New §553.8445, Florida Statutes (Created by SB 1178, effective July 1, 2025)

Florida Statutory Amendment — Windows, Doors, and Hurricane Protection

Amendment to §718.113, Florida Statutes (Effective July 1, 2024)

• House Bill 1021 amended §718.113(5), F.S., expanding the authority of condominium boards to install or require installation of various types of hurricane protection—including shutters, impact-resistant glass, code-compliant windows/doors, and related products—on all residential and mixed-use structures, even those constructed prior to July 1, 2024
  
• The law clarifies that costs associated with installation, maintenance, repair, replacement, and operation of hurricane protection:
  
  • Are common expenses when required by the association,
    
  • Non-required costs are individual unit-owner assessments, and
    
  • Unit owners who already have code-compliant protection receive credits toward future assessments
    
• Additionally, the act defines such work as non-material alterations to common elements and streamlines board/owner responsibilities and procedures

New §553.8445, Florida Statutes (Created by SB 1178, effective July 1, 2025)

• This new section mandates that all exterior sliding glass doors in residential dwellings—including condominiums—must adhere to stringent protections to prevent water intrusion in winds of up to 100 mph, as a prerequisite for:
  
  • Building permits for installation/repair,
    
  • Milestone inspections under §553.899, F.S., and
    
  • Compliance with the Florida Building Code