BreakThru Realty

Renovating a Condo in Florida: Association Approvals and What to Check First

In a condo, your neighbors’ rules are part of your floor plan

BreakThru Realty helps buyers find a home in the right location that needs work, then coordinates the architects, designers and licensed contractors who turn it into the home they wanted. In a condominium, part of that plan belongs to someone else: the association approves the work, and the condition of the building affects the purchase. This guide covers what to read and ask before you buy a unit to renovate.

BreakThru Realty · Founder and Broker of Record: Tyson E. Sam, Florida License 3565210

Request a Potential Check

What You Own and What You Do Not

A condominium owner owns the unit, as the declaration of condominium defines it, and shares ownership of everything else. In most buildings the structure, the exterior walls, the roof, the main plumbing and electrical lines and often the windows and balcony are common elements or are controlled by the association. That boundary, which differs from building to building, decides what you can change on your own, what needs approval, and what cannot be changed at all.

What Associations Usually Regulate

Most associations require a written application and approval before renovation work begins, and the declaration and the rules set the conditions. They exist to protect the building and the neighbors, and they shape the schedule and the cost of your project. Ask for the renovation rules and the application form before you make an offer.

  • Flooring: a sound-control underlayment under tile, stone or wood, often to a stated rating
  • Plumbing: limits on moving kitchens, bathrooms and laundry, and required shut-off valve replacement
  • Windows, doors and balconies: approved products, colors and installers
  • Contractors: a Florida license, a certificate of insurance naming the association, and registration with the office
  • Working hours, elevator reservations, protection of common areas and a damage deposit
  • A deadline to finish, and seasonal limits on noisy work in some buildings

City Permits Still Apply

The association’s approval does not replace the city’s permit, and the permit does not replace the association’s approval. Work on plumbing, electrical and air conditioning systems, and most kitchen and bathroom renovations, need a permit from the building department, pulled by a licensed contractor, exactly as in a house. Many associations ask to see the permit before work starts and the closed permit at the end.

The Building’s Health Is Part of the Purchase

Florida law now requires milestone structural inspections of condominium buildings three stories or taller once they reach a set age, and structural integrity reserve studies that determine what the association must set aside for major repairs. What those reports found, and whether the reserves are funded, affects monthly fees, special assessments, insurance and whether a lender will finance the unit. A unit that is a bargain because it needs a new kitchen is a different thing from one that is a bargain because the building needs a new structure.

What to Ask For During the Inspection Period

Florida gives a condominium buyer a short period after receiving the association’s documents to review them and cancel. Use it. Read the declaration’s sections on alterations, the rules and regulations, and the application for renovations. Ask for the most recent milestone inspection report and reserve study, the current budget, any pending or approved special assessments, and recent board meeting minutes, which often discuss upcoming work before it appears anywhere else. A real estate attorney can review the documents with you.

  • Declaration of condominium, bylaws, and rules and regulations
  • The renovation or alteration application and contractor requirements
  • Milestone inspection report and structural integrity reserve study
  • Current budget, reserve balances and any special assessments
  • Board meeting minutes for the past year

Request a Potential Check

A few questions about where and how you want to live. An agent reads every answer and follows up personally. Nothing here asks about credit, income or debts.

Prefer to talk? (786) 914-1017 · sales@breakthrurealty.com

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need the association’s approval to renovate my condo?
In most Florida condominiums, yes, for anything beyond painting and decorating. The declaration and the rules state what requires approval, and working without it can lead to fines or an order to undo the work.
Can I move the kitchen or a bathroom in a condo?
Often only within limits. Drains and vents run through shared walls and floors to the units below, so many associations restrict relocating wet areas. The building’s rules and an engineer or licensed plumber familiar with the building give the answer for a specific unit.
Can I replace carpet with tile or wood?
Usually, but most associations require an approved sound-control underlayment and written approval first, and some upper-floor units have further limits. Ask for the flooring specification before you buy.
What is a milestone inspection?
It is a structural inspection Florida law requires for condominium and cooperative buildings three stories or taller once they reach a certain age, repeated at set intervals. Its findings can lead to required repairs and assessments, so buyers should read the latest report.
Does a condo renovation need a city permit as well?
Yes, for permitted work such as plumbing, electrical, air conditioning and most kitchen and bathroom renovations. The association’s approval and the city’s permit are separate, and a project generally needs both.

Sources

Rules are summarized for buyers and change. The city or county building department, the floodplain administrator and the association decide for a specific property.

BreakThru Realty is a licensed Florida real estate brokerage. Design and construction are performed by licensed, insured professionals you choose, under your own agreements with them.

More From BreakThru Dream Home Project

Related on BreakThru Realty