Written by: Luis Teran, Co-founder, CEO, TenantEvaluation
Key Takeaways
- Manual deposit tracking through email and spreadsheets creates compounding operational problems and audit exposure for Florida CAMs.
- Florida Statute 718.111(12) requires electronic payment acceptance for condos with 25+ units since January 1, 2025, which raises compliance risk for associations that still rely on checks.
- Integrated electronic payment workflows that collect fees and deposits inside existing onboarding processes eliminate manual chasing and produce audit-ready records automatically.
- TEpayments by Zinc routes payments directly from applicants to association accounts without intermediary fund holding and maintains permissible-purpose controls throughout.
- Connect screening, QuickApprove, 55+ verification, and Lease Tracking in one compliant workflow—start with TenantEvaluation today.
The Problem: Manual Deposit Tracking Exposes Florida CAMs to Risk
Manual deposit tracking creates compounding operational problems. Managers maintain parallel records across email inboxes and spreadsheets and reconcile payment confirmations against application files by hand. Each reconciliation step introduces the possibility of error. Errors in deposit records create audit exposure during board reviews or regulatory inquiries.
Transitioning from manual to electronic payment systems surfaces several recurring challenges, including staff resistance to new workflows, integration gaps between payment tools and existing management software, and inconsistent adoption across properties in a portfolio. When payment collection sits outside the onboarding workflow, applicants receive conflicting instructions about what to pay, when to pay, and where to send funds. These conflicting instructions generate follow-up calls that consume staff time without advancing the application.
The compliance dimension compounds the operational burden. For Florida condos with 25 or more units, accepting electronic payment of assessments has been required under Florida Statute 718.111(12) since January 1, 2025, per HB 1021 (2024). Associations subject to this requirement that continue to rely exclusively on checks or manual wire instructions are operating outside the statutory framework. Audit trails for manually collected deposits are often incomplete. Incomplete records make it difficult to demonstrate permissible-purpose controls or reconstruct payment histories during disputes.
Electronic Payment Models for Florida Associations
Florida condominium associations with 25 or more units are required under state law since 2025 to accept electronic payments of assessments, while homeowners’ associations governed by Chapter 720 have no equivalent requirement. Many communities rely on a direct-to-association flow that keeps funds out of intermediary accounts. The workflow steps that satisfy electronic payment requirements share a common structure.
Typical workflow elements are:
- Payment is initiated by the applicant or unit owner inside a defined collection interface.
- Funds transfer directly from the payer to the association’s designated bank account via ACH or equivalent electronic transfer.
- No intermediary platform receives, holds, or pools the funds at any point in the transaction.
- A timestamped payment record is generated automatically and attached to the applicant or resident file.
- The association retains direct access to transaction records for audit and reconciliation purposes.
Financial administrators working with community associations confirm that banking partners supporting ACH transfers and digital payment portals enable resident payments to flow directly into community accounts. Association boards retain direct access to account statements and transaction records to support audits and financial oversight without intermediary fund holding.
TEpayments by Zinc follows this direct-to-association model. Payments move from the applicant into the association’s designated account while TenantEvaluation coordinates the workflow without touching the funds.
Schedule a demo today and see how TEpayments by Zinc routes funds directly to your association account.
Deposit Collection Software for 55+ Florida Communities
The direct-to-association payment model becomes even more critical for age-restricted communities, where deposit collection must align with age verification documentation. Age-restricted communities operating under the Housing for Older Persons Act (HOPA) face an additional layer of onboarding complexity. Deposit collection must occur alongside age verification documentation, and when these two processes live in separate systems, CAMs manage dual workflows that multiply the opportunity for documentation gaps.
The operational requirement for 55+ communities is a deposit collection capability that ties directly to age verification and onboarding without creating separate portals or requiring applicants to navigate multiple platforms. 55+ Communities Verification is a built-in capability that helps Florida condos and HOAs standardize how age-restricted requirements are handled across applications. This standardization reduces manual work and improves documentation consistency.
