∙ Bahama Bay is made up of 38 condominium buildings (498 condos) and two Commercial
Buildings (Clubhouse and Tradewinds, currently owned by Vacasa). Each unit Owner,
by virtue of owning a unit at Bahama Bay, is a member of the Condominium
Association.
∙ The Association is a non-profit corporation incorporated in the State of Florida for the
purpose of operating and maintaining the Resort’s common elements and Association
funds. They are responsible for all the “common elements” which generally include
areas such as parking lots, pathways, walkways, landscape and garden areas, building
exteriors, rooftops, swimming pools, pool decks and utility lines serving more than
one unit.
They are also responsible for the “limited common elements” which include the
balcony/patio areas at the back of the buildings.

∙ The HOA is led by a duly elected Board of Directors who represent the owners in the
ongoing operation of the resort. There are currently 6 Board positions each for a 2
year term, staggered so that three Board member positions are up for election each
year. (See section later in this document on the AGM, Board elections and your voting
rights)

∙ On completion of your purchase you should have been set up on the AppFolio portal and
been sent your login details. The link for the AppFolio portal is:
https://www.appfolio.com/help/owner-portal but you can also download an app
onto a mobile device.
∙ You can pay directly via the portal using direct debit or e-check (no fee) or also via
credit or debit card (fee applies). Alternatively a check addressed to “Bahama Bay
Condominium Association” can be mailed to:
Bahama Bay Condominium Association Inc-VCAM,
P.O. BOX 30473
Tampa, 33630-3473.
You must include your “lockbox” ID on the memo line of the check.
∙ The HOA fee is due on the first of every month. Assessments not paid by the 15th of
each month will be subject to late fees and interest.
∙ If you are having difficulties accessing your portal, please contact
Lynne.Bishop@vacasa.com for assistance.
∙ The Association dues are set at the Annual Budget meeting in November for the
following calendar year. Check with the HOA for current HOA dues. 

∙ Electricity to the resort is supplied by Duke Energy.
∙ Owners can set up an account directly with Duke Energy by registering
with them online: https://www.duke-energy.com/my-account/register-your-account

∙ Bahama Bay falls within Polk County, which sets the property taxes based on ‘millage
rates’. A millage rate is one tenth of a percent, which equates to $1 in taxes for every $1000 in home value. (Please note this is the perceived value of the home, not what
they are currently selling for).
∙ After the local governments determine their annual budgets, the county tax collector
sends a tax bill to each property owner in late October or November. The taxes are due
by the following March 31 and there is a discount for paying before the March
deadline.
∙ This is the Polk County Property Website link
https://www.polktaxes.com/propertytaxes/pay_search.aspx

∙ Vacasa have 3 roles at the Resort, two of which are connected directly with the HOA –
those of Owner and HOA Property Manager:
∙ Owner: Vacasa owns the two commercial buildings at the Resort (Clubhouse and
Tradewinds) and as such have to pay the monthly HOA fees just like any other owner
(they pay approx. $132,000 per year).
∙ HOA Property Manager: The HOA has a contract with Vacasa to manage the day-to-day
operations of the resort to the benefit of all owners. Responsibilities also include
contract management, financial management, owner relations and support. They
answer to the Board of Directors.
∙ Rental Manager: Individual owners can opt to contract Vacasa to manage their rental
villa if they choose. Rental contracts are between the individual owner and Vacasa – the
HOA does not play a role in this relationship.

∙ As per the condo documents, every owner must ensure that the HOA has access to their
unit. Those not in the Vacasa program will need to provide a key or other access
instructions to the HOA (via the Community Association Manager) to allow access to
their unit in an emergency situation. If this is not provided and access to the property
is gained forcibly, then the owner will be responsible for any repairs to their
door/entrance.
∙ Every year there is an annual test of the fire alarm audible and strobe lighting systems
inside every building for it to pass certification. Owners will be notified a week or so prior to the
intended inspection to ensure that the HOA has access to all the units. condominium. The inspectors need to access and test every unit in a

∙ All Owners and Guests must refrain from any excessive noise at all times, but most
especially between 11.00pm and 7.00am.
Any construction work that may cause noise (eg, hammering) is restricted to 9.00am
through 6.00pm.

∙ All garbage must be bagged and disposed of properly. There are separate recycling
bins, please ensure that any large cardboard boxes are cut down.
∙ No renovation waste can be put in the regular building garbage bins – it must be either
removed by the contractor or taken to the onsite dumpster (at a time agreed with Five
Star). Please ensure it is not just left in the breezeways.
∙ If an owner is upgrading their unit and disposing of furniture or items which still work
and are in a reasonable condition, then they may wish to consider offering them to
others either for sale or for free on the Owners Forum; donating to a local charity or
perhaps seeing if Five Star need any ‘spares’ for emergency purposes.

∙ The condominiums may only be used for residential purposes, no commercial
activities of any sort are permitted.
∙ Following the amendment to Article 21 of the Condominium documents in November
2018, no owner (who purchased their home after this date) shall be allowed to occupy the
condominium for more than 175 days in any twelve month period.
∙ This 175 days in a 365 day period also applies to any long term tenancy lease or guest
let regardless of the duration of condo ownership.

