BILL SUMMARY DETAILS

Florida League of Cities

Condominium and Cooperative Associations Building Safety (Watch) – PENDING 

CS/HB 7069 (Pandemics & Public Emergencies Committee) does the following:

•Creates a statewide structural inspection program for aging multifamily residential buildings

•Defines the term "milestone inspection" to mean a structural inspection of a building by a licensed architect or engineer authorized to practice in this state for the purposes of attesting to the life safety and adequacy of the structural components

•Makes known that the cost associated with the inspections are the responsibility of the condominium owner or association

•Requires multifamily residential buildings that are greater than three stories in height to have a milestone inspection performed by December 31 of the year in which the building reaches 30 years of age and every 10 years thereafter

•Requires multifamily residential buildings located within 3 miles of a coastline and are greater than three stories in height to have a milestone inspection performed by December 31 of the year in which the building reaches 25 years of age and every 10 years thereafter

•Requires local enforcement agencies to provide certain written notice to condominium associations and cooperative

•Requires the condominium association to complete the milestone inspection report within 180 days after receiving written notice

•Requires any multifamily residential building whose certificate of occupancy was issued on or before July 1, 1992, to have their initial milestone inspection performed before December 31, 2024

•Requires the architect or engineer who performed the inspection to submit a sealed copy of the report to each condominium unit owner and to the building official of the local government of jurisdiction

•Allows the local enforcement agency the ability to prescribe timelines and penalties with respect to compliance with the above section

•Allows a board of County Commissioners to adopt an ordinance specifying when repairs must commence. If the association fails to commence repairs within 365 days, the local enforcement agency must review and determine if the building is unsafe for human occupancy 

•Requires the Florida Building Commission to develop comprehensive structural and life safety standards for maintaining and inspecting all building types and structures by December 31, 2022. 

CS/HB 7069 passed the Senate (38-0) and is awaiting action by the House. (Branch)