Frequently Asked Questions

On June 24, 2021, Champlain Towers in Surfside, FL partially collapsed, tragically taking the lives of 98 people and displacing hundreds of condominium owners.  Florida has taken swift action to ensure condominiums throughout the state are structurally and financially sound to prevent another devastating tragedy. The Florida Legislature passed Senate Bill (SB) 4-D (special session May 2022), SB 154 (June 2023), and House Bill (HB) 1021 (2024), and HB 913 (2025) all of which have been signed into law.

SB 4-D increases the safety of Florida’s condominiums by requiring inspections for all condominiums and cooperative buildings that are three stories or higher. SB 4-D requires the following for condominiums and cooperatives:

• Condominiums and cooperatives must conduct a Structural Integrity Reserve Study (SIRS) for buildings that are three stories or higher to ensure that necessary funding is available for any future structural repairs that may be needed. This study must be completed at least every 10 years after the condominium’s creation, regardless of the condominium’s age.
• Structural milestone inspections are required for condominium and cooperative buildings of a certain age, depending on their distance from the coastline.
• To increase transparency and accountability, all structural inspection reports and reserve studies are required to be part of the condominium association’s’ official record and must be provided to potential purchasers of a condo unit.

SB 154 revised the requirement for condominiums to collect reserves and allows a majority of voting residents to elect not to provide reserves or to provide less reserves than required. However, this legislation prohibits waiving or reducing reserve funding for repairs and maintenance of structural components identified in the SIRS.

Additionally, SB 154 refined the requirements of the SIRS to provide clarification on the items required in a SIRS and expanded who can perform a SIRS.

SB 154 allowed a specific type of condominium (multi-condominium with 25 condominiums or more) to provide no reserves or less reserves than required if an alternative funding method was approved by the Division of Condominiums, Timeshares, and Mobile Homes. The Division received funding to contract with a third-party to review alternative funding methods submitted to the Division for review and approval.

HB 1021 increased transparency and accountability through changes to meeting requirements, voting, education for condominium directors, recordkeeping and reporting, and support from the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR). Additionally, HB 1021 introduced criminal penalties for board members who act in bad faith, increased DBPR’s ability to address resident complaints through investigations, and established a criminal referral process to streamline accountability for individuals that have engaged in criminal activity.

House Bill 913 is a sweeping reform that puts Florida’s condo and cooperative owners first by prioritizing safety, accountability, and transparency. The bill provides immediate financial relief by extending the deadline for mandatory reserve studies and offering more flexible ways for associations to fund needed repairs, ensuring communities can meet new safety standards without facing sudden, unaffordable costs.

To protect unit owners, the legislation holds community association managers to higher professional standards and gives owners greater power to act if a manager’s license is suspended or revoked. It expands access to records, enables electronic voting, and allows virtual meetings, helping more owners stay informed and engaged in how their associations are run. The bill also strengthens the state’s enforcement tools and ensures more accurate data is collected to support better oversight and communication.

By requiring competitive bidding for major repairs, full disclosure of conflicts of interest, and improved access to financial reports, HB 913 builds trust through transparency. It’s a major step forward in ensuring Florida’s condominium communities are safer, more accountable, and financially sound, while giving unit owners a stronger voice in the decisions that impact their homes and investments.

DBPR is dedicated to an efficient, transparent and complete implementation of House Bill 913. The Department proactively established an implementation team and began to meet the first week of May 2025 to best prepare the Department for potential implementation.

The 2025-2026 General Appropriations Act appropriated the Department 10 new positions to conduct investigations on the Division’s areas of jurisdiction and enhance services to the public.

Effective July 1, 2025, all condominium and cooperative associations are required to create an online account with the Division of Condominiums, Timeshares and Mobile Homes (CTMH). Associations are required to submit information related to: contact details, total number of buildings and each building in the  association, and current assessments. Associations are also required to provide a  copy of SIRS and any associated materials requested by the department within 5 days of such request.

To visit the Department’s online portal and create an account, click the link below:

• DBPR’s Online Portal

The Division has created step-by-step instructions for the creation of the online account and the submission of information through the online portal. To view the instructions, click on the links below:

• Creating an Account and Linking the Association’s Managing Entity
• Submitting Association Information
• Submitting Building and Assessment Information
• Structural Integrity Reserve Study Reporting

Constituents can submit a complaint by mail or through our online form on the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR) website. We encourage residents to utilize our checklist, a helpful guide that details the items needed for filing a complaint.

Additionally, a constituent may file a complaint at any of the Division’s six (6) regional office locations. View our locations here.

