As CAI marks the anniversary of the tragic partial collapse of Champlain Tower South in Surfside, Fla., on June 24, 2021, we remain steadfast and committed to sound public policy strengthening condominium safety and building integrity. Over the past few years, CAI has educated residents, board members, community managers, business partners, legislators, and regulators about structurally sound and fiscally responsible communities.
Following Surfside, CAI convened task forces to explore changes to laws and best practices for the community association housing model to help other communities avoid this type of devastation and provide solutions for legislators seeking to address building safety in their districts.
As a result, the CAI Condominium Safety Public Policy Report was developed and distributed to more than 8,000 state legislators across the U.S. This report includes public policy guidance for state legislatures to utilize when navigating reserve studies and funding and structural integrity in community associations.
This comprehensive report has been updated multiple times to reflect and spotlight laws and accomplishments guided through the leadership of CAI’s legislative action committees and advocates. Public policy updates are based on continued input from legislators, stakeholders, and members. Since the tragedy in 2021, 4 states including Florida, Maryland, New Jersey, and Tennessee have passed laws mandating reserves, and 2 states including Florida and New Jersey have passed laws regulating structural integrity inspections for condominiums.
Below is a summary of accomplishments CAI’s legislative action committees and government and public affairs committee have achieved since the initial publication of this report:
2025:
- April: CAI’s Board of Trustees approves updates to CAI’s reserve study and funding public policy bringing recommendations in line with current Reserve Study Standards.
- May: Maryland signs legislation into law to further improve and clarify statutory reserve study and funding mandates originally enacted in 2022 through Maryland LAC’s leadership.
2024:
- January: New Jersey signs legislation into law mandating reserve studies and funding and structural integrity inspections with New Jersey LAC’s leadership.
- February: CAI Board of Trustees approves updates to CAI’s building inspection & structural integrity public policy, which specifically includes references to façade inspections and key definitions to promote a unified vocabulary.
2023:
- April: Virginia Department of Professional and Occupational Regulations published its Study of the Adequacy of Current Laws Addressing Standards for Structural Integrity and for Maintaining Reserves to Repair, Replace, or Restore Capital Components in Common Interest Communities pursuant to Senate Bill 740 (2022). Members of CAI’s Virginia LAC and Government & Public Affairs team participated as task force members and leaders.
- April: Tennessee signs legislation into law mandating reserve studies with the Tennessee LAC’s leadership.
- June: Florida signs legislation into law to further improve and clarify statutory condominium safety mandates originally enacted in 2022 with Florida LAC’s leadership.
2022:
- April: Virginia signs legislation in law creating a task force with CAI leadership to evaluate condominium safety and structural integrity standards.
- May: Florida signs legislation in law establishing a comprehensive reserve study and funding and structural integrity requirements with the Florida LAC’s leadership.
- May: Maryland signs legislation into law mandating reserve studies and funding with Maryland LAC’s leadership.
2021:
- October: CAI’s Board of Trustees approves updates to CAI’s reserve studies and funding public policy and a brand-new structural integrity public policy. CAI’s Government and Public Affairs team distributed this report to all state legislators and staff.
Throughout this process, CAI created www.condosafety.com, a webpage dedicated to information and resources covering aging infrastructure, reserve studies and funding, building inspections, maintenance, community association living responsibilities, CAI policy positions, and more.
CAI thanks the countless leaders, volunteers, advocates, and subject matter experts who remain committed to continuing these important initiatives and conversations on behalf of the community association industry.
