Condo safety reform passes!
It took a special session of the Legislature to happen, but Florida lawmakers have enacted legislation that is supposed to stop condominium boards from ignoring needed structural repairs, and avoiding special assessments to pay for them.
Starting in 2025, statewide, in Florida:
- Condos three stories or higher must be certified as structurally sound at 30 years, and every 10 years thereafter.
- Condos within three miles of the coast must be certified structurally sound at 25 years, and every 10 years thereafter.
- Initial inspection shall be a visual inspection by a licensed architect or engineer to rule out signs of substantial structural deterioration
- In the event of visual indications of structural problems, a second phase of testing would be required to determine whether the building is structurally sound.
- Condos must conduct a “reserve study” every 10 years to make sure funds are set aside to pay for structural repairs, and the requirement for reserves cannot be waived
- Condo board members could be sued if they ignore inspection requirements.
Some (like me) might feel that the law doesn’t go far enough, and has loopholes that a recalcitrant condo could get around. But the intent is not to make a shabby condo shape up but rather to avoid the extreme catastrophe of a high rise structure suddenly collapsing.