What is deferred maintenance?

Deferred maintenance happens when a board chooses reactive upkeep over proactive inspections, essentially “if it’s not broken, don’t fix it,” often to preserve reserve funds and avoid an assessment. The problem stays hidden until an inspection or an actual failure forces it into view, and by then it usually costs more to fix.

Why does deferred maintenance matter?

Putting off repairs on common areas doesn’t just risk higher costs later, it can lead to injuries, lawsuits, and in the worst cases something as serious as a structural collapse. Florida Statute 718.112 took direct aim at this: its Structural Integrity Reserve Study rule requires condo and co-op buildings three stories or taller to complete the study by December 31, 2025 (a conditional one-year extension to December 31, 2026 applies to some associations still finishing a related milestone inspection), and boards can no longer waive reserve funding for the structural components that study covers once a budget adopted after December 31, 2024 is in play. Boards that treat maintenance as optional are gambling with resident safety, not just the budget.

When You’ll Run Into This

This usually gets flagged directly during a reserve study, which is exactly why regular studies matter. Our guide to HOA maintenance responsibilities, risks, and recommendations covers how to stop small deferrals from becoming big ones.