On June 24, 2021, the Champlain Towers South building collapsed in Surfside, Florida, killing 98 people.
In the four years since, the condo industry in Florida has undergone significant changes, including increased costs for owners, buyouts, new inspection reports, and legislation.
TCPalm this year conducted an extensive analysis of hundreds of milestone inspection reports — obtained through public-records requests to county building departments — that revealed “substantial structural deterioration” was found in condominium communities across the Treasure Coast: one in Indian River County, 11 in St. Lucie County and six in Martin County.
Here’s what to know about the condo industry in Florida.
What is a milestone inspection report?
Milestone inspection reports were introduced by the Legislature in response to the deadly collapse of Champlain Tower South in Surfside that killed 98 people in 2021.
These reports are now legally required for residential and commercial buildings over three stories tall and over 30 years old as a result of state law SB 4-D.
That law was passed in 2022 and outlines these timelines for inspections:
Milestone inspections are structural inspections of a building conducted by a licensed architect or engineer authorized to practice in Florida.
These inspections are conducted for the purpose of ensuring the safety and adequacy of the building’s structural components and to determine if there’s any substantial structural deterioration, which negatively affects a building’s general structural condition and integrity, according to Florida statute.
Exemptions for milestone inspections exist for these structures with three or fewer habitable stories above ground:
Florida condo laws
Gov. Ron DeSantis signed two bills into law on June 23, 2025, aimed at alleviating the deadline and fiscal burdens on condo owners. The bills, HB 913 and HB 393, include provisions that extend the requirement for a reserve study for one year and allow for a two-year pause in paying into reserves to prioritize critical repairs.
The bills also give more power to condominium association boards to fire managers who don’t adhere to state laws, require associations to provide more information and records online, allow for increased video conferencing and electronic voting, and give associations more time to complete financial reports.
What was the cause of the Surfside condo collapse?
Investigators with the National Institute of Standards and Technology are still piecing together what happened when the 40-year-old building crumbled. Still, evidence suggests that shoddy construction and design problems, particularly in the pool deck area, compromised the structure, where the collapse is believed to have originated, the Palm Beach Post reported.
Gianna Montesano is TCPalm’s trending reporter. You can contact her at gianna.montesano@tcpalm.com, 772-409-1429, or follow her on X @gonthescene.
This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Here’s how the Florida condo industry has changed 4 years after Surfside condo collapse
Reporting by Gianna Montesano and Kimberly Miller, Treasure Coast Newspapers / Treasure Coast Newspapers
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
