After the Surfside tragedy, Governor Ron DeSantis signed a law requiring condo inspections to ensure the safety of aging buildings in order to avoid similar catastrophes in the future.
However, long-time condo owners and apartment renters are now facing eviction as a result of the strict requirements for inspections and the unintended consequences of repairs.
Threatening Affordable Housing
While the measure was implemented to increase building safety in condos it’s now spreading to the apartment sector and is threatening affordable housing across Florida with lower-income areas being hit the hardest.
Expensive repair bills are being run up as the new legislation mandates that buildings that are over 30 years old undergo structural inspections.
Financial Strain
Because of the unaffordable costs for many condo owners, they are forced to either pay large special assessments or face eviction.
Long-term residents, many of whom cannot afford the financial strain, are being evicted from their homes by apartment landlords, particularly in valuable coastal areas. With 76% more evictions than the average for the previous month, Gainesville has seen the greatest increase.
Targeting Apartments
While the law at first targeted condominiums, its effect is presently being felt in apartment buildings. Apartments, a significant number of which are likewise aging structures, are subject to similar severe safety reviews.
Tenants in these buildings now run the risk of being evicted because landlords are having trouble meeting the new safety requirements.
Developers and Rents
In the past year, Jacksonville has seen a 20% increase in evictions. In light of the inspections, a few landlords of older apartment complexes are deciding to sell their properties to developers as opposed to paying for expensive repairs.
Significant rent increases or lease terminations are being seen in other cases as landlords pass the repair costs onto tenants.
Eviction Increases
Evictions and displacement are the result for many low- to middle-income tenants. Evictions have increased annually by 15% even in Tampa, a wealthy city.
This shift is devastatingly affecting Florida’s affordable real estate market. Affordable rental units are disappearing as landlords choose to sell or redevelop older buildings, adding to the state’s already dire housing shortage.
Backed by the Law
The housing crisis is getting worse because renters who cannot afford the rising costs have few choices.
Fights in court are arising as tenants and condo owners battle to remain in their homes. However, tenants are finding it difficult to challenge their displacement because the law grants landlords significant power to evict residents for safety violations.
Fast-Tracked Process
The law has created a fast-track process in order to remove residents from buildings that have been deemed unsafe although advocacy groups are attempting to combat this.
This broader trend is exemplified by the Gardens on the Bay case in Miami Beach. Long-term condo owners are being ousted because of the expense of fixes under the new legislation, and comparable cases are presently being found in apartment complexes.
Eviction Notices
Occupants who have resided in their homes for decades are now suddenly facing eviction notices.
Governor DeSantis persists that the law is important to guarantee building safety, however, critics contend that it has caused another housing crisis. Many families are being left without affordable housing options as evictions continue to rise.
Housing Inequality
Although the law has good intentions, it is making housing inequality in Florida worse.
In order to protect vulnerable residents there are growing calls for the state to amend the legislation. Some advocate groups are requesting better renter protections against sudden evictions while others want government funding in order to aid in covering the repair costs.
Expanding Pressure
As more buildings undergo inspection the housing crisis is likely to worsen without intervention. Meanwhile, Florida’s real estate market is under expanding pressure, with both apartment renters and condo owners confronting an uncertain future.
In order to prevent further displacement and homelessness as evictions persist, this new housing challenge triggered by the legislation will necessitate significant attention.
Surfside Tragedy
The legislation came about because of an event in June 2021 where 98 people were killed as a result of Champlain Towers South collapsing in Surfside, Florida.
Senate President Kathleen Passidomo says that she doesn’t have plans to amend the laws before March 2025.
Passidomo says that there are a lot of misunderstandings about the new rules and lawmakers can wait until after the November elections to face the issue.
