Yes, you can sell a Fort Lauderdale condo before, during, or after Broward's 25-year building safety inspection, with the right contract language.
Broward's program reaches buildings at 25 years and every 10 years after, five years before the state's 30-year milestone. The association orders and pays for the inspection, and the buyer receives the inspector's summary under Fla. Stat. 718.503.
This is general information, not legal advice. State rules vary.
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Where is your building in the inspection process?
Free. No obligation. You choose the closing date.
You can sell a condo in Fort Lauderdale, Florida while its building safety inspection is pending, under way, or finished. The rule that sets the clock is local. Section 110.15 of the Broward County Amendments to the Florida Building Code says the program covers buildings "25 years of age or older," with new inspections every 10 years. The statewide milestone inspection in Fla. Stat. § 553.899 starts at 30 years, with a local option of 25 near salt water.
This guide covers which Fort Lauderdale condo buildings fall under the county program, who pays, and what a buyer must receive. It also covers how a pending report can affect a buyer's loan, and the options open to an owner who would rather not fund repairs. Exemptions matter here: one- to four-family dwellings with three or fewer habitable stories, fee simple townhouses, and buildings under 3,500 square feet are outside the program.
Which Fort Lauderdale condo buildings need a 25-year building safety inspection?
A Fort Lauderdale condo building needs a building safety inspection once it reaches 25 years of age, counted from the certificate of occupancy, and every 10 years after that. The only buildings left out are those on the county's exemption list.
The Broward County Board of Rules and Appeals (BORA) Policy 05-05, effective August 9, 2024, sets out the details. It lists these exemptions:
- U.S. government and State of Florida buildings
- Buildings on sovereign tribal lands
- School buildings under the Broward County School Board
- Single-family, two-family, three-family, and four-family dwellings with three or fewer habitable stories above ground
- Fee simple townhouses
- Minor structures with a building area under 3,500 square feet
- Railroads and their facilities
A condo building with five or more units falls outside the one- to four-family exemption, whatever its height. Only the under-3,500-square-foot exemption could still apply. The policy also reaches parts of a building that owners often overlook. Elevated decks, balconies, docks, and seawalls are included when attached to or supporting a structure, and parking garages and guardrails are "not exempt."
The inspection has two parts. Policy 05-05 defines it as "a structural and electrical inspection" by a Florida-licensed engineer or architect. Section 110.15.3 says the Building Official enforces the program, and Fort Lauderdale runs it through the city's inspection program. Buildings near the water may also face the city's seawall rules, covered in our guide to selling a Fort Lauderdale waterfront house with a low or failing seawall.
How does the Broward 25-year inspection compare with the state's 30-year milestone?
Broward's program starts five years earlier, covers more building types, and adds an electrical review. The state milestone applies only to condo and co-op buildings three habitable stories or taller, and in Broward one inspection can satisfy both.
The state rule in Fla. Stat. § 553.899(3)(a) requires a milestone inspection by December 31 of the year a building reaches 30. Paragraph (3)(b) lets a local enforcement agency set 25 years where conditions such as proximity to salt water call for it. BORA's policy ties the two programs together in one sentence:
"The Building Safety Inspection Program shall serve as compliance for both phase one and phase two milestone inspection requirements for buildings or structures as defined under Florida Statutes, Section 553.899..."
BORA Policy 05-05, Section I.E, effective August 9, 2024
| Item | Broward Building Safety Inspection Program | State milestone inspection |
|---|---|---|
| First trigger | 25 years of age, from the certificate of occupancy | December 31 of the year the building reaches 30 (25 if the local agency sets it) |
| Buildings covered | Buildings and structures of any use, unless exempt | Condo and co-op buildings three habitable stories or taller |
| Scope | Structural and electrical | Structural, in phase one and, if needed, phase two |
| Who arranges it | Owner or association | Condo or co-op association, plus any owner of a non-condo portion |
| Cycle | Every 10 years from the year the first inspection was required | Every 10 years |
| Key exemptions | One- to four-family dwellings with three or fewer habitable stories; fee simple townhouses; buildings under 3,500 square feet | One- to four-family dwellings with three or fewer habitable stories above ground |
| Source | FBC Broward County Amendments 110.15; BORA Policy 05-05 | Fla. Stat. § 553.899(3) and (4) |
One practical result: a mid-rise or low-rise Fort Lauderdale condo building can reach its first county inspection years before the state deadline would arrive. Buildings that already had an inspection under Broward's older 40-year program are deemed compliant, with the next inspection due 10 years from the year the first was required.
