Buying a Florida condo in 2026: milestone inspection, SIRS and special assessment questions to ask before you offer

October 29, 2026 · Zach Curtis, REALTOR®, Realty Hub

Since the 2021 Surfside collapse, Florida has added two building rules that now show up in almost every older condo sale: the milestone inspection of the structure and the structural integrity reserve study (SIRS). Together with special assessments, they explain why two similar units can have very different dues and prices. Here's what the law requires, what you're entitled to see, and the questions to ask before you make an offer.

The short version

• Milestone inspection: a structural inspection of condo buildings three habitable stories or taller, due by December 31 of the year the building turns 30 (25 where the local building department requires it), then every 10 years.
• SIRS: a study of the building's key components (roof, structure, fireproofing, plumbing, electrical, waterproofing, windows and doors) with a funding plan, required every 10 years for the same buildings. The reserves it calls for can't be waived.
• Special assessments: one-time or installment charges, often to pay for what those reports find. Ask whether one is approved, proposed or being discussed, and settle in the contract who pays it.
• Your documents: on a resale, the seller must give you the condo documents, including the milestone summary and the SIRS (or a statement that none was done), and you then have 7 days, not counting weekends and legal holidays, to cancel.

What's for sale right now, by building age

Live right now: condos for sale on zach.homes by the age of the building (6,053 listings in the cities below).

Live from active BeachesMLS listings on zach.homes, as of October 31, 2026. Age is this year minus the listing's year built, which can differ from the certificate of occupancy date the inspection rules use. Listings don't reliably state how many habitable stories a building has, so not every building counted here is covered by the milestone or SIRS rules. HOA medians use only listings that state an amount between $10 and $20,000 a month.

Search by city: Hallandale Beach condos, Hollywood condos, Aventura condos, Sunny Isles Beach condos, or Fort Lauderdale condos.

Milestone inspection: what it is and when it's due

Florida's milestone law covers buildings that are three habitable stories or more and are wholly or partly a residential condominium or cooperative. The owners (in practice, the association) must have a milestone inspection performed by December 31 of the year the building reaches 30 years of age, based on the date its certificate of occupancy was issued, and every 10 years after that. Buildings that were already 30 before July 1, 2022 had until December 31, 2024. The local building department may require it at 25 years based on local conditions, such as being close to salt water (§553.899, Florida Statutes).

Locally, Broward County's Building Safety Inspection Program starts at 25 years from the certificate of occupancy, then every 10 years, and Broward treats it as meeting the state milestone rule (Broward BORA Policy 05-05). Miami-Dade's recertification portal says buildings become subject at 30 years inland and 25 years for coastal buildings, then every 10 years (Miami-Dade recertification portal). Hallandale Beach, Hollywood, Dania Beach, Fort Lauderdale and Pembroke Pines are in Broward; Aventura and Sunny Isles Beach are in Miami-Dade.

How it works under the state law:

1. Phase one is a visual examination of the habitable and non-habitable areas by a Florida-licensed engineer or architect.
2. Phase two is required only if phase one finds substantial structural deterioration. It can include testing and a plan for repairs.
3. Owners get a summary. Within 45 days of receiving the report, the association must distribute the inspector-prepared summary to each unit owner, post it at the property, and publish it on the association's website if it is required to have one.
4. Repairs have a clock. Counties must require repairs flagged in a phase two report to begin within 365 days after the report is received.

SIRS: the reserve study behind many dues increases

A structural integrity reserve study is required every 10 years for condo buildings three habitable stories or taller. It looks at the roof, structure and load-bearing walls, fireproofing and fire protection, plumbing, electrical, waterproofing and exterior painting, windows and exterior doors, and other items over $25,000 (adjusted for inflation) whose failure would affect those components. It must be done by a licensed engineer or architect or a qualified reserve specialist, and it must include a baseline funding plan that keeps the reserve balance above zero (§718.112(2)(g), Florida Statutes).

Key dates and options in the 2026 statute:

• Associations that existed on or before July 1, 2022 had to complete their first SIRS by December 31, 2025. One with a milestone inspection due by December 31, 2026 may do both together, but no later than December 31, 2026.
• Reserves for the SIRS items can't be waived or reduced by an owner vote, apart from the milestone-repair pause below.
• An association that just finished a milestone inspection may delay its SIRS for up to two consecutive budget years to put money into the repairs.
• For budgets adopted on or before December 31, 2028, a majority of the total voting interests can pause or reduce reserve contributions for up to two consecutive annual budgets to pay for milestone repairs. A new SIRS is required before contributions resume.
• Reserves can be funded by regular assessments, special assessments, a line of credit or a loan; using a special assessment, line of credit or loan for this needs a majority of the total voting interests.

