When is a milestone inspection required in Florida?

For condo and co-op buildings three or more habitable stories tall, by December 31 of the year the building turns 30, and every 10 years after. A local building department may require it at 25 years.

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Buying a Florida condo after Surfside: inspections, reserves and your 7 days

Q: How long do I have to cancel a Florida condo resale contract?

Since July 1, 2025, a resale condo buyer can cancel within 7 days, excluding Saturdays, Sundays and legal holidays, after signing the contract and receiving the required documents. The right ends at closing.

Since the 2021 Surfside collapse, Florida has rewritten its condo safety rules. For buyers, the new rules surface inspections and reserve studies that used to stay with the association. They can also mean large assessments.

Last reviewed October 5, 2026 · Written for Florida home buyers and buyer's agents

Milestone inspections

Required for condo and co-op buildings three or more habitable stories tall (s. 553.899).
Due by December 31 of the year the building turns 30, then every 10 years. A local building department may require it at 25 years based on local conditions, such as closeness to salt water.
Phase one is a visual inspection by an engineer or architect. Phase two is required only if they find substantial structural deterioration.
The association must send owners the inspector's summary within 45 days.

Structural integrity reserve studies (SIRS)

Required for buildings three stories or higher, at least every 10 years (s. 718.112).
Associations that existed by July 1, 2022 had to complete theirs by December 31, 2025. Where the milestone inspection is due by the end of 2026, the two may be done together, but no SIRS may be completed later than December 31, 2026.

Reserves can no longer be waived

For budgets adopted on or after December 31, 2024, owners can't vote to waive or reduce reserves for the items a SIRS covers. A 2025 law (HB 913) added some flexibility:

funding through special assessments, lines of credit or loans;
a pause of up to two annual budgets, with majority owner approval, after a recent milestone inspection;
baseline funding plans.

Why this matters to a buyer: buildings that underfunded reserves for years now have to catch up. That often arrives as a special assessment, sometimes already approved before the sale. Ask who pays an approved assessment that falls due after closing.

What a resale buyer must receive

Under s. 718.503(2), the buyer of a resale condo must receive:

the declaration, articles, bylaws and rules;
the latest annual financial statement and budget;
the FAQ sheet and a governance form;
the milestone inspection summary, if one applies;
the most recent SIRS, or a statement that none has been done;
the turnover inspection report, where applicable.

The 7-day window

A resale buyer can cancel the contract within 7 days, not counting Saturdays, Sundays and legal holidays, after signing and receiving these documents. The window was 3 days until July 1, 2025. The right ends at closing. Buyers of new units from a developer have 15 days.

Questions to ask the association before the offer

Has the milestone inspection been done? Did it go to phase two?
Is the SIRS complete, and is the budget funding it in full?
Are any special assessments approved or planned? How much, and when are they due?
Has the association taken out a loan or line of credit for repairs?
What has happened to the building's insurance cost over the last two years?

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Sources

This guide explains Florida law and public records in plain English. It is not legal, tax or insurance advice, and laws change. Check important details with the county property appraiser, the tax collector or a Florida attorney.