How we built this: This guide is based on the text of Florida Statute 768.0706, our field experience assessing and patrolling Orlando-area apartment and HOA communities, and recognized CPTED (crime prevention through environmental design) methodology. A member of our team used an AI assistant to help organize sources; every legal point was checked against the statute and reviewed by our operations lead before publishing.
Florida Statute 768.0706 changed the math on apartment security. If you own or manage a multifamily community in Orlando or anywhere in Florida, this law connects the security measures on your property to how much legal exposure you carry when a crime happens. Two Friends Security helps apartment and HOA communities across the Orlando metro understand the checklist, close the gaps, and document the work. Here is what the law asks for, in plain English, and what to do next.
The short version
- Florida Statute 768.0706 applies to multifamily residential properties with at least five dwelling units — most apartment communities, and many townhome and condo associations.
- If an owner substantially implements a specific list of security measures, the law gives them a presumption against liability for crimes committed on the property by third parties (people who are not the owner’s employees or agents).
- The checklist covers lighting, locks, door viewers, cameras, and pool-gate access — plus two things many owners miss: a CPTED security assessment and crime-deterrence training for staff.
- One deadline has already passed: by January 1, 2025, covered properties were expected to have a CPTED assessment that is no more than three years old.
- This is a legal and safety topic, so accuracy matters. This article is informational, not legal advice — confirm your specific obligations with your attorney.
What Florida Statute 768.0706 actually requires
The statute lays out a checklist of physical and operational measures. Meet them substantially, and you earn the liability presumption. Here is the list in everyday language.
| Requirement | What the statute asks for |
|---|---|
| Parking-lot lighting | Lit to an average of at least 1.8 foot-candles per square foot, measured 18 inches above the surface, from dusk until dawn. (A foot-candle is simply a measure of how much light reaches a surface.) |
| Other lighting | Walkways, laundry rooms, common areas, and porches lit from dusk to dawn, or on a photocell (a sensor that turns lights on at dark). |
| Deadbolts | At least a 1-inch deadbolt on each dwelling-unit door. |
| Door viewers | A peephole or door viewer on each dwelling-unit door. |
| Window & door locks | A locking device on each window and each exterior sliding door. |
| Pool-gate access | Locked gates with key or fob access along pool-fence areas. |
| Security cameras | A camera system covering points of entry and exit, with footage recorded and kept retrievable for at least 30 days. |
| Security assessment | A CPTED assessment no more than three years old (see below). |
| Staff training | Crime-deterrence and safety training for current employees, and for new employees within 60 days of hire. |
Most owners we walk are already fine on locks and viewers. Where communities fall short is usually lighting levels, camera retention, the assessment, and staff training — the four items that take real effort to prove.
The deadline that already passed: your CPTED assessment
By January 1, 2025, a covered property was expected to have a CPTED assessment that is no more than three years old. CPTED — crime prevention through environmental design — is a well-established approach that looks at how lighting, landscaping, sightlines, access points, and signage either invite or discourage crime.
Two things trip owners up here. First, the assessment has a shelf life: “no more than three years old” means it is not a one-and-done — you keep it current. Second, the statute expects the assessment to be done by a qualified party (a law enforcement agency or a Florida CPTED practitioner), not a quick self-inspection. If you have never had a formal assessment, or yours predates 2022, that is the first gap to close.
What “presumption against liability” really means
This is the part worth reading carefully, because it is easy to oversell.
The law does not make a property “crime-proof,” and it does not guarantee you cannot be sued. What it does is create a presumption against liability for the owner or operator in connection with criminal acts committed on the premises by third parties — people who are not the owner’s employees or agents. In plain terms: if you substantially implemented the checklist and documented it, you start any negligent-security claim in a much stronger position. The burden shifts. For how those claims work, see our guide to negligent security in Florida.
Where Orlando communities usually fall short
After years of walking apartment and HOA properties across the Orlando metro, the same gaps come up again and again:
- Lighting that looks fine but doesn’t measure up. A lot that “seems bright” often reads well below 1.8 foot-candles at the far corners, near dumpsters, and at the back of carports — exactly where incidents cluster.
- Cameras that don’t retain footage. Plenty of communities have cameras; far fewer can actually pull clean, retrievable footage from 30 days ago when an insurer or attorney asks.
- No current assessment on file. Either it was never done, or it is years out of date.
- Training that was never documented. Staff may know the basics, but there is no record that crime-deterrence and safety training was delivered — and undocumented training is hard to prove.
How Two Friends Security helps you close the gaps
To be clear about what the law involves: several items on the checklist are physical upgrades — lighting, locks, cameras — that you handle with your maintenance team or vendors. Where Two Friends Security fits is the operational side that owners most often overlook:
- A site walk and risk review. We start on the property, mapping access points, sightlines, lighting, and the spots where incidents actually happen — the CPTED principles the statute points to. When the statute’s formal CPTED assessment is required, we can coordinate one through a qualified Florida CPTED practitioner or your local law enforcement agency.
- Crime-deterrence and safety training for your staff. We deliver and document the training the statute expects for current and new employees, so you have a record, not just good intentions.
- Mobile and foot patrol that backs up the paperwork. A visible, reporting patrol presence is not required by 768.0706, but it strengthens your overall duty of care, generates the incident records insurers like to see, and deters the activity the law is trying to prevent.
- Reporting you can hand to your carrier or attorney. Guard-tour logs, incident reports, and a clear escalation chain turn “we have security” into “here is the documentation.”
Your 768.0706 readiness checklist
Run through this with your team. If you cannot check a box — or cannot prove it — that is a gap.
- Parking lots measured and documented at 1.8 foot-candles average, 18 inches up, dusk to dawn.
- Walkways, laundry rooms, common areas, and porches lit dusk to dawn.
- 1-inch deadbolt and a peephole/door viewer on every unit door.
- Locking devices on every window and exterior sliding door.
- Locked, key/fob pool gates.
- Cameras at entry and exit points, footage retrievable for 30+ days.
- A CPTED assessment under three years old on file.
- Documented crime-deterrence and safety training — current staff and new hires within 60 days.
- A written record of all of the above, ready to produce.
What this law does not do
We would rather set the right expectation than oversell. Statute 768.0706 does not guarantee safety, does not prevent lawsuits, and does not require armed guards. It rewards owners who take reasonable, documented steps. Anyone who tells you a product or service makes your community “crime-free” or “lawsuit-proof” is overpromising. The goal is a safer property and a defensible position — both of which come from doing the work and keeping the records.
Get a 768.0706 readiness walk for your Orlando community
Two Friends Security has spent 20+ years securing apartment, HOA, and gated communities across Orlando and the surrounding 55-mile radius. We will walk your property, flag the gaps against this checklist, deliver and document staff training, and put a patrol and reporting plan in place if you need one.
Call (407) 953-1290 or request a free security plan and we will map your community’s readiness within 24 hours. Ask about our current discount for apartments, HOAs, and plazas.
Compliance note & disclaimer: This article summarizes Florida Statute 768.0706 for general educational purposes and reflects our operational experience in Central Florida. It is not legal advice, and it is not a guarantee of any outcome. Requirements and interpretations can change; confirm your specific obligations with a licensed Florida attorney and your insurer. Two Friends Security LLC provides private security services under Florida Chapter 493 and does not exercise law-enforcement authority.
Sources
- Florida Statute 768.0706, Multifamily residential property safety and security; presumption against liability — Florida Legislature (Online Sunshine)
- International CPTED Association — CPTED principles
- FDACS — Florida private security licensing (Chapter 493)
