Bill changing condo-safety laws passed after Surfside tower collapse is heading to DeSantis

In response to widespread concerns about rising costs, the Florida Legislature has unanimously approved a bill (HB 913) that revises key condominium safety regulations enacted after the 2021 Surfside condo collapse that killed 98 people. The legislation now heads to Governor Ron DeSantis, who has made condo law reform a top priority this session.

Originally passed in 2022 and updated in 2023, the laws required “milestone inspections” and “structural integrity reserve studies” for older buildings with three or more stories. While intended to improve building safety, the mandates have led many condo associations to impose steep special assessments on homeowners struggling to meet compliance deadlines.

The new measure aims to strike a balance between safety and affordability. Key provisions include:

• Extending the deadline for structural reserve studies by one year beyond the current December 31 deadline.
• Clarifying applicability of safety mandates to buildings with three or more habitable stories.
• Allowing temporary pauses in reserve funding for two years after a milestone inspection.
• Permitting associations to use loans or lines of credit to meet reserve obligations, with owner approval.
• Raising the deferred maintenance threshold requiring inclusion in reserve studies from $10,000 to $25,000.
• Mandating transparency from professionals bidding on inspections if they also intend to bid on related repair work.

The legislation was shaped by input from thousands of residents and dozens of condo associations across the state. Lawmakers from both chambers, including Sen. Jennifer Bradley and Rep. Vicki Lopez—dubbed the “condo queen”—praised the bill as a thoughtful compromise that maintains public safety while easing financial stress on Floridians.

“This bill comes from a lot of listening,” said Sen. Bradley. “With each milestone inspection, our condos are becoming safer, but financial impacts are reverberating.”

The bill also enhances reporting requirements for local governments and introduces new regulations for condo managers and contractors.

If signed by Governor DeSantis, the law would offer immediate financial relief to Florida condo owners while preserving the core safety goals established in the wake of the Surfside tragedy.