Among more than 100 new laws that took effect Tuesday, two aim to ease financial and logistical burdens for Florida condo owners, particularly when it comes to making buildings more hurricane-resilient.

One of the major changes comes through House Bill 393, which updates the My Safe Florida Condo Pilot Program. Originally launched in the 2024–2025 state budget, the grant-based program helps condo associations pay for upgrades that improve storm resistance.

A key revision lowers the approval threshold for projects, from requiring consent from all unit owners to just 75% of residents living in the building. That change is already making a difference for communities like Land’s End in Treasure Island, one of the program’s early applicants.

“It was a problem before,” Greg Wickham, president of the Land’s End Community Association, told Bay News 9. “You don’t want one recalcitrant owner—or not being able to find someone to vote—holding everything up. Seventy-five percent makes a lot more sense.”

Wickham’s building is currently seeking a grant for a new roof. After an inspection in June, the condo association was notified they qualify. They’re now preparing to send out an electronic vote to residents in the coming weeks.

“We stalled a bit while trying to understand the exact rules,” Wickham said. “We wanted to be able to explain what residents would be voting on clearly.”

Even with qualification, the process takes time. Wickham estimates it could be six to twelve months before construction begins. Some buildings at Land’s End needing more urgent repairs opted to move forward without waiting for state funds.

“It’s kind of a chicken-and-egg situation,” he explained. “We can’t start until we’re formally approved. Then we have to front the money, complete the work, and submit documentation to get reimbursed. It’s not impossible—it just takes planning.”

HB 393 also narrows eligibility to buildings at least three stories tall with two or more units, and it now specifically includes roof coverings as a grantable improvement.

A second new law offers further relief to condo residents by rolling back and delaying some of the stricter regulations introduced after the 2021 Surfside condo collapse. While those reforms increased inspection requirements and reserve funding mandates, they also made it more expensive to own a unit. The new legislation gives condo boards more flexibility in how they manage reserves—easing financial pressure on homeowners.

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