When TEpayments by Zinc is active in the same workflow, deposit collection occurs inside the same onboarding process where age documentation is collected and verified. This connection eliminates the need for a separate payment portal and keeps the applicant record complete in one place.
This connected approach reduces manual work, supports documentation consistency, and strengthens operational efficiency for communities where incomplete records create the greatest risk exposure.
Stopping Payment Chasing While Staying Compliant
CAMs stop chasing payments when collection moves inside the onboarding workflow that already governs screening, document collection, and approval. When fees and deposits are collected as a defined step inside the application process, payment becomes a prerequisite for application progression instead of a separate follow-up action.
TenantEvaluation’s platform connects screening, QuickApprove, Lease Tracking, and TEpayments by Zinc inside one workflow, which means associations no longer manage payment collection as a separate process outside their existing onboarding system. Because each association defines what is collected and at which stage, the capability adapts to the property’s process rather than forcing a universal sequence. This configurability produces a single connected workflow for fee and deposit collection inside resident onboarding and reduces manual tracking while improving visibility across the portfolio.
Permissible-purpose controls remain active throughout the process. TenantEvaluation’s FCRA-first design, direct credit bureau reseller relationships with TransUnion and Equifax, and built-in audit trails ensure that the payment workflow operates inside a compliant screening environment. The direct routing model keeps every dollar moving into the association’s designated account without intermediary holding.
2026 Florida Payment Compliance Checklist for CAMs
The following checklist reflects key operational considerations Florida associations should address as of 2026. Use this table to identify which requirements apply to your association based on property type and unit count, then verify that your current payment workflow addresses each applicable area. This checklist is an operational reference and does not constitute legal advice.
| Requirement Area | Statutory or Operational Basis | Status Indicator |
|---|---|---|
| Electronic payment acceptance for condos with 25+ units | Florida Statute 718.111(12) per HB 1021 (effective January 1, 2025) | Required for applicable condos |
| Permissible-purpose controls on applicant data access | FCRA / TenantEvaluation platform design | Required |
| Direct-to-association payment routing (no intermediary holding) | Operational best practice | Recommended |
| Retention of accounting and payment transaction records | Operational best practice for record-keeping | Recommended |
| Documentation for 55+ communities | HOPA / Florida Statute 760.29 | Required for age-restricted communities |
Side-by-Side Comparison: CINC, Vantaca, AppFolio, and TEpayments by Zinc
The table below compares key capabilities relevant to Florida CAMs evaluating deposit collection and onboarding integration. Notice how native onboarding integration and direct-to-association payment routing distinguish TEpayments by Zinc from platforms where payment and onboarding workflows remain separate. Data points reflect publicly available product positioning and TenantEvaluation platform capabilities as of August 2026.
| Feature | CINC | Vantaca | AppFolio | TEpayments by Zinc |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Native onboarding-integrated payment collection | No, payment tools operate separately from onboarding | No, payment and onboarding workflows are not natively connected | Partial, payments available but not embedded in community association onboarding | Yes, fees and deposits collected inside the TenantEvaluation onboarding workflow |
| Direct-to-association payment flow (no intermediary holding) | Not confirmed for direct-to-association routing | Not confirmed for direct-to-association routing | Not confirmed for direct-to-association routing | Yes, direct routing from applicant to the association’s designated account |
| 55+ verification linked to deposit collection | No native 55+ verification capability | No native 55+ verification capability | No native 55+ verification capability | Yes, 55+ Communities Verification and TEpayments by Zinc operate inside the same workflow |
| Configurable per association (what is collected and at which stage) | Limited configurability reported | Limited configurability reported | Limited configurability for community association onboarding stages | Yes, associations configure collection points within their onboarding sequence |
| Built-in audit trail for payment and screening records | Partial | Partial | Partial | Yes, FCRA-first design with built-in audit trails across screening and payment records |
Introducing TEpayments by Zinc: The Connected Payment Workflow
TEpayments by Zinc is a configurable payment workflow integrated into the TenantEvaluation platform. It allows associations and property management companies to collect application fees, deposits, and other required resident payments within the onboarding process they already use. Payments go directly from the applicant to the association’s designated account. TenantEvaluation organizes the workflow but never holds the funds.