As of July 1, 2025, the Division of Condominiums, Timeshares, and Mobile Homes has jurisdiction over the following:

1. Procedural aspects relating to financial issues: annual financial reporting requirements, assessments for common expenses, fines, commingling of reserve and operating funds, unintended debit cards use, the annual operating budget and the allocation of reserve funds, and financial records, including any needed to determine the revenues and expenses of the association.
2. Elections, including election and voting requirements, recall of board members, electronic voting, and elections that occur during an emergency.
3. The maintenance of and unit owner access to association records listed in statute.
4. The procedural aspects of meetings, including unit owner meetings, quorums, voting requirements, proxies, board of administration meetings, and budget meetings.
5. Conflicts of interest discourse related to the operation of the condominium including kickbacks, contracts or other transactions with the association.
6. The removal of a board of director or officer under statute guidelines.
7. The procedural completion of a structural integrity reserve studies and milestone inspections.
8. Completion of repairs required by a milestone inspection.
9. Any written inquiries by unit owners to the association as outlined in statute.
10. The requirement for associations to maintain an insurance policy or fidelity bonding for all persons who control or disperse funds of the association.
11. Board member education requirements.
12. Reporting requirements for structural integrity reserve studies.

Below you will find a timeline of what you can expect after you file a complaint form. 

Within 2 business days – The Division will send a written correspondence to the complainant confirming receipt of complaint form and advising what to expect during the process. 

10-15 days– The Division will review the information submitted to determine 1) If the case is jurisdictional. 2) If the allegation is a potential violation. 3) If necessary supporting documentation was provided. Written correspondence will be provided to complainant notifying of next step.

30 Days – If a case moves forward for investigation, the investigator will contact the complainant to discuss the allegations. A written correspondence will be sent reiterating what was discussed.

90 Days  – The investigator strives to complete the investigation within 90 days from the date the investigation was initiated or additional information received. 

A written correspondence will be sent to the complainant:

• When the case is closed.
• With a status update every 30 days while the case is under investigation.
• When further action is initiated on the case

You can check the status of a complaint against a condominium association through DBPR’s License Verification Tool here.

For step-by-step instructions on how to check the status of a complaint against a condominium association, access our Condominium Complaint Search User Guide here.

The complainant will be contacted to confirm the allegations that will be investigated and the investigator will provide a process checklist which outlines what stage the investigation is in and what to expect next.

The Division of Condominiums, Timeshares, and Mobile Homes has a team of investigators who review and analyze the complaint. The intake team will review the complaint for three things: 1) is the allegation jurisdictional; 2) is the allegation a violation; and 3) was documentation provided with the complaint. If it is determined that a case should proceed, the case is sent to a regional office for investigation.

The Division receives thousands of complaints each year, and each complaint may contain multiple allegations that warrant an investigation. The table below lists the number of condominium complaints received by the Division for the previous five complete fiscal years.

The Division of Condominiums, Timeshares, and Mobile Homes (CTMH)  strives to complete an investigation within 90 days of receipt by the division. Learn more about the complaints and investigations process here.

If evidence is provided to support an allegation that falls within the Division’s jurisdiction, the Division will investigate and refer the case and all supporting documentation to the office of general counsel for review to determine if a violation is found. If a violation is found, the Division typically takes a business-friendly approach by educating the association and requiring  corrective action. Oftentimes and for repeat violations, the Division may issue civil penalties against the association.

If evidence is provided to support an allegation related to criminal activity, the Division will refer the case and all supporting documentation to law enforcement for potential criminal prosecution.

If evidence is provided to support an allegation related to criminal activity, the Division will refer the case with documentation provided to law enforcement for potential criminal prosecution. If a legal violation is found, the Division proceeds with enforcement.

In accordance with s. 718.501(1)(v), F.S., the Division shall submit an annual report to the Governor, the President of the Florida Senate, the Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives, and the chairs of the legislative appropriations committees. .

Click here to review the Division’s past reports.

The SIRS requirements do not apply to buildings less than three stories in height; single-family, two-family, three-family, or four-family dwellings with three or fewer habitable stories above ground; any portion or component of a building that has not been submitted to the condominium form of ownership; or any portion or component of a building that is maintained by a party other than the association.

A residential condominium association must complete a SIRS for every building in the condominium that is three habitable stories or higher, as determined by the Florida Building Code.

Unit owner-controlled associations existing on or before July 1, 2022, must have a SIRS completed by December 31, 2025. A residential condominium must have a SIRS completed at least every 10 years after the condominium’s creation.

An association required to complete a MI on or before December 31, 2026, may complete the SIRS simultaneously with the milestone. However, under no circumstances may the SIRS be completed after December 31, 2026.

The date of existence is based on the date the certificate of occupancy was issued for the condominium by your local building department or enforcement agency.

