Ahead of Surfside condo collapse anniversary, Florida’s legislature approves inspection standards

Nearly a year after one of the worst building tragedies in United States history, the partial collapse of Champlain Towers South in Surfside, Fla., the state’s legislature has passed a bill requiring stricter inspection standards. It’s expected to be signed into state law by Gov. Ronald DeSantis.

The update significantly reduces the inspection timeline statewide for coastal properties, requiring inland condominiums taller than three stories in height to be inspected when they’re 30 years old and those within three miles of the coast at 25 years of age. Buildings would then have to be inspected every 10 years, with inspection records made available to buyers, renters and unit owners, a statement from the International Code Council says.

“I applaud the members of the Florida legislature for taking action to protect the families of Florida through these condo safety reforms,” said Daniella Levine Cava, mayor of Miami-Dade County. “These reforms in Tallahassee are a critical step in honoring the 98 lives lost in the tragic Surfside collapse, as our community works to ensure this type of tragedy never happens again.”

Another notable provision in the inspection standards measure, which was passed during a special legislative session Wednesday, is that condo associations won’t be able to waive the collection of reserve maintenance or repair funds after Dec. 31, 2024. The first milestone inspection of buildings occupied before July 1, 1992 must be completed on that same day, according to the code council.

The tragedy has reverberated across the nation. In the early morning hours of June 24, 2021, a section of the 12-story building collapsed. Ninety-eight people died. The condominium was in the middle of Miami-Dade County’s required 40-year structural review process, and while a $15 million repair program had been approved by residents, work hadn’t yet begun. At the time, the Florida county was one of only two in the nation to have such a law. In the wake of the tragedy,  a grand jury report proposed dozens of policy recommendations issued last December—some of which were reflected in the latest measure, which was approved in the state’s legislature May 25.

“We commend Florida for passing this legislation and emphasizing the critical importance of continued inspection and enforcement of modern building codes to keep buildings and their occupants safe and healthy,” said Dominic Sims, chief executive officer of the International Code Council. “Some jurisdictions in Florida are already in a good position to implement the milestones laid out in the Code Council’s inspection guide as well as the new legislation and we are here to help those that need it. This is an opportunity for other countries, states, and municipalities everywhere to see the steps that have been taken in the wake of this tragedy and make necessary changes to ensure safety for their own communities.”

Looking ahead, Sims said his organization organization “stands ready to advise and assist building departments with the resources needed to follow the requirements of this new law. … Tragedies like the Surfside building collapse underscore the importance of regular maintenance and inspections.”

To that end, the code council along with the National Institute of Building Sciences, the Building Owners and Managers International and the Building Officials of Florida “convened a group of experts in West Palm Beach to advise policymakers and create guidelines that could be used to help prevent future catastrophic building collapses.” From those discussions, the council created a guide specifically for Florida titled Ensuring the Safety of Existing Buildings in Florida. 

“It is based on the Florida Building Code and the International Building Code and outlines re-inspection requirements at specific milestones during a building’s lifespan. The guide was developed for use by building owners, building inspectors, code officials and building departments with recommendations for sound practices to ensure buildings are safe for continued use and occupancy,” the statement says.

Given the recent legislative measure updating the state’s inspection standards, the council intends to reissue Florida’s version to reflect the latest changes. A broader guide for communities across the nation looking to update their requirements will be released later this year. The guide will build on the International Property Maintenance Code, the statement says, which requires buildings to be maintained in good repair, structurally sound and in sanitary condition so as to not pose a threat to the public health, safety or welfare. 

Based on an analysis by the code council, roughly 20 percent of Florida jurisdictions have adopted the property maintenance code, which is updated every three years to stay current with building science, best practices and lessons learned. 

“Forty percent of Florida jurisdictions have no property maintenance code in place or have adopted a property maintenance code developed in the late 1970s. Roughly 3 percent of Florida jurisdictions have implemented a periodic recertification or inspection safety program for existing buildings,” the statements says.