These design choices address the manual chasing and compliance gaps identified earlier. The key operational characteristics of TEpayments by Zinc are:
- Associations configure collection points within their existing onboarding sequence.
- The workflow adapts to the property’s process rather than forcing a universal sequence.
- Payment records are generated automatically and attached to the applicant file inside TenantEvaluation.
- Boards access traceable payment records with operational clarity about where funds go.
- The workflow connects to screening, QuickApprove, 55+ Communities Verification, and Lease Tracking inside one platform.
TenantEvaluation has processed more than 100,000 applications annually across over 5,000 communities and has generated $150 million for communities. TEpayments by Zinc extends that operational infrastructure to deposit and fee collection and creates one workflow with no more chasing payments.
Schedule a demo today to configure TEpayments by Zinc for your association’s onboarding workflow.
Frequently Asked Questions
How are audit trails maintained for electronic deposits collected through TEpayments by Zinc?
Every payment transaction processed through TEpayments by Zinc generates a timestamped record that is attached to the applicant file inside TenantEvaluation. Because the payment workflow operates inside the same platform as screening, document collection, and approvals, the audit trail is unified rather than fragmented across separate systems. CAMs and boards can access payment records alongside application and screening records without logging into a separate portal. TenantEvaluation’s FCRA-first design and built-in audit trail infrastructure apply to payment records in the same way they apply to screening and onboarding records.
How does deposit collection work inside the 55+ verification workflow?
For age-restricted communities, 55+ Communities Verification and TEpayments by Zinc operate inside the same onboarding workflow. When an association configures deposit collection as a required step during onboarding, that step occurs in the same process where age documentation is collected and standardized. Applicants do not navigate a separate payment portal. CAMs do not reconcile payment records against a separate age-verification file. The result is a more consistent documentation record that connects payment status to the full onboarding file and reduces the manual work associated with managing two parallel processes.
Can boards view real-time payment status without logging into separate systems?
Yes. Because TEpayments by Zinc is integrated into the TenantEvaluation platform, board members who access the platform through the QuickApprove board dashboard can view payment status as part of the applicant record. There is no separate payment portal login required. Boards see traceable payment records with operational clarity about where funds go, supported by the direct routing model that sends payments into the association’s designated account.
What happens to refunds and security deposits under the same workflow?
TEpayments by Zinc is a configurable payment workflow inside TenantEvaluation, not a standalone payment processor or banking software. The configurable workflow mentioned earlier means associations control what they collect and when. Refund and security deposit handling is governed by the association’s own policies and Florida statutory requirements. The workflow produces the payment records and audit trail that support those processes, but the association retains control over refund decisions and security deposit management in accordance with applicable law. TenantEvaluation never holds funds at any point in the workflow.
Conclusion: Move Deposit Collection Inside One Connected Platform
Manual deposit chasing through email and spreadsheets creates measurable administrative burden, audit exposure, and statutory non-compliance risk for Florida condominium associations subject to the electronic payment acceptance requirements under HB 1021. An integrated electronic payment workflow inside resident onboarding eliminates the follow-up cycle, produces audit-ready records automatically, and keeps every dollar moving directly to the association’s designated account without any intermediary holding funds.
TEpayments by Zinc delivers that workflow inside TenantEvaluation and connects screening, QuickApprove, 55+ Communities Verification, and Lease Tracking in one platform. Each association configures what is collected and when. The direct routing model keeps funds moving into the association’s designated account while TenantEvaluation coordinates the process without holding money. One workflow. No more chasing payments.
Schedule a demo today and replace manual deposit chasing with a connected, compliant payment workflow.
