by SC Reporter Emilie Alfino
The Florida Legislature, in response to the Surfside Condominium building collapse in June 2021, passed a law that requires milestone Inspections for condominium and cooperative buildings three stories and above that are 30 years of age, or 25 years of age if located within three miles of the coastline. These are structural inspections for safety.
Subsequently, in the 2025 Legislative session, lawmakers passed a bill that changed the statute from buildings three stories in height to buildings three HABITAL stories or more in height that must comply with milestone inspections.
“This is a change for the better for our residents,” said Building Director Craig Mole.
“This change is just in conformance with the statute,” explained City Attorney John Agnew. “Our ordinance just mirrors what’s in the state statute.”
The Sanibel City Council voted unanimously, 4-0, with Vice Mayor Holly Smith absent, to pass an ordinance revising Sanibel’s existing ordinance to conform to this change in statutory language.
Briefly, state law requires:
1. Structures that are 25 or 30 years old, depending on location, must complete milestone inspections within specified timelines.
2. Providing requirements for performing the milestone inspections.
3. Requires architects and engineers performing a milestone inspection to submit a sealed copy of the inspection report and a summary that includes specified findings and recommendations to certain entities.
4. Providing requirements for the inspection reports.
5. Requires condominium associations and cooperative associations to distribute and post a copy of each inspection report and summary in a specific manner.
6. Authorizes local enforcement agencies to prescribe penalties and timelines relating to milestone inspections.
7. Authorizes adoption of certain ordinances relating to repairs for substantial structural deterioration.
8. Requires local enforcement agencies to review and determine if a building is unsafe for human occupancy under certain circumstances.
A local enforcement agency may extend the due date of the milestone inspection upon showing good cause that the inspection cannot be completed in a timely manner if the owners have entered into a contract with an architect or engineer to perform the milestone inspection.
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