On Tuesday, Gov. Ron DeSantis said he would soon sign a bill that changes the Mansion Safety Act, passed after the 2021 collapse of Champlain Towers Southville, Surfside, which killed 98 people.
The broad bill (HB 913) unanimously approved by the House and Senate has not been formally sent to DeSantis. The change comes after residents and associations argued that laws passed in recent years were increasing costs. “
DeSantis said Tuesday when he appeared in Tampa on Tuesday.
The law passed in 2022 and tweaked in 2023 required “milestone inspections” and “preliminary structural integrity investigations” of older buildings, including whether or not they needed to save money for major future repairs.
Milestone inspections are expected to be completed by the end of 2024 for certain older buildings with three or more stories. Some condo associations have hit owners with large ratings at the race to comply with deadlines. The rating is added to the homeowner’s regular association fees.
The law, which comes into effect on July 1, will extend the deadline for structural integration research, which currently must be completed by December 31st, by one year.
The bill also allows a temporary suspension of reserve funds for two years immediately following milestone inspections, giving condo associations more flexibility to meet the reserve requirements.
