The topic of sea level rise is being discussed in coastal cities across America. While there are certainly controversies about how fast and how much the sea level will rise, it is indisputable that the sea level is rising and impacting associations and their action plans as it relates to their residents’ property. Individual homeowners in cities like Miami, Florida and Honolulu, Hawaii, are beginning to ask questions like: Will rising water impact my asset? When should I expect the arrival of rising waters? Is there anything I can do to prevent damage to my property and protect it? How can I insure my assets sufficiently in the event of damage or loss as it relates to sea level rise? Condominium and HOA board members in these cities are also asking questions such as: How can we best prepare our community for sea level rise? What are the short and

By Brad Baecht and Carolina Serrano Community associations and their managers have become quite familiar with supply chain issues over the past few years, adapting by forward-purchasing disaster preparation and emergency supplies to ensure necessary items arrive on time. These days, inflation is adding even more urgency by driving up costs for everything from individual food items to gasoline and generators. Proactive communication with association boards has never been more important. When adding structural repairs and reserve thresholds to comply with new laws enacted in Florida (and likely other coastal states in the future) following the Surfside tragedy, planning and budgeting for disaster preparedness is a major challenge for community associations and managers. From luxury high-rises to sprawling single-family HOAs, qualified reserve specialists are conducting fresh reserve studies. These studies incorporate inflation into replacement cost calculations, also accounting for fluctuations in labor and material costs. They are an essential first

Every year, more people use drones for both commercial and recreational purposes. Although there are many advantages to using drones, many community association residents have become concerned about the possibility of drone-related disputes. Community Association boards can be proactive in adopting regulations for private use of drones and also association-use in order to ease residents’ concerns. Private Use of Drones Today, almost anyone – young or senior – can operate a drone with little to no experience. As a result of increasing popularity of private usage of these devices, many HOAs and Condo Associations taken steps to control drone use by owners in their community. First, Association Boards need to familiarize themselves with existing Federal and Florida State laws that apply to all drone usage. Some of these legal limits call for the drone operator to be licensed, they forbid drones from flying in airspace that is within a specific

Contributed by Daily Business Review Real Estate Reporter, Melea VanOstrand Here’s what Florida landlords and their attorneys need to know to stay in compliance with Miya’s Law, named after an Orlando student who was killed in her apartment in 2021 by a maintenance worker. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has signed a bill aimed at making residential tenants safer by requiring background checks for prospective employees, maintaining a detailed key log and increasing notification requirements for maintenance and repairs. Senate Bill 898, known as “Miya’s Law”, is named after Miya Marcano, an Orlando student who was killed in her apartment in 2021 by a maintenance worker who entered her unit with a key fob. “Every tenant deserves to be safe in their own home,” said DeSantis in a press release. “By signing this legislation, we are making it safer to live in a rental unit and giving renters more peace of

By JEREMY APISDORF, JONATHAN GOLDSTEIN, AND REBECCA CASAMAYOR The tragedy that occurred in South Florida due to the Champlain Towers South collapse resulted in crescendoing calls for legislative changes to Florida’s Condominium Act, in order to prioritize the safety of condominium residents and structures. To further that interest Florida created the Condominium Law and Policy on Life Safety Issues Advisory Task Force to make suggestions on creating comprehensive standards for condominium structural and building safety and in October 2021, the Task Force released its report containing recommendations regarding uniform requirements for inspections, funding, and reporting relating to the maintenance and repair of condominiums. Many were shocked when Florida’s 2022 legislative session produced no meaningful condominium law reform, despite expectations for major changes to both the Condominium and HOA Acts, including anticipated changes relating to structural issues and building safety. Then came the legislative special session, and in 7 days (from