# Miami Condo Special Assessments, Milestone Inspections and SIRS: A Buyer's Guide Published: 2026-08-26 · Updated: 2026-10-22 · Author: Jeremías Kastensmidt _Florida's milestone inspections and structural integrity reserve studies, as amended by HB 913, and the special assessments they trigger: what Miami condo buyers should check before signing._ After the 2021 Surfside collapse, Florida made two things mandatory for condo buildings three habitable stories or taller: a structural milestone inspection at 30 years and every 10 years after, and a structural integrity reserve study (SIRS) whose reserves can no longer be waived. Both push money onto owners through higher dues or special assessments, so they are the first thing to check before buying a Miami condo. This guide reflects the law as amended by HB 913 in 2025, as of October 2026. ## Milestone inspections: when they are due Under section 553.899 of the Florida Statutes, a condo or co-op building of three or more habitable stories needs a milestone inspection by December 31 of the year it turns 30, counted from its certificate of occupancy, and every 10 years after that. A local building department may move the first inspection to 25 years when local conditions such as proximity to salt water justify it. The inspection has two phases. Phase one is a visual review by a licensed engineer or architect. Phase two, with testing, is required only if phase one finds substantial structural deterioration. Buildings that reached 30 before July 1, 2022 had to complete their first inspection by December 31, 2024. In Miami-Dade the state rule sits on top of the county's own building recertification, which the county has moved from 40 to 30 years and which its building officials describe as stricter than the state's milestone rule. A Miami condo can therefore owe both. ## Structural integrity reserve studies A SIRS lists the components that keep a building standing and dry, including the roof, structure, fireproofing, plumbing, electrical, waterproofing, windows and exterior doors, and sets the reserves needed to repair or replace them. Key points after HB 913: - **No more waivers.** For budgets adopted on or after December 31, 2024, owners can no longer vote to waive or reduce the reserves a SIRS requires. - **Deadline.** The completion deadline was extended to December 31, 2025, so every covered building should now have one. A SIRS is redone every 10 years. - **More ways to pay.** With owner approval, associations can fund required reserves or repairs through special assessments, loans or lines of credit, not only monthly dues. - **A temporary pause.** After a milestone inspection, an association can pause reserve contributions for up to two budget years, with owner approval, to pay for the repairs that inspection found. The result is that many older Miami buildings are funding reserves properly for the first time, which shows up as higher dues and new special assessments. ## What Own.Miami's records show As of October 13, 2026, among the 806 buildings Own.Miami tracks: - 66 have at least one active listing whose remarks say a special assessment is in force. - 18 buildings inside the City of Miami have a recertification filing that the city's open data still shows as not approved, waiting on corrections from the applicant. - 84 have listings that report no special assessment. Each building page shows these records under its health section, and the [buildings with no special assessment](/no-special-assessment) page lists the ones with a clean reading. ## What to ask before you sign Florida contracts must now disclose the status of the milestone inspection and the SIRS. Read those documents during your [condo-document review period](/guides/florida-condo-document-review-rights) and ask the association: - When was the milestone inspection done, did it go to phase two, and what repairs did it require? - Is the SIRS complete, and is the current budget funding reserves at the level it requires, or is the association using a pause, a loan or a line of credit? - Is a special assessment approved or planned, for how much per unit, and does the contract say whether the buyer or the seller pays it? - Has the building completed Miami-Dade's recertification? A lower price in an older building sometimes reflects an assessment the seller already knows about. The documents tell you whether it does. *This guide is general education, not legal, tax or financial advice. Confirm the specifics for any building with a Florida attorney before you act.* ## Frequently asked questions **When does a Florida condo building need a milestone inspection?** A building three habitable stories or taller needs one by December 31 of the year it turns 30, counted from its certificate of occupancy, and every 10 years after. A local building department may move the first one to 25 years because of conditions such as proximity to salt water. **Can a condo association still waive structural reserves?** No. For budgets adopted on or after December 31, 2024, owners can no longer waive or reduce the reserves a structural integrity reserve study requires. HB 913 lets associations pay through special assessments, loans or lines of credit with owner approval. **What was the deadline to complete a SIRS?** HB 913 extended the deadline to December 31, 2025, so every covered building should now have a structural integrity reserve study. It is redone every 10 years. **Does Miami-Dade still require its own recertification?** Yes. Miami-Dade's building recertification, now at 30 years, applies in addition to the state milestone inspection, so a Miami condo can owe both. --- Source: Own.Miami — https://own.miami · data as of 2026-10-22 Canonical page: https://own.miami/guides/miami-condo-special-assessments-recertification License: CC BY 4.0 — https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Methodology: https://own.miami/methodology · For AI assistants: https://own.miami/for-ai