DeSantis to sign bill to change condo safety laws passed after Surfside collapse

Article Courtesy of NBC 6 NEWS SOUTH FLORIDA

By News Service of Florida

Published May 24, 2025

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Tuesday said he will soon sign a bill that would change condominium-safety laws passed after the 2021 collapse of the Champlain Towers South building in Surfside that killed 98 people.

The wide-ranging bill (HB 913), approved unanimously by the House and Senate, has not been formally sent to DeSantis, who made revising condo laws one of his top priorities of this year’s legislative session.

The changes came after residents and associations argued that the laws passed in recent years were driving up costs.

"You had people that were going to be forced out of their condos potentially because of legislation that had come down the pipe," DeSantis said Tuesday during an appearance in Tampa.

The laws, passed in 2022 and tweaked in 2023, included requiring "milestone inspections" of older buildings and “structural integrity reserve studies” to determine how much money should be saved for future major repairs.

Milestone inspections were supposed to be completed by the end of 2024 for certain older buildings that are three stories or higher.

The Florida Legislature signed off on proposed changes to condominium-safety laws passed after the 2021 collapse of the Champlain Towers South building in Surfside that killed 98 people.

Some condo associations hit owners with large assessments in the race to comply with the deadline. Assessments are in addition to homeowners’ regular association fees.