Index

Florida Condo Safety & Milestone Inspections

Summary

Following the Surfside tragedy, Florida law requires older condos (30+ years) to undergo strict structural inspections and forces condo associations to fully fund their reserves for major repairs.

Rights & Rules

  • 01.
    Condos that are 30 years old (or 25 years old if near the coast) must complete a 'Milestone Inspection' by a licensed engineer or architect.
  • 02.
    If structural deterioration is found in Phase 1, a more invasive Phase 2 inspection is legally required.
  • 03.
    Condo associations can NO LONGER vote to waive or underfund their reserve accounts for critical structural elements (like the roof, load-bearing walls, or foundation).
  • 04.
    If your building needs major repairs, the HOA must levy special assessments to pay for it; they cannot delay it.

Penalties

  • 01.
    Local governments can penalize non-compliant associations, up to and including declaring the building unsafe for occupancy.
  • 02.
    Board members who willfully ignore these rules can be held legally liable.

Verified Citations

Florida Statutes Section 718.112 & 553.899

Source
"Effective December 31, 2024, the members of a unit owner-controlled association may not determine to provide no reserves or less reserves than required... for items required to be included in the structural integrity reserve study."