Moving From a House to a Condo in Florida: What to Ask Before You Buy

After the Surfside collapse, the Florida legislature passed Senate Bill 4-D in a 2022 special session, and lawmakers have adjusted the requirements since. The result is two kinds of report you will hear about in almost every condo purchase: milestone inspections and structural integrity reserve studies. Because the rules have been amended more than once, confirm the current requirements for any building with the association and your attorney.

A milestone inspection is a structural review of a residential condominium or cooperative building that is three or more stories tall. According to the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR), the first one is due when a building reaches 30 years old, and another is repeated every 10 years after that. The association must give each unit owner the inspector's summary report within 45 days of receiving it and post it on its website.

The schedule runs from the year the building was completed, so older buildings reach their inspections sooner. Many oceanfront and riverfront condominiums on the Space Coast, including in Cocoa Beach, were built decades ago. The dates of the last and next inspection are a real question to ask.

A structural integrity reserve study, or SIRS, applies to residential condominium associations with buildings of three or more habitable stories. It looks at the major structural components of the building and whether the association is setting aside enough money to repair or replace them. It must be redone at least every 10 years. Associations that existed before July 1, 2022 generally had to complete their first study by December 31, 2025.

One detail matters to buyers. According to DBPR, the law does not require reserves to be fully funded when the study is completed. A study can therefore show a building that is behind on funding. If it does, ask how the association plans to catch up, and whether higher fees, a special assessment, or a loan is expected.

The reports are part of the association's official records, and DBPR says they must be provided to prospective buyers. Ask for them before you make an offer if you can, or as early as your contract allows. Read the summary, not just the cover page, and have your attorney or a qualified inspector look at anything that mentions deferred repairs or underfunded reserves. Ask your agent and attorney how the contract you are using handles the timing of receiving these documents.

These are the questions a careful buyer asks. None of them signal a problem on their own.

• What year was the building completed, and when were the last and next milestone inspections?
• What did the most recent inspection summary say, and which repairs were recommended or completed?
• When was the SIRS completed, and is the association funding it fully?
• Are any special assessments, loans, or fee increases planned?
• What do monthly fees cover, and how have they changed over the past few years?
• What are the rules on rentals, pets, guests, and age? The 80/20 guide applies if the building is age-restricted.
• What does the association's insurance cover, and what will you need to insure yourself?

You own the inside of your unit. The association manages the roof, exterior, and common areas and charges fees to do it. That is the lock-and-leave benefit, and it is also why the building's finances matter as much as the unit. Compare buildings on the same terms: age, reserves, fees, and recent repairs, alongside the floor plan and the view. The downsizing from Miami guide covers how a condo fits with the rest of a move.