Structural Integrity Reserve Study (SIRS)

In a budget adopted by an association that is required to obtain a structural integrity reserve study, reserves must be maintained for the SIRS items identified below for which the association is responsible pursuant to the declaration of condominium, and the reserve amount for such items must be based on the findings and recommendations of the association’s most recent structural integrity reserve study.

The association may adjust replacement reserve assessments annually to take into account an inflation adjustment and any changes in estimates or extension of the useful life of a reserve item caused by deferred maintenance.

The members of a unit-owner-controlled association may determine, by a majority vote of the total voting interests of the association, to provide no reserves or less reserves than required by this subsection. For a budget adopted on or after December 31, 2024, the members of a unit-owner-controlled association that must obtain a structural integrity reserve study may not determine to provide no reserves or less reserves than required by this subsection for items listed below, except that members of an association operating a multi-condominium may determine to provide no reserves or less reserves than required by this subsection if an alternative funding method has been approved by the division.

A residential condominium association must have a structural integrity reserve study completed at least every 10 years after the condominium’s creation for each building on the condominium property that is three stories or higher in height, as determined by the Florida Building Code, which includes, at a minimum, a study of the following items as related to the structural integrity and safety of the building:

1. Roof.
2. Structure, including load-bearing walls and other primary structural members and primary structural systems as those terms are defined in s. 627.706.
3. Fireproofing and fire protection systems.
4. Plumbing.
5. Electrical systems.
6. Waterproofing and exterior painting.
7. Windows and exterior doors.
8. Any other item that has a deferred maintenance expense or replacement cost that exceeds $10,000 and the failure to replace or maintain such item negatively affects the items listed in sub-subparagraphs a.-g., as determined by the visual inspection portion of the structural integrity reserve study.

A structural integrity reserve study is based on a visual inspection of the condominium property. A structural integrity reserve study may be performed by any person qualified to perform such a study. However, the visual inspection portion of the structural integrity reserve study must be performed or verified by an engineer licensed under chapter 471, an architect licensed under chapter 481, or a person certified as a reserve specialist or professional reserve analyst by the Community Associations Institute or the Association of Professional Reserve Analysts.

At a minimum, a structural integrity reserve study must identify each item of the condominium property being visually inspected, state the estimated remaining useful life and the estimated replacement cost or deferred maintenance expense of each item of the condominium property being visually inspected, and provide a reserve funding schedule with a recommended annual reserve amount that achieves the estimated replacement cost or deferred maintenance expense of each item of condominium property being visually inspected by the end of the estimated remaining useful life of the item. The structural integrity reserve study may recommend that reserves do not need to be maintained for any item for which an estimate of useful life and an estimate of replacement cost cannot be determined, or the study may recommend a deferred maintenance expense amount for such item. The structural integrity reserve study may recommend that reserves for replacement costs do not need to be maintained for any item with an estimated remaining useful life of greater than 25 years, but the study may recommend a deferred maintenance expense amount for such item.

SIRS do not apply to buildings less than three stories in height: single-family, two-family, or three-family dwellings with three or fewer habitable stories above ground.

Associations existing on or before July 1, 2022, which are controlled by unit owners other than the developer, must have a structural integrity reserve study completed by December 31, 2024, for each building on the condominium property that is three stories or higher in height. An association that is required to complete a milestone inspection in accordance with s. 553.899 on or before December 31, 2026, may complete the structural integrity reserve study simultaneously with the milestone inspection. In no event may the structural integrity reserve study be completed after December 31, 2026.

If the officers or directors of an association willfully and knowingly fail to complete a structural integrity reserve study pursuant to this paragraph, such failure is a breach of an officer’s and director’s fiduciary relationship to the unit owners under s. 718.111(1).