DAYTONA BEACH SHORES, Fla. — On Monday, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis made calls for a special session in Tallahassee, with focuses on immigration and hurricane relief. But another topic lawmakers will tackle is condo relief.

What You Need To Know

  • In coastal communities like Daytona Beach Shores, condo owners up and down the coast say they have seen rising prices and insurance rates

  • Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis says constituents have asked for a solution to the rising condo costs

  • Tom Baker, a condo owner, says he would like to see the legislature remove requirements for HOAs to have a master insurance coverage plan

In coastal communities like Daytona Beach Shores, condo owners up and down the coast say they have seen rising prices and insurance rates in the wake of the Surfside collapse in 2021.

DeSantis says constituents have asked for a solution to the rising condo costs.

“I think there just needs to be relief and we got to be common sense about it,” he said.

Tom Baker, who has lived in Daytona Beach Shores at the Marbella Condominium for 10 years, listened to the governor’s special session announcement to discuss condo fees.

Baker has been to Tallahassee twice and says the legislature and the governor should specifically also address property insurance. 

“We in all the condominiums up and down the beaches all along here need relief anyway,” he said. “The other relief that I can come up with is our insurance.”

Florida law requires condo HOAs to have a master insurance coverage plan for the condo building, common areas and shared amenities.

“I am, as a board member, required to carry this insurance, but the truth of it is, the insurance is useless,” he said.

Baker said he believes removing the requirement would reduce their expensive monthly condo fees by a third.

On top of high deductibles, Baker says the insurance has not covered any areas of the property that have been damaged by hurricanes, costing a total of $1.8 million to replace all of it.

“Allow the condo board members to decide to be uninsured and we’ll save up," Baker said. "In my case, in my condominium, it’ll save me $6,000, personally, a year. Nothing outside the building is covered.”

DeSantis on Monday said in terms of condo fees, he wants a fix that will help condo owners struggling financially.

“Let’s just make sure we’re not leading people to be forced out of their units, and so there’s different things you can do with deadlines," he said. "You can have the locals take responsibility for ensuring some."

The special session starts on Jan. 27.