The recommendation for reserves in each SIRS is determined by the professional who completes the SIRS. For items with a remaining useful life of 25 years or more, the SIRS may recommend that reserves may be maintained or may recommend deferred maintenance costs.

For budgets adopted on or after December 31, 2024, a majority of the association’s total voting interests is required to waive reserves or to use reserves for another purpose. However, associations that are subject to the SIRS requirements may not waive reserves for the SIRS items delineated in ss. 718.112(2)(g) and 719.106(1)(k), F.S., relating to condominium or cooperative associations, respectively, or to use such reserves for other purposes.

If an association votes to terminate the condominium in accordance with s. 718.117, F.S., the members may vote to waive the maintenance of reserves recommended by the most recent SIRS.

Additionally, under certain circumstances, the Division may approve an alternative funding method for multi-condominium associations pursuant to section 718.112(2)(f)(2)(a), Florida Statutes.

The Division will perform this review, which involves verifying whether the inspection was performed and whether it was performed by one of the licensed professionals detailed in statute. This review is not a substantive verification of the contents of the inspection report.

If your budget was adopted before December 31, 2024, you may vote to waive or provide less than the required SIRS reserves with a majority vote of the total voting interest of the association. You will need to begin funding your SIRS reserves in accordance with the reserve study January 1, 2026.

If your budget was  adopted on or after December 31, 2024, you may not waive your SIRS reserves and need to begin funding your SIRS reserves in accordance with the reserve study.

Unless the association meets the requirements to waive or pause reserves. If an association votes to terminate the condominium, the members may vote to waive the maintenance of reserves recommended by the most recent SIRS. If the local building official determines that the entire condominium or cooperative building is uninhabitable due to a natural emergency, the board may pause the contribution to its reserves or reduce reserve funding until the local building official determines the building is habitable.

If your budget was adopted before December 31, 2024, you may vote to waive or provide less than the required SIRS reserves with a majority vote of the total voting interest of the association. You will need to begin funding your SIRS reserves in accordance with the reserve study January 1, 2026.

If your budget was  adopted on or after December 31, 2024, you may not waive your SIRS reserves and need to begin funding your SIRS reserves in accordance with the reserve study.

Unless the association meets the requirements to waive or pause reserves. If an association votes to terminate the condominium, the members may vote to waive the maintenance of reserves recommended by the most recent SIRS. If the local building official determines that the entire condominium or cooperative building is uninhabitable due to a natural emergency, the board may pause the contribution to its reserves or reduce reserve funding until the local building official determines the building is habitable.

A SIRS must be reported to the Division by  electronically submitting the SIRS Reporting Form through their online account and within 45 days after the association receives the SIRS. Condominium associations are required to create an online account with the Division. For additional information on creating an online account, visit our website using the link below:

Create an Online Account

An association that is required to complete a MI in accordance with section 553.899, Florida Statutes, on or before December 31, 2026, may complete the SIRS simultaneously with the milestone inspection (MI). However, in no event may the SIRS be completed after December 31, 2026.

If the MI required by section 553.899, Florida Statutes, or an inspection completed for a similar local requirement, was performed within the past 5 years and meets the SIRS requirements, such inspection may be used in place of the visual inspection portion of the SIRS.

A MI is a structural inspection of the building, including the load-bearing elements.

A SIRS is based off a visual inspection of the items required in s. 718.112(2)(g), F.S. and is a budget planning tool that identifies components of a condominium that are the responsibility of the association to maintain and replace and includes a plan to fund future maintenance and repairs.

Any complaints against architects or engineers related to the failure to properly perform the MI or SIRS inspections must be submitted to the  Board of Architecture and Interior Design or the Florida Board of Professional Engineers, respectively. The Division of Florida Condominiums, Timeshares and Mobile Homes oversees the procedural requirements related to the SIRS and MI.

As an important note, DBPR’s Division of Professions regulates building code administrators, inspectors, plans examiners, and architects.  The Board of Professional Engineers regulates professional engineers in the State of Florida.

By requiring independent reserve studies, Florida law ensures each condominium is properly prepared to keep its occupants safe. In order to ensure flexibility for condominium associations, unless there is an immediate safety problem, the law does not require reserves to be fully funded at the completion of the reserve study.

The amount that needs to be reserved is calculated based on the estimated remaining useful life and estimated replacement cost of the item.

For example: If the cost required to replace the roof in 10 years is $100,000, the association is not required to have $100,000 immediately reserved for repairs. Instead, the association must reserve sufficient funds each year to have the required funding available at the time of anticipated repairs without the reserves falling below zero. The required reserve studies help Floridians living in a condominium to be aware of the condition of their building and provide a clear guideline for budgeting to ensure repairs can be completed when necessary.

