What HB 913 Means for Your Condo Association in 2026

A New Chapter in Florida Condo Safety Law

House Bill 913 became effective on July 1, 2025, and it represents the most significant update to Florida's condominium safety framework since the post-Surfside legislation of 2022. If your board has been focused on meeting milestone inspection deadlines and completing Structural Integrity Reserve Studies, HB 913 adds new layers of compliance that deserve your immediate attention. Understanding these changes now will help your association avoid costly surprises and stay ahead of enforcement.

At CSI, we have been guiding Florida condo associations through every phase of these evolving requirements since they first took shape. Here is a plain-language breakdown of what HB 913 changes, what it means for your community, and what you should be doing about it right now.

Insurance Appraisals: The 36-Month Mandate

One of the most impactful changes in HB 913 is the new insurance appraisal requirement. Associations must now obtain an independent insurance appraisal to determine the full replacement cost of the property at least once every 36 months. This is not optional, and it overrides any outdated language in your condominium declaration that might suggest lower coverage standards are acceptable.

The practical effect is significant. Many associations have been relying on coverage amounts that have not been updated in years, leaving them dangerously underinsured. HB 913 forces boards to confront the true cost of rebuilding their property in today's construction market, where labor and material costs have increased substantially. If your last appraisal was completed before 2024, your board should be scheduling a new one now.

The law also requires that windstorm exposure be calculated based on a 250-year event using the independently prepared appraisal. This ensures that coverage reflects realistic worst-case scenarios rather than optimistic estimates that could leave your community financially devastated after a major storm.

Reserve Funding: More Flexibility, More Responsibility

HB 913 introduces several meaningful changes to how associations fund their reserves. The reserve threshold has increased from $10,000 to $25,000, indexed to inflation beginning February 1, 2026. This means items with an estimated cost below $25,000 no longer require mandatory reserve funding, which provides some relief for smaller line items.

The bill also introduces a temporary pause mechanism for reserve contributions. If your association has completed a milestone inspection that identified necessary repairs, the board may pause reserve funding for up to two consecutive budget years in order to redirect those funds toward completing the required repairs. This pause is limited and requires a vote of the unit owners. It is not a unilateral board decision.

Boards now have the option to pool reserve accounts for SIRS components without a unit owner vote. This allows for greater cash flow flexibility, letting the association direct funds to the most pressing structural needs within the reserve pool. However, structural reserves can only be pooled with other structural items. You cannot combine roof replacement reserves with non-structural amenity funds.

Additionally, HB 913 clarifies that associations may use alternative funding instruments, including special assessments, loans, or lines of credit, to meet reserve requirements. These alternatives require unit owner approval but provide additional pathways for associations that are working to reach full funding levels.

SIRS Deadline Extended to December 31, 2026

For many associations, this is the most welcome change in HB 913. The deadline to complete a Structural Integrity Reserve Study has been extended by one year, from December 31, 2025, to December 31, 2026. Associations must begin funding their SIRS reserves in accordance with the study beginning January 1, 2027.

The extension provides breathing room, but it should not be treated as an excuse to delay. Engineering firms across Florida are handling a massive volume of SIRS work, and scheduling delays are common. Associations that wait until the second half of 2026 to begin the process risk missing the deadline entirely. If your SIRS is not yet underway, the time to engage a qualified engineer is now.

HB 913 also clarifies the definition of "habitable stories" for purposes of the SIRS requirement. The law now specifies that it applies to buildings three or more habitable stories in height, where habitable stories include space used for living, sleeping, eating, or cooking. This resolves previous confusion about buildings with ground-floor parking garages or non-residential levels that do not count toward the threshold.

Conflict of Interest Protections

To prevent predatory practices in the inspection and repair pipeline, HB 913 imposes strict conflict-of-interest rules. Any architect, engineer, or licensed contractor hired to perform a SIRS or milestone inspection must disclose in writing if they also intend to bid on the resulting repair work. Violations of this disclosure requirement make the contract voidable.

This protection matters because some firms have used inspection findings as a sales tool, inflating the scope of identified deficiencies to generate larger repair contracts. The disclosure requirement gives boards the transparency they need to make informed hiring decisions and protects associations from conflicts that could compromise the objectivity of their inspection results.

At CSI, we have always maintained a clear separation between our inspection and engineering services and any repair contracting. We believe the integrity of the inspection process depends on objectivity, and HB 913 codifies that principle into law.

Record Retention: 15 Years for Structural Reports

HB 913 explicitly requires associations to retain milestone inspection reports and SIRS reports for at least 15 years. This reflects the long-term importance of these documents in tracking your building's structural condition over time. A single inspection is a snapshot. Fifteen years of inspection data is a trend line that tells your board whether conditions are improving, stable, or deteriorating.

If your association does not have a formal document retention policy, this is a good reason to establish one. These reports should be stored digitally with secure backups and made accessible to board members, property managers, and prospective buyers as required by law.

Financial Reporting Updates

The deadline for completing annual financial reports has been extended from 120 days to 180 days after the end of the fiscal year. Reports must now be accompanied by an affidavit from a board member confirming that the reports were provided to unit owners. This additional accountability measure ensures that financial information actually reaches the people who need it.

Beginning January 1, 2026, HB 1021 also requires condo associations with 25 or more units to provide online access to association documents through a website or application. Previously, this requirement only applied to associations with 150 or more units. For smaller associations, this means building an online presence that includes meeting minutes, financial reports, inspection documents, and other records required by statute.

What Your Board Should Do Now

If you serve on a condo board in Florida, HB 913 creates several action items that should be on your agenda immediately. Start by reviewing your current insurance coverage and scheduling an independent replacement cost appraisal if one has not been completed within the last 36 months. Confirm whether your SIRS has been completed or is in progress, and if not, engage a qualified engineering firm before scheduling bottlenecks make the December 2026 deadline difficult to meet.

Review your reserve study to determine whether the new $25,000 threshold or pooling provisions affect your funding plan. Discuss with your attorney and property manager whether the temporary reserve pause option makes sense for your community's situation. Establish a document retention policy that meets the 15-year requirement for structural reports. And if your association has 25 or more units, begin planning for online document access compliance.

These are not tasks to defer. The legislature has been clear in its intent: Florida condo associations must take structural safety and financial preparedness seriously. Boards that act proactively will protect their residents, their property values, and their own liability exposure. Boards that delay will face increasing enforcement pressure and rising costs.