Florida guide
Florida condo document review
Florida condo buyers face one of the most document-intensive due diligence processes in the country. After a series of legislative reforms triggered by the 2021 Champlain Towers South collapse, state law now requires associations to produce milestone inspection reports, Structural Integrity Reserve Studies, and updated reserve budgets — on top of the governing documents, meeting minutes, and insurance summaries that have always mattered.
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Governing documents: the foundation of every review
The declaration of condominium, bylaws, and rules and regulations collectively define what you are buying and what the association can require of you. Florida Chapter 718 governs all condominium associations, so every document package should be read against that statutory framework. Look for provisions covering pet restrictions, rental caps, parking allocations, and alteration approval procedures — all of which affect both your lifestyle and your unit's resale value. The declaration also establishes the association's maintenance responsibilities versus yours, which determines where a claim would go in the event of a water intrusion or structural issue.
Milestone inspection report and SIRS
SB 4-D (2022) created two new mandatory disclosures for older Florida condominiums. The milestone inspection applies to buildings that are 25 years old or older, or 30 years old or older if they are more than three miles from the coastline. Phase one is a visual review; if the inspector finds cause for concern, phase two involves destructive testing. Separately, the Structural Integrity Reserve Study (SIRS) requires associations to quantify the remaining useful life and replacement cost of load-bearing structural elements. Ask for both documents, check their dates, and look at whether any remediation was recommended — and if so, what action the board has taken since.
Reserve study, budget, and funding level
Florida law has long required associations to prepare a reserve study every three years and maintain a capital reserve account. The reforms passed since 2022 raised the stakes considerably: associations are now expected to budget and collect sufficient reserves to cover the costs identified in their SIRS. Before closing, request the most recent reserve study, the current annual budget, and the reserve account balance. Compare the funded balance to the total reserve obligation identified in the study. The Champlain Towers South association carried only $706,000 in reserves against a documented need of more than $10.3 million — a gap that contributed directly to deferred maintenance. That extreme case aside, any funded ratio below 30 percent warrants close examination.
Meeting minutes and pending assessments
Board and membership meeting minutes are one of the most underread documents in a condo purchase. They reveal what the board knows, what it has discussed, and what it has decided — including any special assessment resolutions that may not yet appear in an official notice. Request at least two years of minutes. Look for recurring discussion of repair items, insurance premium increases, reserve shortfalls, or legal disputes. If a special assessment has been levied or is under active discussion, you are entitled to know before you close. Under Florida law, a buyer in good faith who has received proper disclosures takes the unit subject to any levied assessment.
Insurance summary and HO-6 gap
The association carries a master policy covering the building structure and common elements. Request a current certificate of insurance and the declarations page, and note the coverage limits, the windstorm deductible, and whether the policy covers all-in or bare-walls-in for unit improvements. Florida's property insurance market is volatile — some coastal and older buildings have faced coverage gaps or significant premium increases that feed directly into monthly dues and special assessments. Once you understand the master policy's scope, you can size your own HO-6 interior policy accordingly. Flood insurance is handled separately through the National Flood Insurance Program and is not part of the master policy.
Current and recent assessments
Beyond pending special assessments, verify the current monthly maintenance fee and any recurring special assessments that are already in force. Ask for a current account statement showing any outstanding balance on the specific unit. Florida law requires the association to provide an estoppel certificate within ten business days of request, which discloses the fees, charges, and any violations associated with the unit. The estoppel is binding on the association, so it is the authoritative source on what you will owe at closing and in the months immediately following.
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Florida legal references
- Florida Chapter 718 — Condominiums (2025 Statutes)
- SB 4-D (2022) — Building Safety (milestone inspections, SIRS)
- SB 154 (2023) — Condominium and Cooperative Associations
- HB 913 (2025) — Condominium and Cooperative Associations
Informational only. Not legal advice. Always confirm against current statute and counsel.
Need help applying these Florida statutes to your specific situation? We can connect you with state-licensed counsel and specialists familiar with this exact regulatory environment.
