SOUTHWEST FLORIDA — Gov. Ron DeSantis is calling on the State Legislature to convene a special session to address Florida’s condo crisis.
Amidst rising insurance premiums and increased association fees, condo owners are feeling the crunch in the Sunshine State.
Speaking at a roundtable with other lawmakers and condo residents, DeSantis said the well-intended legislation designed to improve condo safety is having some unintended higher costs.
Watch Senior Reporter Ryan Kruger's report:
“We don’t want to see people forced out of a unit because they are faced with a crushing assessment,” DeSantis said.
That crushing assessment is due at the end of the year.
That’s the deadline for the first round of structural inspections to be completed.
Condo boards must also show their financial reserves are fully funded for maintenance, inspections, and potential future repairs.
The new regulations were passed in the wake of the Surfside condo collapse.
“We do need to do something this year. This isn’t something you can put off until next March or April. There are a lot of pending deadlines,” said DeSantis.
In late August, Sen. President Kathleen Passidomo of Naples announced she would not call for a special legislative session for condo relief.
When asked Monday by Fox 4, no one from her office responded.
“We want our condos to be safe in the state of Florida,” DeSantis said. “But we also want to make sure that any safety measures were implemented in ways that are reasonable and affordable to residents.”
