Florida Condo Law 2026: Milestone Inspections, SIRS & Special Assessments in Broward and Palm Beach

Market figures below are from the latest MIAMI Realtors reports (August 2026, released September 2026). Most associations were supposed to finish their reserve studies by December 31, 2025, and the last extension runs out December 31, 2026, so if you own or are shopping for a condo, now is the time to pay attention.

Florida's Condo Law Is Still Reshaping Broward and Palm Beach Condos in 2026

If you own a condo in an older South Florida building, you have probably felt it: higher HOA fees, a letter about a special assessment, or a board meeting that turned into a long night. If you are shopping for a condo in Broward or Palm Beach County, you are seeing the other side of it: more listings, longer days on market, and sellers who are willing to talk.

Almost all of it traces back to one law. After the Champlain Towers South collapse in Surfside in June 2021, which killed 98 people, Florida passed Senate Bill 4-D in May 2022. The goal was simple: make sure buildings are inspected, repairs are funded, and buyers know what they are walking into. Four years later, the law is working as intended. It is also changing how I advise every condo buyer and seller I work with.

What SB 4-D Requires (In Plain English)

For condo buildings three stories or taller, the law boils down to three things:

• Milestone structural inspections. Buildings three habitable stories or taller need an inspection by a licensed engineer or architect at 30 years old and every 10 years after that (at 25 years where the local building official decides local conditions call for it). Phase 1 is a visual review. If problems show up, Phase 2 digs deeper. Buildings that turned 30 before July 1, 2022 had to finish by December 31, 2024, and buildings that turned 30 between July 2022 and the end of 2024 had until December 31, 2025.
• Structural Integrity Reserve Studies (SIRS). A detailed look at what it will cost to maintain the roof, structure, and other key parts of the building. Owner-controlled associations that existed by July 1, 2022 had to finish one by December 31, 2025. Buildings doing a milestone inspection due by the end of 2026 can do both together, but the SIRS still has to be done by December 31, 2026. After that, a new study is due at least every 10 years.
• Fully funded reserves. For budgets adopted on or after December 31, 2024, associations that need a SIRS can no longer vote to waive or cut reserve contributions for the items in the study. A 2025 law (HB 913) added a little breathing room, like letting some buildings pause reserve funding for up to two budgets right after a milestone inspection, and allowing loans or lines of credit to fund reserves. Buildings that ran on thin reserves for decades now have to catch up through higher monthly fees, special assessments, or both.

Associations also have to share inspection results, reserve status, and known structural issues with buyers. That makes the condo document review period one of the most important steps in the whole purchase.

Special Assessments and HOA Fees: The Real Cost

This is where owners feel it most. Reports from early 2026 found that about 40% of Florida condo owners had faced a special assessment in the prior three years. In Miami-Dade high-rises, monthly HOA fees rose by close to $500 in 2025, with insurance alone averaging $377 a month.

Closer to home, owners at The Summit on Hollywood Beach, two 25-story towers built in 1982, were hit with a $56 million assessment, close to $99,000 per unit on average. That is roughly 16% of the average unit's sale price. Buildings in Fort Lauderdale, Pompano Beach, Deerfield Beach, Boca Raton, and Delray Beach are working through the same math.

What It Is Doing to the Broward and Palm Beach Condo Market

As of August 2026, Broward County had 9.9 months of condo inventory, still a buyer's market. Single-family homes, by comparison, sat at 4.1 months. Palm Beach County condos were tighter at 6.7 months, which counts as balanced, versus 3.5 months for single-family homes. Condo listings are down from a year ago in both counties (about 15% in Broward and 17% in Palm Beach), so the glut is slowly shrinking.

Prices have steadied after a rough spring. The Broward condo median was $257,500 in August 2026, up about 4% from a year earlier, and Palm Beach County's condo median hit $300,000, up about 5%. But sales are still soft: Broward condo sales fell about 9% year over year in August and Palm Beach condo sales fell about 7%. Earlier this year the market also split by building age, with sales in buildings under 25 years old holding up while sales in older buildings fell.

Here is why. A $300,000 condo in a 1985 building with $1,800 a month in fees, a pending assessment, and open inspection items is a very different purchase from a $375,000 unit in a 2010 building with $600 fees and full reserves. Buyers now look at the total cost of owning, not just the list price.

Buying a Condo in South Florida? Your Checklist

There are real opportunities right now, especially in older buildings that have done the work. Before you make an offer, get clear answers to these questions:

1. Has the building completed its milestone inspection? What did Phase 1 find, and was Phase 2 required?
2. Is the SIRS done, and how close are reserves to the recommended level?
3. Are there any current or expected special assessments?
4. What are the monthly HOA fees today, and how much have they gone up in the last two years?
5. What does the master insurance policy cost, and when does it renew?

A building with clean inspections, funded reserves, and reasonable fees is worth paying more for. A building that cannot answer these questions clearly is telling you something. New construction and buildings under 25 years old in Boca Raton, Delray Beach, and Fort Lauderdale have held value better for exactly this reason.

Selling a Condo? Lead With the Paperwork

Today's condo buyers are informed, often paying cash, and looking for value. If your building has a clean inspection and funded reserves, put that front and center in your marketing. It sets you apart from the building next door. If your building has open issues, price for them up front. Deals that hit surprises during the document review tend to fall apart, and that costs you time and leverage.

What About HB 913?

In 2025 the Legislature passed House Bill 913, which gave condo boards some extra flexibility on certain deadlines and limited short-term reserve relief. It helped, but it did not change the core rules. Milestone inspections are still required, reserves still have to be funded, and Broward's and Miami-Dade's 40-year recertification programs still apply on top of the state rules.

Is the Worst Over?

Condo inventory has now dropped year over year for seven straight months in both counties. Buildings that have finished inspections and funded reserves are on solid footing. The remaining risk sits with buildings that are late on their studies or still working through the repairs those studies found. As those resolve, I expect the gap between older and newer condos to narrow.

For buyers, this is one of the best windows in years to negotiate, as long as you do your homework. For sellers, the right pricing and full transparency still get condos sold.

Thinking About Buying or Selling a Condo in Broward or Palm Beach?

I help buyers read condo documents, compare buildings on true cost of ownership, and find the ones worth owning. If you are selling, I can show you how buyers will look at your building and how to price it to sell. Call or text me at (561) 289-9305 or email chris@homesbycusi.com.

Chris Cusimano, Team Lead, Homes by Cusi, Keller Williams Realty

Sources: MIAMI Realtors August 2026 Broward and Palm Beach market reports; Florida DBPR condo inspection and SIRS guidance; Florida Realtors SunStats; WLRN South Florida condo market coverage (January 2026); Redfin HOA fee data; The Friendly Scoop, "The Condo Reckoning" (thefriendlyscoop.com/news/condo-reckoning-sb4d).