Find a Florida specialist →Reviewer's checklist
- Request the declaration of condominium, bylaws, and rules and regulations
- Confirm whether a milestone inspection has been completed and request the full report
- Request the current Structural Integrity Reserve Study (SIRS) and any remediation follow-up documentation
- Compare the reserve study's funded obligation to the association's current reserve account balance
- Review at least two years of board and membership meeting minutes for deferred repair discussions
- Request the current annual budget and the most recent audited financial statements
- Obtain an estoppel certificate disclosing all fees, pending assessments, and violations for the unit
- Request the master insurance policy declarations page and confirm windstorm deductible and coverage type (all-in vs. bare-walls)
- Verify whether flood insurance is in place through NFIP for the association's common areas
- Confirm no pending litigation involving the association that could affect insurance or special assessments
Want this same review on your actual documents? We do it free, with page citations you can verify.
Get my free risk report →Want every document to request before you buy in Florida — with the local red flags and the statute behind each? See the complete Florida condo due-diligence checklist →
Source documents
- Declaration & bylawsthe rules
- Budget & financialsthe money
- Reserve studythe big repairs
- Meeting minuteswhat the board fears
Cross-reference
The risk lives in the contradiction between documents.
An assessment in the minutes but not the estoppel; a reserve the budget never funds.
Risk report
Severity-graded across 8 categories.
Every finding cites the document, page number, and quoted text.
How CondoSignal reviews this
We read the reserve study, operating budget, and 24 months of meeting minutes together — florida condo document review risk usually lives in the contradiction between documents, not in any single one of them. Every finding cites the source document, the page number, and the quoted text behind it.
See our 8-category framework →Risk Intelligence
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Related risk areas
Read these next to round out your due diligence
Estoppel Certificate Review
In Florida, an estoppel certificate is the legally binding document that fixes, at a specific moment in time, everything a buyer and a closing agent need to know about a unit's financial standing with its condominium association.
Condo Buying Checklist
Buying a condo is not like buying a single-family home.
Condo document review
A condo document review is the structured analysis of every disclosure document your seller or association has provided — declaration, bylaws, rules, reserve study, budgets, financials, meeting minutes, insurance summary, estoppel or resale certificate, and any pending special assessment notices.
Related reading
Guides for Florida buyers and owners
Florida SIRS Explained: What Boards Must Fund and Disclose
The Structural Integrity Reserve Study is now mandatory for most Florida condo buildings. Understand what a SIRS must include, how it affects reserve funding requirements, and what boards must disclose to owners.
Milestone Inspection Buyer Guide: Reading the Report Before You Close
Understand what a Florida Milestone Inspection report discloses, what follow-up questions to ask the engineer, and how to evaluate the special assessment risk the findings imply.
Hurricane Deductibles and Loss Assessments: Evaluate Your HO-6 Exposure
Master-policy hurricane deductibles can pass through to you as loss assessments. Understand how percentage deductibles work, how to calculate your real exposure, and what your HO-6 needs to actually cover.
Master-Planned Community Due Diligence: Mapping Every Layer
Multi-layered master and sub-associations are common in Texas and Arizona. Learn how to map who governs what, which fees apply to your unit, and which restrictions run with the land.
The Post-Surfside Florida Condo Law Guide (2026)
From the 2021 Champlain Towers collapse through four years of legislative reform, this is the complete guide to Florida condo law as it operates in 2026 — for buyers, owners, and boards.
Already own in Florida?
Owner guides for the notice you just got
Already dealing with a specific Florida situation? Start here instead of the buyer flow:
Reviewed by Kirk Hasley, Founder. Every claim here is checked against current Florida statute and primary sources, using the same documented review framework we run on every file. Last reviewed June 13, 2026.
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Every finding cites the exact page in your documents
“The board approved a $15,000-per-unit special assessment for façade repairs, payable over 12 months.”
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Risk Intelligence
Review the documents before your contingency ends
Most buyers get 7–14 days to review condo documents. Upload the packet — we read the reserve study, budget, minutes, and insurance summary and flag the risks, every finding linked to the exact page. Free.
Expert Matching
Need a real estate lawyer or mortgage specialist?
We can connect you with vetted real estate lawyers, mortgage brokers, and insurance brokers familiar with the specifics of condo and HOA transactions.
- HOA lawyer
- Mortgage broker
- Insurance broker