SKN | Florida Condo Safety Inspections Reveal Structural Challenges Across Aging Buildings

A state review found substantial structural deterioration in 2,535 Florida condominium and cooperative buildings, with 29% of inspected properties requiring follow-up evaluations. Fifty-four condominium buildings across eight Florida counties were classified as unsafe or uninhabitable following milestone inspections, while five buildings were evacuated, including three in St. Lucie County.

The inspections are part of Florida’s post-Surfside condominium safety reforms, prompting hundreds of repair projects aimed at improving the long-term safety and resilience of older residential buildings.

Florida’s sweeping condominium inspection program is uncovering widespread structural issues in aging residential buildings as the state continues implementing reforms enacted after the 2021 Surfside condominium collapse.

A recent report from the Florida Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability (OPPAGA), an independent research agency serving the state Legislature, found that thousands of condominium buildings required additional structural evaluation after mandatory milestone inspections conducted between 2024 and 2025.

Nearly One-Third of Buildings Required Further Evaluation

Under Florida law, condominium and cooperative buildings that are at least 30 years old and three stories or taller must undergo milestone inspections to evaluate their structural condition. The legislation was adopted following the collapse of Champlain Towers South in Surfside, which claimed nearly 100 lives.

According to the report, 8,736 buildings completed their initial milestone inspections, with approximately 29% showing substantial structural deterioration that required more comprehensive engineering evaluations.

Statewide, inspectors identified structural deterioration in 2,535 condominium and cooperative buildings, highlighting the significant maintenance challenges facing Florida’s aging housing inventory.

Dozens of Buildings Deemed Unsafe

The report identified 54 condominium buildings across Bay, Brevard, Miami-Dade, Monroe, Orange, Osceola, Pinellas, and St. Lucie counties as unsafe or uninhabitable following inspections.

Only five buildings required evacuation after engineers determined that immediate safety concerns warranted removing residents from the properties.

Three of those evacuations occurred at the Villa Del Sol condominium complex in St. Lucie County, where approximately 11 residents were forced to leave after engineers documented severe foundation deterioration, rusted reinforcing steel, and crumbling concrete.

The remaining evacuations involved one building each in Pinellas County and Monroe County.

Coastal Buildings Face Greater Structural Exposure

The report found that structural deterioration was concentrated primarily in Florida’s coastal communities, where buildings are continuously exposed to saltwater, humidity, and harsh marine conditions.

Saltwater accelerates corrosion of reinforcing steel embedded within concrete structures. As steel corrodes, it expands, causing concrete to crack, separate, and weaken over time if maintenance and repairs are deferred.

Communities along Florida’s Atlantic and Gulf coasts therefore face higher long-term maintenance requirements than many inland developments.

Some Local Governments Challenge the Findings

Not every jurisdiction agreed with the report’s classification of unsafe buildings.

Officials in Aventura stated that none of the city’s condominium buildings were actually unsafe, arguing that several properties were counted because they had active repair permits during the recertification process rather than because they posed immediate safety risks.

Similarly, Osceola County officials reported that while several buildings required repairs, none required evacuation, and many had already completed corrective work by the time the report was published.

These responses highlight the distinction between buildings requiring significant repairs and those presenting immediate life-safety concerns.

Repair Costs Vary Widely

The milestone inspections have generated hundreds of structural repair projects across Florida.

According to the report, approximately 903 permit applications have been filed for recommended repairs, including concrete restoration, structural reinforcement, electrical upgrades, and other critical improvements.

Estimated repair costs range from less than $1,000 for relatively minor issues to as much as $30 million for extensive structural rehabilitation projects involving large condominium communities.

Those costs have contributed to higher condominium association assessments and reserve funding requirements throughout many older buildings across the state.

Industry Sees Progress

Despite the financial burden facing many condominium owners, industry organizations view the inspection program as an important investment in long-term public safety.

Community Associations Institute CEO Dawn Bauman said the inspections demonstrate that Florida’s condominium safety reforms are producing meaningful results by identifying problems before they become catastrophic failures.

The organization believes the state’s experience may serve as a model for other states with aging condominium housing stock considering similar inspection requirements.

Market Outlook

Florida’s milestone inspection program is reshaping the condominium market by increasing transparency regarding building conditions while encouraging associations to address deferred maintenance. Although inspections and repairs are contributing to higher ownership costs in many older communities, the reforms are expected to strengthen buyer confidence over the long term by improving structural safety, promoting responsible reserve funding, and reducing the risk of future building failures.