Who orders and pays for the inspection and the repairs?
The association orders the inspection and pays for it, along with any required repairs, out of association funds. Policy 05-05 says "the owner or association shall be responsible for all costs associated with the inspection and any resulting required repairs and modifications."
State law says the same for the milestone. Under Fla. Stat. § 718.112(2)(h), the association arranges the milestone inspection and bears its cost for the parts of the building it maintains. Association money comes from the owners, so reports can lead to repairs the association funds through regular assessments, special assessments, lines of credit, or loans. Section 718.112(2)(f)2.c. lists those four funding methods for the structural items a reserve study covers.
The timeline after the notice
The clock is set by the county policy, the city, and two state statutes. Here is the order of events a unit owner can expect.
| Step | What happens | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 1. List and notice | BORA sends each city its list by June. From June through August, the Building Official notifies the owner or association by certified mail. | BORA Policy 05-05, III.C |
| 2. Owners told | The association notifies unit owners within 14 days and gives the completion date. | Fla. Stat. § 718.112(2)(h) |
| 3. Report due | Within 180 days of the notice. The Building Official may extend this by up to 60 days. The city charges a $375 review fee. | BORA Policy 05-05, III.E; City of Fort Lauderdale |
| 4. Summary to owners | Within 45 days of receiving the report, the association sends each owner the inspector's summary and posts it on the property. | Fla. Stat. § 553.899(9) |
| 5. Repairs | A total of 180 days from the report, unless the Building Official sets another time frame. A sealed letter on safe occupancy during repairs lasts up to 180 days. | BORA Policy 05-05, III.G |
| 6. Next cycle | Every 10 years from the year the first inspection was required. | FBC Broward County Amendments 110.15.5 |
The city's 180-day figures appear on its Building Safety Inspection Program page (City of Fort Lauderdale, read November 2026). Repairs that cannot be finished in 180 days may get more time when the engineer sets a time frame and the Building Official approves it.
How can a pending inspection affect a buyer's loan?
A failed or unfinished structural inspection can make it harder for a buyer to get a conventional loan on a unit in that building. A buyer paying cash does not go through a lender's review of the condo project.
Lenders that sell loans to Fannie Mae follow its project rules. The Fannie Mae Selling Guide, B4-2.1-03 (November 2026), treats as ineligible a project that "failed to pass state, county, or other jurisdictional mandatory inspections or certifications specific to structural safety, soundness, and habitability." If an inspection report shows unaddressed critical repairs, the project is ineligible until those repairs are completed and documented.
The same section asks lenders to review each special assessment's purpose, approval date, amounts, and payoff date. Other loan programs set their own rules. A finished inspection with repairs on record is a different file from one with open findings.
None of this stops a sale. It can narrow the set of buyers who can close on the timeline you want.
What must a Fort Lauderdale condo seller give the buyer?
A seller must give the buyer, at the seller's expense, the association documents listed in Fla. Stat. § 718.503(2)(a), including the inspector's milestone summary when it applies and the most recent structural integrity reserve study. The contract must also carry specific inspection language.
The document list
Under Fla. Stat. § 718.503(2)(a), a buyer under contract is entitled to a current copy of each item below:
- The declaration of condominium
- The association's articles of incorporation
- The bylaws and rules
- The annual financial statement and annual budget
- The inspector-prepared summary of the milestone inspection report, if applicable
- The most recent structural integrity reserve study, or a statement that none has been completed
- The turnover inspection report, for a turnover inspection on or after July 1, 2023
- The "Frequently Asked Questions and Answers" document
The buyer is also entitled to a governance form from the state's condominium division. Most of these items come from the association, so it can help to request them early.
The contract language
For contracts signed after December 31, 2024, section 718.503(2)(e) sets three cases. If the association must have a milestone inspection or reserve study and has not finished it, the contract must say so in conspicuous type. If neither is required, the contract must say that instead.
If the inspection or study is finished, the contract must carry two clauses. In one, the buyer acknowledges getting the milestone summary, any turnover report, and the reserve study more than 7 days before signing. The other makes the contract voidable by the buyer for 7 days, excluding Saturdays, Sundays, and legal holidays, after signing and receiving those documents. That right ends at closing.