For budgets adopted on or after December 31, 2024, a majority of the association’s total voting interests is required to waive reserves or to use reserves for another purpose.

However, associations that are subject to the Structural Integrity Reserve Study (SIRS) requirements may not waive reserves, or use the reserves for other purposes, for the required SIRS items – roof , structure including load-bearing walls and other primary structural systems, fireproofing and fire protection systems, plumbing, electrical systems, waterproofing and exterior painting, windows and exterior doors, and any other item that has a deferred maintenance expense or replacement cost that exceeds $25,000 and the failure to replace negatively affects the items listed above.

If an association votes to terminate the condominium, the members may vote to waive the maintenance of reserves recommended by the most recent SIRS.

If the local building official determines that the entire condominium or cooperative building is uninhabitable due to a natural emergency, the board may pause the contribution to its reserves or reduce reserve funding until the local building official determines the building is habitable.

For a budget adopted on or before December 21, 2028, if the association has completed a milestone inspection within the previous 2 calendar years, the board, upon the approval of a majority of the total voting interests, the association may temporarily pause reserve fund contributions for the purpose of funding repairs recommended by the milestone inspection (MI). Associations may not pause reserve funding for more than two consecutive annual budgets.

An association that has paused reserve contributions for the purpose of completing repairs recommended by a MI must have a Structural Integrity Reserve Study (SIRS) performed before the continuation of reserve contributions to determine the association’s needs and to recommend a reserve funding plan.

The SIRS will indicate which items needs to be reserved for and what the remaining useful life of each structural component is. The association should rely on the SIRS for guidance on how to fund each component.

Moreover, with respect to items for which an estimate of useful life is not readily ascertainable or that have an estimated remaining useful life of greater than 25 years, an association is not required to reserve replacement costs, but an association must reserve the amount of deferred maintenance expense, if any, that is recommended.

Yes. Beginning in 2026, the cost of replacement for items $25,000 or greater will require inflation to be factored into the baseline cost. The inflation estimate will be posted to the Division’s website.

Digital copies of the documents below are required to be posted by January 1, 2026:

1. The recorded declaration of condominium of each condominium operated by the association and each amendment to each declaration.
2. The recorded bylaws of the association and each amendment to the bylaws.
3. The articles of incorporation of the association, or other documents creating the association, and each amendment to the articles of incorporation or other documents. The copy posted pursuant to this sub-subparagraph must be a copy of the articles of incorporation filed with the Department of State.
4. The rules of the association.
5. The approved minutes of all board of administration meetings over the preceding 12 months.
6. The video recording or a hyperlink to the video recording for all meetings of the association, the board of administration, any committee, and the unit owners which are conducted by video conference over the preceding 12 months.
7. A list of all executory contracts or documents to which the association is a party or under which the association or the unit owners have an obligation or responsibility and, after bidding for the related materials, equipment, or services has closed, a list of bids received by the association within the past year. Summaries of bids for materials, equipment, or services which exceed $500 must be maintained on the website or application for 1 year. In lieu of summaries, complete copies of the bids may be posted.
8. The annual budget required by s. 718.112(2)(f) and any proposed budget to be considered at the annual meeting.
9. The financial report required by subsection (13) and any monthly income or expense statement to be considered at a meeting.
10. The certification of each director required by s. 718.112(2)(d)4.b.
11. All contracts or transactions between the association and any director, officer, corporation, firm, or association that is not an affiliated condominium association or any other entity in which an association director is also a director or officer and financially interested.
12. Any contract or document regarding a conflict of interest or possible conflict of interest as provided in ss. 468.4335, 468.436(2)(b)6., and 718.3027(3).
13. The notice of any unit owner meeting and the agenda for the meeting, as required by s. 718.112(2)(d)3., no later than 14 days before the meeting. The notice must be posted in plain view on the front page of the website or application, or on a separate subpage of the website or application labeled “Notices” which is conspicuously visible and linked from the front page. The association must also post on its website or application any document to be considered and voted on by the owners during the meeting or any document listed on the agenda at least 7 days before the meeting at which the document or the information within the document will be considered.
14. Notice of any board meeting, the agenda, and any other document required for the meeting as required by s. 718.112(2)(c), which must be posted no later than the date required for notice under s. 718.112(2)(c).
15. The inspection reports described in ss. 553.899 and 718.301(4)(p) and any other inspection report relating to a structural or life safety inspection of condominium property.
16. The association’s most recent structural integrity reserve study, if applicable.
17. Copies of all building permits issued for ongoing or planned construction.
18. A copy of all affidavits required by the Division.

Documents must be available on the association’s website or made available for download through an application on a mobile device within 30-days after the association receives or creates an official record.