Gov. Ron DeSantis signed two wide-reaching bills Monday aimed at easing financial pressure on Florida condo owners and making buildings more storm-resilient, following backlash over costly regulations introduced after the 2021 Surfside collapse.

Speaking at a Clearwater restaurant, DeSantis said the legislation is designed to bring relief to homeowners facing steep fees due to increased inspection requirements. One of the new laws, House Bill 913, targets the high costs condo owners have shouldered since Surfside — a tragedy that claimed 98 lives and prompted sweeping reforms across the state.

“We all wanted to make sure a collapse never happened again,” said Sen. Ed Hooper (R-Palm Harbor). “We probably overreacted, and now it’s time to adjust. Elderly residents were losing their homes because they couldn’t afford the rising HOA fees. That’s just wrong.”

HB 913 will delay the deadline for costly structural integrity reserve studies and allow condo associations to secure credit lines or invest reserve funds to cover repair costs, rather than passing those expenses directly onto residents. It also clarifies the roles and responsibilities of condo associations, aiming to increase transparency.

Melanie Griffin, secretary of Florida’s Department of Business and Professional Regulation, said the bill will protect homeowners from “sudden and burdensome fee assessments” and help more Floridians remain in their homes.

The 191-page bill also mandates that condo association managers provide more detailed licensing information online to boost public oversight.

The reforms come just weeks after a Clearwater Beach condo was evacuated due to structural concerns involving a damaged support pillar.

DeSantis also signed House Bill 393, which strengthens the state’s hurricane mitigation efforts by expanding the My Safe Florida Condo pilot program. The program offers financial assistance for storm-hardening upgrades, though eligibility requires buildings to be at least three stories tall and approval from 75% of unit owners.

Both laws take effect July 1.

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