If you own or manage an apartment community, a townhouse complex or a condominium in Florida, the lights in your parking lot and walkways may matter for more than safety. Florida Statute 768.0706 gives owners of multifamily property a presumption against liability for criminal acts by third parties on the premises when the owner has substantially implemented a specific list of security measures. Lighting is one of them.
Here is a plain-English look at what the law covers, what the lighting requirements say, and how Stellar Lighting Systems helps owners and HOA boards handle the lighting piece.
Who the law covers
The statute applies to multifamily residential property: apartments, townhouses and condominiums with five or more dwelling units on one parcel. In practice, “one parcel” means one county property-appraiser parcel ID.
If your property qualifies, the statute offers a presumption against liability for crimes committed on the premises by third parties who are not your employees or agents. That presumption is not automatic. It depends on substantially implementing all of the listed measures, and the burden of proof is on the owner or principal operator.
The lighting requirements
Two of the listed measures deal directly with lighting.
- Parking lots: lighted to an average of at least 1.8 foot-candles per square foot, measured 18 inches above the surface, from dusk until dawn or controlled by a photocell.
- Walkways, laundry rooms, common areas and porches: lit from dusk until dawn or controlled by a photocell or a similar device.
Those sound simple, but many properties fall short in ways that are easy to miss in daylight. Older fixtures dim with age. Poles are often spaced for a different layout than the lot has today. A failed photocell or a burned-out walkway light breaks the “dusk until dawn” condition. And because the burden of proof sits with the owner, having a dated record of the readings across your property is valuable on its own.
The rest of the list
Lighting is only part of what the statute asks for. The other measures include:
- A security camera system at points of entry and exit, with at least 30 days of retrievable video
- At least a 1-inch deadbolt on each dwelling unit door
- A securing device on each window and each exterior sliding door
- Key or fob access gates along pool fence areas
- A peephole or door viewer on each unit door that does not have a window
CPTED assessment and employee training
The statute also includes two ongoing obligations that come with dates attached.
- CPTED assessment: by January 1, 2025, the property needed a crime prevention through environmental design (CPTED) assessment that is no more than three years old, done by a law enforcement agency or a designated Florida CPTED Practitioner. The owner must remain in substantial compliance with that assessment. Because the assessment can’t be more than three years old, it has to be renewed on a regular cycle.
- Employee training: by January 1, 2025 for current staff, and within 60 days of hire for new staff, with the training reviewed at least every three years.
Lighting is a common topic in CPTED assessments, so it makes sense to line up your lighting work with what the assessor found.
How Stellar handles the lighting piece
Stellar Lighting Systems is based in Orlando and works with property owners, managers and HOA boards across Florida. Our process has four steps.
- Free lighting walk-through. We walk your parking lot, walkways and common areas after dark and take light meter readings.
- Written report. You get a clear report showing where the property meets 1.8 foot-candles and where it falls short. It also gives you a dated record of the readings across your property.
- Close the gaps. We retrofit your existing fixtures with LED and add new pole lighting where coverage is thin. When a property needs a new lighting layout, we can also provide a full photometric design as a separate paid service.
- Certified install. The work is installed by Stellar’s certified install partner, on dusk-to-dawn control.
Modern LED area lighting also tends to give more even coverage than aging fixtures, with fewer bright spots under the poles and fewer dark pockets between them. That evenness is what helps a lot reach a consistent average.
Book your free lighting walk-through
If you aren’t sure whether your parking lot and common areas meet the 1.8 foot-candle average from dusk until dawn, the walk-through is the place to start. Call (407) 801-2926, email [email protected], or contact us online.
Stellar Lighting Systems · 12301 Lake Underhill Rd, STE 213, Orlando, FL 32828
Legal disclaimer
This article is a summary, not legal advice. Consult your attorney. Lighting alone does not establish the presumption against liability; it depends on substantially implementing all of the measures in the statute. Source: Florida Statutes § 768.0706 (2026), flsenate.gov/Laws/Statutes/2026/768.0706.