Can you sell a Fort Lauderdale condo before a special assessment comes due?
Yes, you can sell at any point. Under Florida law, the new owner owes installments that come due after closing, and the buyer is jointly liable with you for amounts that came due before it.
That rule is in Fla. Stat. § 718.116(1)(a). Before closing, the association issues an estoppel certificate within 10 business days of a request. It itemizes the special assessments owed on the date of issuance and those scheduled to come due during its effective period. Buyers read that list, so an assessment can show up in the price or in a closing credit.
Options for owners who would rather not fund repairs
Here are some paths Fort Lauderdale condo owners take, each with its own trade-offs:
- Wait for the summary. Some owners hold off on a decision until the inspector's summary arrives and the board explains how it plans to fund the work.
- Pay and stay. If the association offers installments, some owners spread the cost and keep the unit.
- List with an agent. This can work well when the building's paperwork is complete and buyers' lenders can approve the project.
- Sell as-is for cash. A cash buyer takes on the assessment terms and skips the lender's project review, which can suit an owner who wants a firm date.
For the wider Florida picture on reserves and fees, see our statewide guide to selling a Florida condo when association costs climb. For local prices and days on market, see the Fort Lauderdale housing market 2026 report.
How can Propcash help with a condo in an inspection building?
Propcash is a direct cash homebuyer that can make an as-is offer on a condo in a building with an open inspection or a pending assessment. Our offers are based on local market data, and we'll show you how we got to our number.
There are no agent commissions, no closing costs charged to you, and no fees, and you pick your closing date. An offer can sit next to your other options while you wait for the inspector's summary or the board's plan. Our offers don't expire, and if a cash sale is not your best move, we will tell you. You can request a no-obligation cash offer or read more on our Fort Lauderdale cash house buyer page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a two-story condo building in Fort Lauderdale need a building safety inspection?
It can. The state milestone inspection covers condo buildings three habitable stories or taller, but Broward's program has no story minimum for condo buildings. A two-story condo building is covered once it reaches 25 years, unless an exemption applies. Two that can apply are four or fewer units in three or fewer stories, and a building area under 3,500 square feet.
Can I sell my unit before the inspection report is finished?
Yes, and Florida law plans for it. When an association must have a milestone inspection and has not completed it, a resale contract signed after December 31, 2024 must say so in conspicuous type. The buyer then knows the report is still to come.
Who pays a special assessment that comes due after I sell?
Under Fla. Stat. 718.116(1)(a), a unit owner is liable for all assessments that come due while he or she owns the unit. Installments that come due after closing fall on the buyer as the new owner, and the buyer is jointly liable with you for amounts that came due before the transfer. The contract can shift who bears these costs, so the price may reflect them.
How long does a buyer have to cancel after getting the milestone summary?
Up to 7 days, excluding Saturdays, Sundays, and legal holidays, after signing the contract and receiving the documents. Fla. Stat. 718.503(2)(e) requires that clause in resale contracts for buildings with a completed milestone inspection or structural integrity reserve study. The right ends at closing, and the statute says any waiver of it has no effect.
Does the Broward inspection cover balconies, garages, and seawalls?
Yes. BORA Policy 05-05 includes elevated decks, balconies, docks, and seawalls when they are attached to or support a structure, and it says parking garages and guardrails are not exempt. The report covers both structural and electrical safety.
Where can a Fort Lauderdale condo owner check the building's inspection status?
The association is the first place to check. It must tell owners within 14 days after it receives the city's notice, and it must send owners the inspector's summary within 45 days of receiving a report. The City of Fort Lauderdale's Building Safety Inspection Program page also lists the program's contacts for questions about a specific building.
Data Sources: Florida Building Code, Broward County Amendments, Section 110.15; BORA Policy 05-05 (effective August 9, 2024); City of Fort Lauderdale Building Safety Inspection Program; Fla. Stat. §§ 553.899, 718.112, 718.116, and 718.503; Fannie Mae Selling Guide B4-2.1-03. Propcash is a direct cash homebuyer, not a law firm. Owners should consult a Florida-licensed attorney about their own building and contract.
Reviewed by the Propcash Editorial Team under our editorial standards. Published by Propcash, a direct cash buyer of houses. This guide is general information. Laws, fees, and market figures change, so check the current rules for your state.
