Inspection Reveals Structural Concerns in Florida Condominiums

Phase Two Inspections Indicate Structural Issues

More than 2,500 condominium and cooperative buildings in Florida are set for Phase Two milestone inspections in 2024 and 2025. According to a report by the Florida Legislature’s Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability (OPPAGA), these buildings show signs of structural deterioration. In those years, officials identified 54 buildings as ‘unsafe or uninhabitable,’ with five evacuated.

Florida law mandates milestone inspections for aging condominium and cooperative buildings that are three stories or taller. If a visual inspection reveals substantial deterioration, a detailed Phase Two inspection is needed. Engineers assess structural conditions and recommend repairs during this process. The findings stem from data submitted by 71% of jurisdictions for 2024 and 64% for 2025.

Inspection Statistics by Year

In 2024, 8,777 buildings required Phase One inspections, with 6,952 completed. Most were in coastal areas, comprising 8,132 buildings. Of this number, 1,899 needed Phase Two inspections, with 1,301 completed. In 2025, 2,880 buildings needed Phase One inspections, with 1,784 completed. Phase Two inspections were required for 636 buildings, with 274 completed.

Across both years, officials completed 8,736 Phase One and 1,575 Phase Two inspections. This process identified 2,535 buildings for Phase Two review, reflecting inspectors’ finding of significant structural issues during initial assessments.

Regional Concerns in South Florida

Many buildings requiring further inspection are located in South Florida’s densely populated coastal counties, including Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach. These counties reported the highest counts for Phase Two evaluations, with numbers ranging from 218 to 543 in 2024 and 155 to 308 in 2025. The inspections highlight concerns in older coastal condominium structures built before recent inspection regulations were implemented after the Surfside collapse.

South Florida faces a housing affordability crisis, with approximately 90,000 affordable housing units being needed. Population and business growth, partly due to corporate relocations to regions like Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach counties, continues to challenge the local housing market.

Impact of the Surfside Collapse

The collapse of the Champlain Towers South condominium in Surfside on June 24, 2021, claimed 98 lives. It marked a significant structural failure in U.S. history and raised concerns about the state of aging condominium buildings, especially along Florida’s coast. Investigations revealed prolonged structural deterioration.

In response, Florida lawmakers revised condo-safety regulations, enforcing milestone inspections and stronger repair fund mandates. A federal investigation by the National Institute of Standards and Technology indicated the collapse began weeks prior, with structural failure at column-to-slab connections beneath the pool deck.

Legislative Efforts for Condo Safety and Financing

Lawmakers have reintroduced the Making Condos Safer and Affordable Act to aid condominium owners with repair costs. Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz and Representative María Elvira Salazar’s bipartisan bill aims to increase financing options for essential safety and rehab projects.

The proposal would broaden access to two HUD loan programs, enabling condo owners to leverage the FHA’s 203(k) loans for structural repairs. It also proposes expanded federal loan insurance for private lenders and simplifies the application process.

FHA-backed loans would cover a broader range of projects, including repairs, renovations, replacements, and infrastructure improvements within condominium developments.

Five years post-Surfside collapse, significant structural concerns persist in Florida’s aging buildings. The OPPAGA report indicates ongoing discoveries of structures needing attention.