Buying a Florida condo: the documents, the 7-day window and what to ask

What a resale buyer is entitled to under s. 718.503, the cancellation window, the milestone and SIRS paperwork, and the questions to ask.

Buying a resale condominium in Florida comes with a set of documents the seller must give you and a window in which you can walk away after reading them. Since the 2022 Surfside reforms, that package also includes the building's structural paperwork. This checklist follows section 718.503 of the Florida Statutes, which governs disclosure on resales, and points to the public records you can check yourself.

The documents you are entitled to

Under s. 718.503(2)(a), a prospective purchaser who has signed a contract for a condominium unit is entitled, at the seller's expense, to a current copy of:

1. the declaration of condominium;
2. the association's articles of incorporation;
3. the bylaws and rules of the association;
4. an annual financial statement and annual budget;
5. the inspector-prepared summary of the milestone inspection report, if applicable;
6. the association's most recent structural integrity reserve study, or a statement that it has not completed one;
7. the turnover inspection report, for a turnover inspection performed on or after July 1, 2023;
8. the "Frequently Asked Questions and Answers" document.

The buyer is also entitled to a governance form prepared by the Division of Florida Condominiums, Timeshares and Mobile Homes, which explains the board's role, meetings, records, assessments and owners' rights.

Your window to cancel

The statute requires a resale contract to contain one of two clauses. One confirms that the buyer received the declaration, articles, bylaws and rules, the latest annual financial statement and budget, and the FAQ document more than seven days, excluding weekends and legal holidays, before signing. The other makes the agreement "voidable by buyer by delivering written notice of the buyer's intention to cancel within 7 days, excluding Saturdays, Sundays, and legal holidays" after the buyer signs and receives the declaration, articles, bylaws and rules, the latest annual financial statement and budget, and the FAQ document if requested in writing. Any purported waiver of these rights has no effect, and the right ends at closing. A contract that doesn't conform is voidable by the buyer before closing.

Use those seven business days. Read the documents with a lawyer or an experienced agent, not just the summary pages.

The structural paperwork

For buildings three habitable stories or higher, two reports matter most:

• Milestone inspection. Required by December 31 of the year the building reaches 30 years from its certificate of occupancy, and every 10 years after; a local building department may require it at 25 years because of conditions such as proximity to salt water (s. 553.899). See our milestone inspection guide.
• Structural integrity reserve study (SIRS). Required at least every 10 years for each residential condominium building three habitable stories or higher (s. 718.112(2)(g)). See our SIRS guide.

If the association is required to have a milestone inspection, turnover inspection report or SIRS and hasn't completed it, every sale contract entered into after December 31, 2024 must say so in conspicuous type (s. 718.503(2)(e)). If you see that statement, ask why, and what the association expects the work to cost.

Reading the financial statement and budget

• Reserves. Compare the reserve schedule in the budget with the SIRS. For budgets adopted on or after December 31, 2024, owners of an association that must have a SIRS can no longer vote to waive or reduce reserves for the SIRS items (s. 718.112(2)(f)). Underfunded reserves usually mean special assessments later.
• Special assessments. Ask whether any are adopted or under discussion. Ask about any line of credit or loan the association has taken to fund repairs.
• Delinquencies. A high share of owners behind on assessments shifts costs to everyone else.
• Insurance. Ask for the master policy's premium and deductible, and what the unit owner must insure.

Check the public record

Each condominium on this site shows what DBPR's condominium file says: project number, units, the date the declaration was recorded, the county, DBPR's filing status and the association's mailing address, often "care of" a management company. Use it to confirm you are looking at the right condominium and association (one association can operate several condominiums, and names repeat across the state). Remember that the recorded date is the condominium's legal creation, not necessarily the building's construction date; a 1970s apartment building converted in 1990 shows 1990. For the milestone deadline, the building department uses the certificate of occupancy.

Questions to put to the association or seller

1. When was the last milestone inspection, and did it require phase two?
2. When was the last SIRS, and is the budget funding what it recommends?
3. Any special assessments adopted, proposed or expected, and how much per unit?
4. Any loans or lines of credit?
5. Rental, pet and vehicle rules, and any approval process for buyers or tenants.
6. Pending litigation involving the association.
7. The monthly assessment for this unit and when it last went up.

Timing the paperwork

Ask the listing agent for the documents before you make an offer, not after. Many sellers' agents can send the declaration, budget, financial statement and inspection summaries in advance, and having them early lets you price special-assessment risk into your offer instead of discovering it during the seven-day window. If you are financing, tell your lender early that the building is a condominium: lenders often send the association their own questionnaire, and a building with deferred structural repairs or low reserves can affect whether a loan is approved. Your insurance agent will also want to know the master policy's coverage before quoting your unit policy.

Estoppel certificate

Before closing, the title company or closing agent will usually order an estoppel certificate from the association. It states what is owed on the unit, including assessments and any special assessments. Make sure it is current at closing.

This checklist summarizes the statutes linked above for general information. For a purchase, rely on a Florida real estate attorney.

Updated 2026-10-16.

General information only, current as of the date above. The information on Florida Condo Lookup is not a recommendation or a guarantee of anyone's work. A license record shows registration status on the date shown, not workmanship, insurance coverage at the time of your job, or suitability for your project. Confirm license, insurance and permits directly before you hire. Rules and programs change; check the official sources linked in this guide.