Checked October 22, 2026. Your declaration and your association's insurance policy decide the details, so read them alongside this.
Storm-damaged trees on condo grounds or at a rental? Call Josh at (850) 888-5603 and tell him where they are.
Hurricane Isaias knocked down trees across the Emerald Coast. For a condo board, a property manager or a rental owner, the first question is not how to cut the tree. It is whose tree it is.
Who maintains the trees at a condominium
Florida's condominium law answers the starting point. Fla. Stat. 718.113(1) says:
"Maintenance of the common elements is the responsibility of the association, except for any maintenance responsibility for limited common elements assigned to the unit owner by the declaration."
A tree on shared grounds is the kind of thing that sentence covers. Declarations differ, so check yours for how it defines common elements and limited common elements, and for how it treats trees and any yard or patio attached to a unit.
For a unit owner, the practical step is to report the tree to the board or the manager in writing, with photos and the location.
Not every community is a condominium. A townhome or single-family neighborhood in Destin or along 30A answers to its own HOA documents. Same advice: check your declaration or covenants.
What a board or manager can do this week
- Walk the grounds and photograph before anything moves. Note each damaged tree by location: over a building, a walkway, a parking space, the pool deck, a gate or a power line.
- Rank them by what they could hit. Limbs hanging over a walkway or a parking spot come first. Our guide to hanging limbs after Isaias explains why a limb that broke and hung up in the canopy can fall later, and the guide to leaning or cracked trees covers trees that are still standing.
- Keep wires out of it. If a tree is touching a line, stay back and call 911 or the electric utility. That is the utility's job before anyone else's. Our guide on what to do when a tree falls on your house has the order of calls.
- Get a written quote that names each tree and the work. Our checklist for telling a storm chaser from a legit tree service applies to associations too.
- Tell your insurance agent. Ask what the association's policy requires for notice and what documents they want. Keep receipts.
Gates and debris
Many Destin and 30A complexes have a gate or a guard shack, and that changes who can pick up debris.
- In unincorporated Okaloosa County, the county services gated and manned-security subdivisions only if the HOA provided a signed Right of Entry Agreement. We cover the steps in gated community debris pickup and the Right of Entry Agreement.
- The Walton County Sheriff's Isaias page says debris trucks work "private and gated community areas." It does not say what paperwork, if any, a gated community needs. Ask the county.
- Whether a town picks up what a tree crew cuts varies, and some places have not said. See who removes the debris when a tree service cuts your tree.
Josh cuts the tree and moves the debris to the roadside where pickup allows that. Haul-off is quoted per job and arranged only on bigger jobs, so ask about it when you call.
If you rent the property out
Guests do not know a limb is cracked. Before the next arrival, a rental owner or manager can:
- Walk the lot, including the driveway, the deck and the parking area, and look up.
- Keep guests off any area under a hanging limb or a leaning tree until it is handled.
- Check for a tree on or against the roof, a fence, a pool cage or a deck.
- If you own a unit in a condo, report common-area trees to the association instead of hiring a crew yourself.
For the rules on short-term rentals, the Okaloosa County short-term rental page points owners to the state's DBPR for vacation rental licensing. We did not find a post-Isaias rule for rentals, so check with the county if you are unsure.
Tree work in Destin and along 30A
Through early November 2026, Reed's insured crew covers Destin and Miramar Beach. Along 30A, Josh takes calls for Santa Rosa Beach, Seaside, Alys Beach and Freeport. The crew climbs the tree, cuts it in sections and works around roofs, cars and screens. Josh quotes by phone first. See our Destin storm cleanup page and what sets the price of tree removal.
Call Josh at (850) 888-5603.
FAQ
Who is responsible for storm-damaged trees at a condo?
The statute says maintenance of the common elements is the association's responsibility, except for limited common elements the declaration assigns to a unit owner. Check your declaration.
Can a unit owner hire a tree service for a tree on condo grounds?
Trees on the grounds are generally common elements, so a unit owner should report the tree to the board in writing first and ask how the association wants it handled.
What should a vacation rental owner do before guests arrive?
Walk the property, look up, and keep guests away from hanging limbs and leaning trees until they are cut. If the tree is on the property's roof, deck or fence, deal with that first.
Does the county have a post-Isaias rule for vacation rentals?
We did not find one. Okaloosa County's short-term rental page points owners to the state's DBPR for licensing. Check with the county if you need to be sure.
Does the county pick up debris inside a gated condo community?
In unincorporated Okaloosa County, only if the HOA filed a signed Right of Entry Agreement. Walton County's sheriff page says trucks work private and gated community areas. Ask the county what applies to yours.
Condo board, property manager or rental owner in Destin or along 30A? Call Josh at (850) 888-5603.