Condo inspection laws need amending to avoid catastrophe

The tragic collapse of the Champlain Towers South condo in Surfside in June 2021 was a defining moment for Florida. Ninety-eight people died, and the devastation rippled across communities throughout the nation.

In the wake of that terrible event, condo owners and condo associations began to examine their practices of building inspections, maintenance work and maintenance reserves. And widespread support for stricter regulations and transparency to ensure condo safety led to new state laws that will do a lot to prevent future catastrophic problems in condo buildings.

But as we approach the Dec. 31 deadline for the first round of inspections mandated by those laws (SB 4-D and SB 154), it is clear they have created their own set of problems, and the state needs to reassess its approach.