• It is recommended that all Owners carry contents insurance to cover the replacement of items inside their units. Owners are also advised to obtain a minimum of One Million Dollars ($1,000,000) in liability insurance coverage, particularly if the property is rented or occupied by third parties. To determine the appropriate amount of insurance for your situation, you should consult with a CPA, attorney, and insurance agent.

• Owners are not required to purchase building insurance, as this coverage is provided by the HOA. However, the internal components of your condo should be insured separately by the Owner.

∙ The Resort has a “distributed” cable system run by Spectrum which has around 60
channels (as per a hotel TV setup) which eliminates the need for cable boxes in
each condo.
∙ As part of the Spectrum agreement we also receive hundreds of IPTV channels; this
only works at the resort and requires a smart device (e.g. Roku) in order to access
the channels.
The WI-FI has two networks visible on our property:
Bahamabay_Guest (This is used for all our guests who visit the resort – password
available from the front desk)
Bahamabay_Owner (This is for owners only and provides the ability to register smart
devices. Each unit has a unique private network login, details can be requested from the Font Desk Staff.) 

∙ Owners need to be aware that the WI-FI system is a managed one and if an owner opts to
add additional WI-FI equipment to the network, this may have an adverse effect on
everyone else’s connection.
∙ Owners should advise the front desk of any issues and send an email to
tech@bahamabayhoa.com with as much detail as possible, so this can be tracked. All
guests, regardless of who their owner is managed, should be asked to report any WI-FI
network issues to the Front Desk.

∙ The Association contracts a pest control company to protect the outside of the buildings
against pests. To ensure the success of the pest control programme, all units need to
ensure that they have arrangements in place for regular interior pest control with
details/proof of engagement provided to the Community Association Manager.
∙ In addition, it is also imperative to protect the safety of each and every unit on the
property. Polk County Fire Marshall has issued an order that requires the dryer ducts
to be cleaned each year. Again the Association will need proof (sent to the CAM) that
you have taken care of this on an annual basis. (The Board is currently investigating if
we can bring the duct cleaning into the HOA Remit to be undertaken at the same time as
the Annual Fire Inspection.)
∙ Owners should also ensure that their management company has a plan to have their in
unit Fire Extinguisher inspected on a yearly basis, as well as having the batteries in the
smoke detectors replaced.

∙ Maintenance of the Air Conditioning Units is the responsibility of each owner. This is
probably something that can be managed via the owner’s management company.

∙ A maximum of two cats and/or dogs shall be permitted in each residential unit,
provided that no pet’s weight shall exceed twenty-five pounds. Exotic pets are not
permitted.
∙ All pets on property must be registered with the Front Desk. Owners will be issued
with an identifying bandana tag which slips over the leash and must be visible at all
times the dog is outside of the condo. These tags must be returned at the end of the
owner’s stay.
∙ All pet animals must be hand carried through hallways and other covered Common Areas. In all other instances, pets must be on a leash and shall only be permitted in areas
designated by the Board of Directors – details will be available from the Front Desk.
Please ensure that you clean up after your pet.
∙ The Owner of any pet animal shall be liable for damage caused by such animal to any
part of the Condominium Property or property owned or operated by the
Association.
∙ No pet animal shall be allowed to create or cause any disturbance or nuisance of any kind.
If any pet causes a disturbance or becomes a nuisance, the pet Owner shall be required
to permanently remove such pet from the Condominium Property within three (3)
days of receipt of written notice by the Association. Refer to Declaration of
Condominium, Section 21.5 (Pets) for more information.
∙ Guests are not permitted to bring pets on property (this excludes officially recognised
service animals). Any guest found to be in breach of this will be asked to remove the
pet from the Resort.

∙ NO! Florida Statute 10.10.6.1 prohibits use of kindling hibachis, grills or other similar
devices for cooking, heating or any other purpose on any balcony, under any overhang
portion, or within 10 feet of any structure. Nor can any hibachis, grill or similar devices
used for cooking be stored on the balcony.
∙ There are 3 designated charcoal BBQ and picnic areas across the resort for owner and
guests to use on a first come, first served basis. The use of BBQs outside of these
designated areas is not permitted.

∙ Bicycles must be kept in designated areas. The designated areas are the bike racks in
front of the Clubhouse and Restaurant or fully inside the owners unit. Bicycles,
scooters, strollers or other velocipedes or similar vehicles must not be stored in
any common area or stairwells (and will be removed if found).
∙ Bicycles may also be kept inside the condos, but not on the back lanai/patio.

∙ Large commercial trucks are not permitted to be parked on property overnight.
∙ Campers, motor homes, trailers, boats and boat trailers are not allowed on property for
more than 15 days and must be parked in the designated areas. There are several large
vehicle parking areas on property, please ask the Front Desk for the locations. The
vehicle must fit inside the marked and identified parking spaces. Any violators will be
given 48 hours’ notice prior to their vehicle being towed at their expense by Bolton’s towing.

