Florida’s Condo Safety Crisis
More than a year after the devastating collapse of the Champlain Towers South in Surfside, Florida—a tragedy that claimed 98 lives—state lawmakers have failed to take meaningful action to prevent a similar disaster. Despite public outrage, a flurry of investigations, and promises of reform, Florida’s legislature adjourned without passing any new condo safety regulations. Meanwhile, aging buildings continue to deteriorate, and more than a million Floridians are left living in increasingly vulnerable structures.
Florida is home to over 1.5 million condominium units, with nearly a million of them over 30 years old. Yet, state leadership has not implemented any uniform, statewide regulations to ensure the safety of these aging structures. The void in legislative action is drawing criticism from residents, safety advocates, and even local officials, who say the state is dragging its feet on a matter of life and death.
At the site where Champlain Towers once stood, there is now just a large, empty hole in the ground—a stark reminder of the lives lost and the urgent need for change. Martin Landesfeld, whose sister and brother-in-law perished in the collapse, recently returned to Surfside to call for reforms. “One year later,” he said solemnly, “the new question is, when will the next building collapse?”
In the wake of the tragedy, a number of investigations were launched. A federal probe is still underway to determine the cause of the collapse. A grand jury issued a series of recommendations, and local task forces outlined strategies for preventing future structural failures. Miami-Dade County has responded by moving toward more stringent safety requirements, including reducing the timeline for building recertification from 40 years to 30. However, these are local measures that do not apply to the rest of the state, and advocates say that only the legislature can enforce widespread reforms.
The Republican-controlled Florida Legislature did consider bills that would mandate safety inspections and require condo associations to maintain adequate financial reserves for repairs. But despite bipartisan concern, the session ended without any new laws being passed. Critics, including Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz, blame Governor Ron DeSantis for failing to lead on the issue.
“Governor DeSantis needs to lead,” she said. “He needs to get involved in getting this critical issue across the finish line.”
DeSantis, for his part, has pushed back on claims of inaction, stating that he was open to signing a bill if lawmakers had sent him one. But critics note that the governor has devoted significant attention to other issues—like education policy, redistricting, and disputes with Disney—while giving little visible support to condo safety reform.
Even without state laws in place, pressure is mounting from another direction: the insurance industry. As a direct response to the Surfside tragedy, insurers are tightening their requirements. Many now demand that buildings over 15 years old undergo structural inspections before policies are renewed. And along with those new requirements come steep rate hikes.
Kyle Ulrich, head of the Florida Association of Insurance Agents, says some condo associations have seen their insurance premiums double. “Almost all associations are getting rate increases at this moment,” Ulrich explained. “I’ve heard from members that they’ve been delivering rate increases upwards of 100%.”
These increases are being felt most acutely by retirees and others on fixed incomes. As insurance companies demand repairs and maintenance be completed before issuing or renewing policies, associations are forced to assess unit owners to cover these costs. In many cases, residents are being asked to pay thousands—or even tens of thousands—of dollars for work that should have been done years ago.
Fausto Gomez, who heads a coalition of condo associations in Key Biscayne, says he was shocked that lawmakers failed to act, especially given the public visibility of the issue. “I was surprised that nothing happened, yes,” he said. “I was very surprised simply for the optics of it.”
Gomez lives on the top floor of a seven-story building with views of downtown Miami and Biscayne Bay. His building, though only 20 years old, is already undergoing structural recertification—not because the state requires it, but because residents demanded it and insurance companies increasingly require it for coverage.
While the private sector pushes for improvements, the political outlook remains grim. Key legislative leaders have already signaled that the upcoming 2025 session is unlikely to offer financial relief for condo owners. House Speaker Daniel Perez, R-Miami, said flatly that taxpayers shouldn’t expect to fund private building repairs.
“I look at a condominium the same way I look at a residential home. It’s private property,” Perez said at a recent legislative event. “Bailing them out with taxpayer dollars is not something that I’m open to.”
Rep. Vicki Lopez, also a Miami Republican and a condo resident herself, echoed his sentiments. She chairs the House State Administration Budget Subcommittee and says new legislation will be introduced soon—but without any form of direct financial assistance.
This position leaves condo owners in a difficult position: responsible for the costs of deferred maintenance and structural repairs, with little help from the state. For many, this could mean choosing between financial hardship or continuing to live in buildings that may be structurally unsound.
As Florida continues to grapple with the legacy of the Surfside collapse, one thing is clear: the longer lawmakers delay action, the more likely it becomes that history could repeat itself. And the next tragedy may come not as a surprise, but as the inevitable result of political inaction.