Why this matters to a buyer: a building that has its SIRS done and funded may have higher dues today but fewer surprises. A building that paused reserves, or hasn't done its SIRS, may be heading for a dues increase or an assessment. More on the rules in our Florida condo safety laws guide.

What the law says the seller must give you

On a resale by a unit owner (not the developer), the buyer is entitled, at the seller's expense, to current copies of the declaration, articles of incorporation, bylaws and rules, the most recent annual financial statement and annual budget, the inspector-prepared summary of the milestone inspection report if one applies, the most recent SIRS or a statement that none has been completed, the turnover inspection report if one applies, and the frequently asked questions document. The contract must include the statutory clause giving you 7 days, excluding Saturdays, Sundays and legal holidays, after you receive those documents to cancel, and that right ends at closing (§718.503(2), Florida Statutes).

Contracts must also say, in conspicuous type, whether the association is required to have a milestone inspection, turnover inspection report or SIRS and hasn't completed it. If that box says "not completed," ask why and when it will be.

Questions to ask before you offer

1. When was the certificate of occupancy issued, and when was or is the milestone inspection (or the county's 25- or 30-year inspection) due?
2. Did phase one find substantial structural deterioration? Is a phase two report done, and have repairs started?
3. Is the SIRS done? What does its funding plan say the association should collect each year, and is the current budget collecting it?
4. Has the board voted to pause or reduce reserve contributions, or to delay the SIRS?
5. Is any special assessment approved, proposed, or on a recent board or owners' meeting agenda? What is it for, what is the total per unit, and when are installments due?
6. Is the association borrowing or using a line of credit, and how will owners repay it?
7. What did the dues do over the last two budgets, and what does the proposed budget show?
8. What do the last 12 months of approved board minutes say about concrete, roof, windows, elevators or insurance?
9. Is the building's insurance renewing at a higher cost, and is flood coverage carried?
10. Are there open lawsuits involving the association?

Where to find the answers

• The association's website or app. Associations managing 25 or more units must post, among other things, the budget, the financial report, the approved minutes of board meetings for the past 12 months, the milestone and other structural inspection reports, the most recent SIRS and building permits for ongoing or planned construction (§718.111(12)(g), Florida Statutes). Some sections are for owners only, so ask the seller to share them.
• The estoppel certificate. Ordered during the closing, it lists what is owed on the unit, including any special assessments and what is scheduled to come due. More in who pays a special assessment when you buy or sell a Florida condo.
• Public lookups. The Miami-Dade recertification portal for Aventura and Sunny Isles Beach, the city building department for Broward buildings, and the state's condo filings through DBPR.

When to talk to a Florida real estate attorney

This post explains what the statutes say; it isn't legal advice. If a report shows phase two findings, the SIRS isn't done, an assessment is being discussed, or you're unsure what your contract's condominium rider says about assessments, talk to a Florida real estate attorney before your 7-day window or your inspection period ends. Zach can pull the documents together and point out what to ask about, but the legal reading belongs with an attorney.

How Zach helps with condo purchases

Zach requests the condo documents early, reads the milestone summary, SIRS and recent minutes with you, and asks the listing side about assessments in writing before you offer. If you're financing, the building's status can matter to the lender too, so start with the mortgage calculator and talk to your lender early. Related reading: South Florida condo rules: approval, pets, 55+ and assessments, Hallandale Beach condos under $300K and the Broward first-time buyer guide.

Published October 29, 2026 by Zach Curtis, REALTOR®, Realty Hub, license SL3664129. General information for South Florida, not legal, tax, insurance or lending advice. Laws, programs and prices change; check the official sources above, and ask a Florida attorney, CPA, insurance agent or lender about your situation. Listing numbers are asking prices and rents from BeachesMLS on the date shown. Equal Housing Opportunity. Zach Curtis and Realty Hub follow federal, Florida and Broward County fair housing law. Every listing is open to everyone. We never steer anyone by race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, familial status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other protected class.