Condominium Law: How Florida Must Continue to Adapt in the Wake of the Champlain Towers South Collapse

Condominiums represent a large portion of the housing inventory throughout the state of Florida. However, until recently, the maintenance of condominium buildings was left largely unregulated in most areas of the state. Only two counties, Broward and Miami-Dade, had inspection protocols in place, but each was limited in scope and allowed for long periods between inspections. Beyond those regulations, Florida law also gave residents the power to waive reserves even for the most important building components. After the tragic events that took place at Champlain Towers South, the state of Florida made great strides in improving the existing procedures by mandating inspections statewide and by decreasing the time permitted between inspections. The state also restricted the ability to underfund reserves for certain building elements. This Article analyzes the recent changes, where there is still room for improvement, and the shortcomings of the solutions offered here