The Florida Legislature recently passed a bill to beef up building inspection requirements for many of the state’s condominiums.
The bill, which is expected to be signed by the governor, will require milestone inspections of condominiums three stories in height or taller within three miles of the coast when the buildings reach 25 years of age, and of buildings more than three miles inland when they reach 30 years of age. Buildings will then be required to have an inspection every 10 years thereafter with inspection records made available to buyers, renters, and unit owners.
The bill’s passage comes nearly one year after the Champlain Towers South condominium collapse in Surfside, Fla., killed 98 people. Following the building collapse, the International Code Council, the National Institute of Building Sciences, the Building Owners and Managers International (BOMA), and the Building Officials of Florida (BOAF) created a group of experts to advise policymakers and create guidelines that could be used to help prevent future catastrophic building collapses. The work of this group informed the crafting of the bill.
Forty percent of Florida jurisdictions have no property maintenance code in place or have adopted a property maintenance code developed in the late 1970s. Only about 3% of Florida jurisdictions have implemented a periodic recertification or inspection safety program for existing buildings.
Related Stories
Codes and Standards | Apr 23, 2020
COVID-19 epidemic demonstrates value of flexible hospital space
Some rooms being repurposed for ICU care.
Codes and Standards | Apr 15, 2020
Embodied carbon footprint can be reduced by using conventional materials
High-SCM concrete, and cellulose and wood fiber insulation among the greener alternatives.
Coronavirus | Apr 13, 2020
COVID-19 alert: City conducts a 'virtual building inspection' to allow Starbucks and bank to open
Bothell, Wash., issues a certificate of occupancy to developer after inspecting the property online.
Codes and Standards | Apr 13, 2020
Design competition focuses on reducing urban heat island effect
Cool Abu Dhabi aims to transform urban life in the Middle East.
Codes and Standards | Apr 13, 2020
What building science says about reducing COVID-19 transmission
Impact of temperature and relative humidity is unclear.
Codes and Standards | Apr 9, 2020
Owners retrofitting properties, monitoring performance during epidemic
Covid-19 outbreak may lead employers to reevaluate office commitments.
Codes and Standards | Apr 7, 2020
Dept. of Labor publishes guidance on paid sick leave, expanded family and medical leave
Includes fact sheets for employees, employers, and a questions and answers document.
Codes and Standards | Apr 1, 2020
Standards and codes meetings halted, postponed
ASTM International cancels in-person standards meetings; DOE’s National Energy Codes Conference postponed.
Codes and Standards | Mar 26, 2020
Ransomware attack on Canadian contractor underscores need for cybersecurity
Victimized company Bird Construction has defense, law enforcement contracts.
Codes and Standards | Mar 23, 2020
Contractors should scrutinize contracts carefully amid Covid-19 crisis
Compliance with time-sensitive notice requirements and careful documentation required.
