What Buyers, Sellers, and All Real Estate Professionals Need to Know
(2025 Legislative Session Overview — Effective Dates, Key Provisions & Practical Impact)
Florida’s 2025 legislative session brought major changes to real estate, title, condo, landlord, and development laws. This guide breaks down the updates with verified statutory language, official budget numbers, and implementation timelines so you can navigate with confidence.
1. Condo Law Reforms & Association Operations — HB 913 (Effective July 1, 2025)
Key changes:
- Funding flexibility for SIRS reserves: Associations may fund Structural Integrity Reserve Study (SIRS) accounts via regular/special assessments, line of credit or loan (requires majority approval).
- Temporary pause on contributions:
- Automatic pause — If a building is uninhabitable due to a natural emergency.
- Owner-approved pause/reduction — For up to two consecutive budgets after a milestone inspection, if funds are redirected to critical repairs; applies to budgets adopted on/before Dec 31, 2028.
- SIRS deadline extension: For condo associations existing on/before July 1, 2022, SIRS completion deadline extended to Dec 31, 2025.
- Applicability clarified: “Three stories” means three habitable stories; certain four-family dwellings with ≤3 habitable stories are exempt (bill text).
- Transparency: Approved board minutes for the last 12 months must be posted online; financial statement deadline extended to 180 days after fiscal year end.
- Resale disclosures: Non-developer sellers must give buyers 7 days (up from 3) to cancel after receiving required documents.
- DBPR reporting: Online account creation required by Oct 1, 2025, with annual updates; ≥45 days to respond to DBPR requests, 30 days for contact changes.
- Electronic voting: If ≥25% petition, board must adopt e-voting for the next election (summary).
- Email ballots: Allowed if no e-voting system exists; must include public records privacy warning.
What this means for you:
Boards have more flexibility and tools for reserves but must meet higher transparency standards. Buyers get more review time and documentation.
2. Housing & Homeowner Support Programs — SB 2500 (FY 2025–26 Budget)
Confirmed allocations:
- Hometown Heroes Homebuyer Program — $50M. Reopens Aug 18, 2025 with updated occupation-based eligibility; up to 5% (max $35,000) in assistance.
- My Safe Florida Home Program — $280M for hurricane-hardening grants.
- SHIP — $163.8M.
- SAIL — $71.2M (official budget figure — some media incorrectly reported $221.2M).
What this means for you:
Eligible buyers can access larger assistance pools; sellers may benefit from more qualified buyers in storm-prone areas.
3. Commercial Lease Sales Tax Repeal — HB 7031 (Effective Oct 1, 2025)
- Repeals state sales tax on commercial rentals and county discretionary surtax for rental/occupancy periods starting Oct 1, 2025 (Florida DOR guidance).
- Payments after Oct 1 for earlier taxable months remain taxable.
What this means for you:
Lower occupancy costs for tenants; potential lease leverage for landlords.
4. Live Local Act Updates — SB 1730 (Effective July 1, 2025)
- Clarifies definitions of qualifying property types (bill summary).
- Includes parcels in Planned Unit Developments (PUDs).
- Caps non-residential space in qualifying mixed-use projects at 10%.
- Expands “YIGBY” — allows religious institutions to build affordable housing without zoning changes.
- Requires administrative approval for qualifying projects; historic protections still apply.
What this means for you:
Developers see fewer delays; faith-based projects gain a clear path.
5. Flood-Risk Disclosure Expansion — SB 948 (Effective Oct 1, 2025)
- Requires landlords (leases ≥1 year) to give tenants the standard flood disclosure form used in sales.
- Applies to condo/co-op developers and mobile-home park owners.
- Tenants may terminate if undisclosed flooding causes ≥50% property value loss.
What this means for you:
Renters gain risk transparency; landlords must update lease packets.
6. Homestead Exemption Inflation Adjustment — Amendment 5 (Effective Jan 1, 2025)
- Passed with 66.02% voter approval on Nov 5, 2024.
- Adjusts $50,000 non-school exemption annually for inflation (Florida DOR).
What this means for you:
Homeowners benefit from gradual, inflation-linked tax relief.
7. Risk Management Focus
While no new title insurance mandates passed, industry best practices are being reinforced:
- Verify wire instructions by phone before transfer.
- Use enhanced ID checks to deter seller impersonation fraud.
- Order estoppels, surveys, and flood reports early.
Disclaimer
This article references live source links (statutes, budget documents, agency guidance, and reputable legal summaries). These links may be refreshed or updated by their publishers, and laws or program rules can change after publication. All facts and figures are current as of August 15, 2025, but this post is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. If you spot an error or an update is needed, please email me at the contact information below so I can correct it promptly.
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Debbie Milazzo
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