Buying an older Florida condo? Three documents decide everything

Since the Surfside collapse, Florida law puts hard structural obligations on condo associations — and their cost lands on unit owners, including the one who bought last month. If a building is three or more habitable storeys and approaching 30 years old (25 within three miles of the coast), the association owes a milestone structural inspection, a structural integrity reserve study (SIRS), and — since July 2025 — reserves it can no longer vote to waive.

The three documents to demand

• The milestone inspection report. Phase 1 is a visual structural inspection by an engineer or architect; substantial deterioration triggers a Phase 2. If the building is past the trigger age and there is no report, that is not a paperwork gap — it is a liability queued up for the next owners.
• The SIRS. A 30-year funding plan for the eight structural components (roof, structure, fireproofing, plumbing, electrical, waterproofing, windows, anything over $25,000 affecting them). It tells you what the building must collect.
• The reserve balance. The SIRS says what should be there; the balance sheet says what is. The distance between the two is the special assessment you are underwriting.

Why "no reserves" now means "assessment coming"

For decades Florida associations voted to waive reserves and keep fees low — which is exactly how six-figure special assessments happen when the roof or recertification bill arrives. Under HB 913, waiving structural reserves is off the table. Buildings that under-collected for thirty years are catching up now, on the current owners' account.

How age shows up in the public record

The county roll carries every building's year built and unit count. Our report flags condo buildings past the milestone thresholds automatically — before you fall in love with the unit.