∙ Inoperative vehicles cannot be kept on property. Absentee owners are also not allowed to
leave cars on property. Full car covers are not permitted on vehicles.
∙ No vehicle repairs or maintenance, except where emergency repair is required to make a
vehicle roadworthy.
∙ No car washing or detailing of vehicles is allowed.

∙ Only unit Owners and their occupants, guests and visitors may use the pool and pool
area. No pets are allowed in the general pool area.
∙ Pool hours are 7:00 am until 11:00 pm daily for the Clubhouse and 7:00 am until 10:00
pm at Tradewinds pools; hours for the yellow and brown phase pools are dawn to
dusk.
∙ NO Lifeguards are provided at any pool area. Swimming and use of the pool is at the user’s
risk. Users have a duty to report any unsafe conditions immediately to the Front Desk.
Children under the age of twelve (12) must be supervised by an adult at all times.
∙ No Glass containers or breakable items are permitted on the pool deck for safety.
∙ All pool areas are non-smoking (this includes vaping). There is a designated smoking
spot located outside of each of the pool areas.
∙ Large or oversized floats or other items of similar nature, except swimming aids, are
not permitted in the pool.

∙ Tradewinds Restaurant, the Clubhouse and the fitness center are all owned and operated
by Vacasa and are not part of your HOA monthly assessment. If your condominium is
managed as part of the Vacasa Rentals program then you are permitted to have mail
and packages delivered to the front desk. Please note that there is limited space for large
parcels and these should be collected on a regular basis.
∙ Any Owner who is not part of the Vacasa rental programme is required to make
payment for their mail or packages at time of pick up.

∙ The Bahama Bay Condominium Association AGM is held on a date within the first two
weeks of November every year, to be announced no less than 11 months before. The
date is available from the Community Association Manager. This meeting is held at the
Bahama Bay Resort and all Owners are invited to attend.
∙ Each condominium unit is entitled to one vote. If an owner has more than one unit, then they are entitled to one vote for each unit they own.
∙ If there is more than one owner registered (plural ownership) or the unit is owned by a
corporation, partnership, trust or other legal entity, a Voting Certificate must be
completed designating one person as the authorized voter. This does not apply to
units owned wholly by husband and wife. Any new owners can request a copy from
the Community Association Manager. This certificate remains valid unless there is a
change in ownership or voting preference by the owners.
∙ Even though you have a Voting Authorization Certificate on file, owners are still asked to
ensure they complete and return any Voting Form in accordance with the
instructions received.
∙ The Board of Directors is currently made up of 6 owners, with each Director position
being appointed for a 2 year period. There is a staggered re-election process, with 3
Director positions being up for re-election each year (more if there are vacancies due
to resignations).
∙ Any owner who wishes to stand for election to the Board of Directors will be given the
opportunity to put their name forward. Details of eligibility criteria etc will be sent out
along with the first notice of the AGM approximately 8-10 weeks prior to the AGM
date.

∙ You can always look to attend the monthly HOA Board meetings (held by webinar) to find
out what is going on. These are usually held on the first Wednesday of every month
(except July) at 1.00pm Florida time.
∙ Webinar registration links will be provided ahead of each meeting allowing those
owners who wish to attend to sign up for each meeting.
∙ The Association also has a number of committees, currently these are: Finance, Technical,
Landscaping/Architecture; OMU, Security, New Rules and Welcome. Each committee
is chaired by a Board member and has a number of owners who sit on these
committees with them. This often gives owners and insight into the workings of part of
the Association.

∙ facilities@bahamabayhoa.com Please use this email if you see anything whilst out and
about on the resort that needs attention; e.g. broken light, overflowing trash bins,
erratic sprinklers, pool issues etc. Please be aware you will not receive a reply, but the
email is copied to the board for follow up at our monthly meeting to ensure the issues
have been addressed.

∙ board@bahamabayhoa.com Address to which you can send all questions for the
Board’s attention or that you wish raised at one of the monthly Board meetings
(to which you are all welcome to attend via webinar).

∙ tech@bahamabayhoa.com please report any WIFI issues with as much information
as possible to this address. You will receive an auto-reply, but all information will
be collated and raised with Spectrum to address. If we don’t know of the issues,
we can’t deal with them. Please note this address is for owners use only, we don’t
want guests bombarding it expecting an immediate reply

∙ The Bahama Bay Owners Forum is an online discussion forum for BB Owners, which
aims to discuss Association business and other relevant topics, along with Resort
news and updates. It is a friendly way to connect with other owners and find out what
is going on at the Resort.
∙ This is also where we will upload information such as board meeting write ups, AGM
notification documents etc, so that they can be easily searched for under the relevant
sections.
∙ Owners who haven’t yet signed up can do so at https://www.bahamabayhoa.com/ Any
problems or difficulties, please email lisa@bahamabayhoa.com for assistance.

The Bahama Bay HOA also has two official Facebook pages – a private group specifically for
owners who prefer to communicate this way and a public group to share information
and photos with the Resort’s friends and guests.
∙ Bahama Bay Resort Owners [OFFICIAL] FB Group:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1101811620326642
∙ Bahama Bay Resort Friends & Guests [OFFICIAL] FB Group:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/153531968879