The HOA Health Checklist Every Miami Condo Buyer Needs

For decades, Florida condo buyers could get away with skimming the association documents and focusing on the unit. That era is over. The 2021 Surfside collapse triggered the most significant overhaul of Florida condominium law in a generation, and the practical effect is that a building's structural and financial health is now a front-line buying decision — not fine print. A beautiful unit in a tower with a deferred inspection or a hollowed-out reserve can come with a five- or six-figure special assessment you inherit on day one. This is the checklist that separates a sound building from an expensive one.

What Florida changed after Surfside

The legislature responded with reforms — commonly referenced under Senate Bill 4-D and follow-on legislation — that imposed two big new requirements on many condominium buildings, particularly those three stories and taller. The first is a mandatory milestone structural inspection performed by a licensed engineer or architect at a defined building age and on a recurring schedule thereafter. The second is a Structural Integrity Reserve Study, or SIRS, that evaluates the major structural and safety components of the building and dictates how much the association must set aside to maintain them. Critically, the reforms also curtailed the long-standing practice of waiving or underfunding reserves for those components. Translation: associations can no longer keep dues artificially low by ignoring the roof, the concrete and the waterproofing. Read the specifics against the current statute, since the law has been amended more than once.

The milestone inspection is the first thing to pull

Ask for the building's milestone inspection report and read both phases if a second was required. A clean Phase One inspection means the engineer found no significant deterioration requiring further evaluation. If the report moved to a Phase Two, that signals identified problems that need repair, and you want to know the scope, the cost estimate and whether the association has funded and scheduled the work. A building that has completed its milestone inspection and addressed any findings is in a far stronger position than one that is overdue or sitting on an unfunded repair list. The age and timing of the next required inspection matter too, because that future obligation is now yours as an owner.

Reserves and the SIRS are where the money lives

The Structural Integrity Reserve Study tells you what the building must save for and whether it is actually doing so. Pull the SIRS and the association's reserve schedule, then compare the recommended funding to the reserves actually on hand. A large gap between what the study says is needed and what the association has banked is a red flag — it usually means a future special assessment or a sharp dues increase is coming to close the shortfall. Fully funded reserves cost more in monthly dues today but protect you from a sudden capital call tomorrow. Underfunded reserves are not a discount; they are a deferred bill with your name on it.

The documents to read before you sign

Beyond the inspection and the SIRS, request and actually read the declaration of condominium and bylaws (which govern rentals, pets, alterations and assessments), several years of association financial statements and the current budget, the most recent reserve study, and the meeting minutes from the last year or two, where assessments and disputes surface first. Get the master insurance policy and confirm coverage and the wind and flood situation, because Florida insurance costs have moved sharply and feed directly into your dues. Finally, ask directly, in writing, about any pending or anticipated special assessments and any active litigation involving the association. A building suing its developer or contractor over construction defects, or defending a major claim, is a material fact you want before closing, not after.

Putting it together before you commit

Run the building through a simple frame: Is the milestone inspection done and clean, or overdue with unfunded repairs? Is the SIRS in place and are reserves funded close to what it recommends? Are there special assessments levied or looming? Is the insurance adequate and the litigation docket clear? A building that passes all four is worth a premium and will be easier to finance and resell. One that fails even one deserves a hard look at the real cost of ownership before you fall for the view. The reforms made this information available and, in many cases, mandatory to disclose — use it. When the documents raise questions, that is the moment to bring in counsel and an inspector rather than trusting a listing's gloss.