Which Florida Condos Need a SIRS? The 3-Story Rule Explained
Florida's SIRS requirement doesn't apply to every condo building. Whether yours needs one comes down to a single question: does the building have three or more habitable stories?
Yes? You need a SIRS. No? You don't.
Simple enough in theory. In practice, boards get tripped up on what counts as a story, which buildings on the property qualify, and what happens with mixed-use properties. Let me walk through it.
The rule
Florida Statute §718.112(2)(g) requires every residential condominium association to complete a SIRS for each building on the property that is three or more habitable stories in height. Cooperatives fall under the same requirement via §719.106(1)(k).
Important: the requirement is per building, not per association. If your property has four buildings and two of them hit the three-story threshold, those two each need their own SIRS. The shorter buildings don't.
The study must be conducted by a licensed engineer or architect and repeated every 10 years.
What "habitable" means
Before 2025, boards argued about what counted as a story. Does the parking garage count? The mechanical penthouse? Nobody had a clean answer.
HB 913, signed in 2025, settled it. The three-story threshold applies to habitable stories only. Parking garages, mechanical floors, and other non-habitable levels don't count.
A building with two floors of parking and three floors of residential units above? Three-story building under SIRS. Two floors of parking and two floors of residential? Two-story building -- no SIRS.
Count the floors where people live. That's your number.
Who's excluded
The requirement does not apply to:
Buildings under three habitable stories. Two-story walkups, garden-style condos, low-rise buildings. Under three habitable floors and you're out.
Single-family homes, duplexes, triplexes, and fourplexes with three or fewer habitable stories. Even if they're part of a condominium association, these dwelling types are excluded.
Building portions not submitted to the condominium form of ownership. If a ground-floor commercial space is separately owned and not part of the condo, it doesn't factor in.
Components maintained by parties other than the association. If someone else maintains a structural component -- a commercial tenant responsible for their own storefront, for instance -- the association's SIRS doesn't need to cover it.
Edge cases
Multiple buildings, different heights. SIRS applies per building. Your five-story tower needs one. The two-story pool house next to it does not. Each qualifying building gets its own study.
Mixed-use buildings. Ground-floor retail with residential above -- common in Florida. The habitable-story count looks at the residential condominium portions. Three or more habitable stories of residential use means you need a SIRS. For anything more complex, talk to your attorney. The governing documents determine which components are the association's responsibility, and that's where the answer lives.
Developer-controlled vs. owner-controlled. The initial SIRS deadline of December 31, 2025 applies to owner-controlled associations that existed on or before July 1, 2022. If your association is still developer-controlled, the timing depends on when turnover happens. Your management company or attorney can tell you where you stand.
Cooperatives. Co-op buildings with three or more habitable stories are subject to SIRS under §719.106(1)(k). Same rules.
What to do if you qualify
If your building hits the three-habitable-story mark:
- Hire a licensed engineer or architect to conduct the SIRS.
- Review the report -- it covers eight categories of structural components, estimates remaining useful life, and projects repair costs.
- Build a funding plan. Starting January 1, 2026, reserve funding for SIRS items is mandatory and can't be waived.
- Submit the report to the Division (DBPR) within 45 days of receiving it.
For the complete compliance walkthrough -- all the deadlines, funding rules, and FAQ -- read Florida SIRS Compliance: What Your Condo Board Needs to Know in 2026.
If you've gotten your SIRS report and need to build a funding plan, Reserves Pro projects those findings over a 30-year timeline so you can see exactly how much goes into reserves each year.
This post is for informational purposes only and is not legal advice. For questions about your specific building's SIRS obligations, consult a Florida attorney who specializes in community association law.