plus $100 for delivery within 3 business days and up to $150 more if the account is delinquent (Florida Statutes 718.116 and 720.30851, as of October 2026).

Definition

A statement the association is bound by: once issued, it generally can't later claim more than the certificate shows for that period. It protects the buyer and lender from surprise association debts.

Worked example

Example: the seller's account is current and the title company asks for a rush. Max fee = $250 + $100 = $350. If the seller is behind on dues, add up to $150, for a max of $500. If the association misses the 10-business-day deadline, it can't charge a fee at all (as of October 2026).

Florida rules at a glance

Under ss. 718.116(8) (condos) and 720.30851 (HOAs), as of October 2026:

• Issued within 10 business days of a written or electronic request
• Valid 30 days if hand-delivered or emailed, 35 days if sent by regular mail
• Fee cap $250 when no delinquency; +$100 for delivery within 3 business days; +$150 max if delinquent
• If the closing doesn't happen, a non-owner payor can get a refund within 30 days of a written request
• Fee caps adjust every 5 years for inflation (CPI), published by Florida DBPR

What it shows and why your lender cares

The HOA certificate must itemize all assessments, special assessments and other money owed, plus open violations, transfer approval status and insurance contacts. Your lender and title company use it to make sure the association's claims are paid and cleared, and it appears on your Closing Disclosure.

In South Florida

Miami has thousands of condos and HOA communities, and some properties belong to two associations (a condo plus a master HOA). Each one issues its own estoppel. Watch for special assessments on it, which are common after milestone and SIRS reviews.