John Hawley
May 4, 2025
In the final days of Florida’s 2025 legislative session, lawmakers unanimously passed a compromise condo reform bill aimed at easing financial burdens on unit owners while preserving key safety mandates enacted after the Surfside collapse.
In the final days of the 2025 legislative session, Florida lawmakers reached a unanimous agreement on HB 913, a sweeping condominium reform bill aimed at easing the financial strain on condo owners and associations while preserving critical safety mandates established in the wake of the Surfside tragedy.
With unanimous votes in both chambers on Wednesday, April 30, the bill marks a compromise between two competing proposals—SB 1742, sponsored by Sen. Jennifer Bradley (R–Fleming Island), and HB 913, sponsored by Rep. Vicki Lopez (R–Miami)—and reflects mounting political and public pressure to address skyrocketing maintenance assessments, crumbling infrastructure, and widespread noncompliance with safety laws passed in 2022 and 2023.
Background: Post-Surfside Mandates and Financial Fallout
After the 2021 collapse of a 12-story condominium in Surfside that killed 98 people, Florida passed strict mandates requiring:
Milestone inspections of buildings 30+ years old with three or more stories
Reserve funding based on structural repair studies
Compliance deadlines, the first of which came due December 31, 2024
While intended to prevent future disasters, these laws triggered financial crises across the state’s 1.5 million condo units, particularly in older buildings, where owners were hit with six-figure assessments to fund urgent repairs and rebuild reserves.
Two Bills, One Compromise
The House Bill (HB 913) originally focused on financial relief and operational flexibility.The Senate Bill (SB 1742) maintained stricter safety requirements and controls over financial practices.
Key areas of compromise in the final bill include:
Provision | Final Bill Outcome |
Lines of Credit & Loans | Condo associations can now secure lines of credit or take out loans to fund repairs, with approval from a majority of unit owners. |
Investing Reserve Funds | Allowed—but only in Certificates of Deposit (CDs), narrowing the broader investment powers the Senate originally proposed. |
Reserve Contributions Pause | Associations may pause reserve contributions for up to 2 years following a milestone inspection. |
Electronic Voting | Included. A quarter of unit owners may now petition to hold an electronic vote, a point of concern for Gov. DeSantis, who has warned about potential fraud. |
Inspection Carve-Outs | Condos with three residential stories or fewer are exempt from milestone inspections. |
Conflict-of-Interest Disclosures | Professionals submitting bids for required inspections must now disclose if they intend to also bid on subsequent repairs. |
State Reporting | Associations must provide progress reports on milestone inspections to both the state and Legislature. |
What Got Left Out
One of the most controversial elements—a proposal to bar Citizens Property Insurance Corp. from insuring condo buildings that hadn't completed inspections—was ultimately removed after pushback. Lawmakers feared it would devastate the already fragile condo insurance market.
Other dropped provisions included:
Forced termination of associations
Involuntary sales of property due to financial distress
These removals helped persuade reluctant lawmakers like Rep. Mike Caruso (R–North Palm Beach) to support the final version.
Remaining Challenges
Gov. Ron DeSantis has repeatedly criticized the Legislature—particularly the House—for failing to address condo affordability earlier in the session. He convened a special session in January urging action on condos, but lawmakers deferred the issue until now.
Even with the bill passed, DeSantis could still object to some provisions, especially around electronic voting, and has not confirmed whether he will sign HB 913 into law.
Both Lopez and Bradley acknowledged the bill is not a final fix.
“I’m sure we will have to come back and do more work,” said Sen. Shevrin Jones (D–Miami).
Why It Matters
With over 1.5 million condo units affected by Florida's post-Surfside safety laws, this legislation offers immediate relief and flexibility to thousands of residents facing unaffordable assessments and unstable living conditions. But it also represents a legislative recognition that a one-size-fits-all approach to condo oversight is unworkable—especially given the financial, structural, and demographic diversity of Florida's condominium stock.
Lawmakers hailed HB 913 as “the most important” and “most complex” bill of the session. Time will tell if it’s enough to stabilize the market and restore confidence—or merely a stepping stone to more robust reform.
