DeSantis signs two condo bills that should provide owners with financial relief
By Clara Rokita Garcia
June 24, 2025 at 5:05 AM EDT
Gov. Ron DeSantis said the new laws will bring relief to residents who advocated for them. But there might need to be some “clean-up” when the legislature meets next year.
Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a pair of bills on Monday that should reform condo associations' policies and provide condo owners with some long-awaited financial relief.
House Bill 913: Condominium and Cooperative Associations and House Bill 393: My Safe Florida Condominium Pilot Program will take effect July 1.
The bills came in response to legislation that followed a deadly condo collapse in Surfside in 2021. Because those previous laws required condo associations to have funds for mandatory inspections, association fees for some Florida condo owners skyrocketed.
Speaking at Monday’s signing event in Clearwater, Sen. Ed Hooper, R-Palm Harbor, said that lawmakers hoped those inspection requirements would ensure there would never be another similar collapse.
But, he said, they “probably” overreacted and needed to make a change.
“People were losing their homes. Elderly people are losing their condos because they could not afford to make the increase in their monthly fees. That's just wrong,” Hooper said.
Hooper added that DeSantis had been passionate about condo reform before the legislature took action.
DeSantis said he started talking about the condo bills last year and asked for a special session in January — but the bills were not taken up.
“I know a lot of people were very disappointed in the leadership, particularly in the House of Representatives, for not being willing to address it at that time,” he said.
ALSO READ: Floridians share the impacts of the state's condo crisis
DeSantis said the new laws will bring relief to residents who advocated for them.
“A lot of you spoke out about it, and it made an impact,” he said. “Because I think if there wasn't public input, I don't think that this would have ended up passing.”
DeSantis said he pushed for the bills because some things are just “obviously” good for the state.
He also mentioned a lot of senators from south Florida were interested in the reform because many of them own condo units, and that's just “the nature of it.”
How the bills work
HB 913 will make changes to the regulation of condos and cooperatives. This means an increase in accountability and transparency for condo associations and other leadership.
The bill will also empower condo owners to be more involved in the decision-making of their associations.
It will also prohibit condo association managers whose licenses have been revoked from holding any role in a management firm or being licensed for 10 years.
DeSantis said there are always going to be problems in any entity or organization. But accountability is essential to make sure issues are addressed.
The bill also promotes financial transparency by requiring unit owners to have access to their association's financial records.
Condo owners will also receive financial relief through the new bill, he said.
“Clearly, one of the things that we were looking at as very important was affordability,” he said. “People need to be able to afford to live in these units.”
Based on feedback and input from condo owners, HB 393 will make improvements to the My Safe Florida Condo Pilot Program.
The program makes condo associations and condo owners eligible for grants to be able to make improvements to their buildings and individual units that will promote resilience against extreme weather events, he said.
“We've obviously seen here in the Tampa Bay area the impacts of both hurricanes Helene and Milton,” he said. “When you do have those protections, when you do have those [improvements], it makes a difference.”
DeSantis said a lot of people signed up for the program, were approved and received grants to rebuild their properties — but there is now no money left.
Enough money will be allocated to the program in the budget for fiscal 2025-26 until people are off the waiting list, he said.
“They've already been promised these grants. All you had to do was get the money out,” DeSantis said. “I just don't know how much of that is going to be able to realistically be accomplished.”
DeSantis said there might need to be some “clean-up” on the bills when the legislature meets next year.
“People are dependent on us to get it done. So I'm really glad that that sentiment prevailed,” he said. “But I do think that this is something that the folks that are concerned about the issue really did make a positive difference on. So thank you for making your voice heard.”
House Bill 913: Condominium and Cooperative Associations and House Bill 393: My Safe Florida Condominium Pilot Program will take effect July 1.
The bills came in response to legislation that followed a deadly condo collapse in Surfside in 2021. Because those previous laws required condo associations to have funds for mandatory inspections, association fees for some Florida condo owners skyrocketed.
Speaking at Monday’s signing event in Clearwater, Sen. Ed Hooper, R-Palm Harbor, said that lawmakers hoped those inspection requirements would ensure there would never be another similar collapse.
But, he said, they “probably” overreacted and needed to make a change.
“People were losing their homes. Elderly people are losing their condos because they could not afford to make the increase in their monthly fees. That's just wrong,” Hooper said.
Hooper added that DeSantis had been passionate about condo reform before the legislature took action.
DeSantis said he started talking about the condo bills last year and asked for a special session in January — but the bills were not taken up.
“I know a lot of people were very disappointed in the leadership, particularly in the House of Representatives, for not being willing to address it at that time,” he said.
ALSO READ: Floridians share the impacts of the state's condo crisis
DeSantis said the new laws will bring relief to residents who advocated for them.
“A lot of you spoke out about it, and it made an impact,” he said. “Because I think if there wasn't public input, I don't think that this would have ended up passing.”
DeSantis said he pushed for the bills because some things are just “obviously” good for the state.
He also mentioned a lot of senators from south Florida were interested in the reform because many of them own condo units, and that's just “the nature of it.”
How the bills work
HB 913 will make changes to the regulation of condos and cooperatives. This means an increase in accountability and transparency for condo associations and other leadership.
The bill will also empower condo owners to be more involved in the decision-making of their associations.
It will also prohibit condo association managers whose licenses have been revoked from holding any role in a management firm or being licensed for 10 years.
DeSantis said there are always going to be problems in any entity or organization. But accountability is essential to make sure issues are addressed.
The bill also promotes financial transparency by requiring unit owners to have access to their association's financial records.
Condo owners will also receive financial relief through the new bill, he said.
“Clearly, one of the things that we were looking at as very important was affordability,” he said. “People need to be able to afford to live in these units.”
Based on feedback and input from condo owners, HB 393 will make improvements to the My Safe Florida Condo Pilot Program.
The program makes condo associations and condo owners eligible for grants to be able to make improvements to their buildings and individual units that will promote resilience against extreme weather events, he said.
“We've obviously seen here in the Tampa Bay area the impacts of both hurricanes Helene and Milton,” he said. “When you do have those protections, when you do have those [improvements], it makes a difference.”
DeSantis said a lot of people signed up for the program, were approved and received grants to rebuild their properties — but there is now no money left.
Enough money will be allocated to the program in the budget for fiscal 2025-26 until people are off the waiting list, he said.
“They've already been promised these grants. All you had to do was get the money out,” DeSantis said. “I just don't know how much of that is going to be able to realistically be accomplished.”
DeSantis said there might need to be some “clean-up” on the bills when the legislature meets next year.
“People are dependent on us to get it done. So I'm really glad that that sentiment prevailed,” he said. “But I do think that this is something that the folks that are concerned about the issue really did make a positive difference on. So thank you for making your voice heard.”