Pressure is mounting on Florida lawmakers to address the rising costs for condo owners. A special session of the legislature could potentially provide a solution, but currently, the Florida House, Senate, and governor cannot agree on the necessary actions.March 4 marks the beginning of this years regular session, which some believe is too late for the reform needed. Owners tell us theyre facing a new crisis, unable to afford new fees and unable to sell their condos at fair rates.Stories from Floridas coast highlight the frustration of condo owners with increasing costs.One owner expressed concern, saying, Its going to put a pinch on a lot of people with fixed incomes Another from the Tampa area said, Been here since about 2010 my condo fee was around $250, now its $670 The inability to sell condos is also a significant issue, with one relator reporting, Ive had 10 showings, and Ive done about 30 open houses, open houses nobody appears to come to see the propertiesThe root of the problem lies in still-rising property insurance rates and new rules implemented following the Surfside condo collapse in 2021, among the worst in American history. It took the lives of 98 people. The new rules require condos to gather costly repair funds and conduct regular maintenance to prevent further disaster.Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) commented on the situation earlier this week, saying, This is ridiculous that people are going to be placed in these predicamentsDeSantis has previously advocated for zero-interest loans or delaying deadlines to ease the burdens on owners. Hed like to act ASAP but said there wasnt yet a consensus with lawmakers.I dont know that theres an agreement on exactly what needs to happen, DeSantis said. I said, look, if we have agreement, Ill call the session and well go, but I do think we need to act sooner rather than later, and so were going to be working with the legislature on thatAs Florida waits, the problem continues to worsen. Market analysts report that condo supply is increasing, prices are dropping, and sales are diminishing. In Tampa alone, the number of condos for sale surged by 57.2% from the previous year in July. Floridas major metropolitan areas show HOA dues increasing by more than 15% year over year.New Florida House Speaker Danny Perez (R-Miami) remains skeptical about the idea of an early return to the legislature. Sources have said he doesnt want to significantly reverse the changes made post-Surfside.The question shouldnt be when, Perez told reporters in November. The question should be what. What is the solution that people are offering to the issue before condos? Its an issue well be discussing during session.Florida Senate President Ben Albritton (R-Bartow) was equally cautious, suggesting that the issue would likely be addressed in March. Florida Senate Minority Leader Jason Pizzo (D-Hollywood), after a listening tour with constituents, said he was considering several ideas but was also wary of dramatically easing new requirements.People think there was Champlain (Towers) and nothing else, said Pizzo. Twenty-six buildings have been condemned since Surfsides collapse, primarily in South Florida, where people are no longer allowed to go back to, one in my old district.Pizzos reform ideas included establishing a uniform standard for condo repair assessments. He felt doing so would better ensure those assessments are not inflated with unnecessary costs.When youre seeing another association of mine, in Hallandale with a $51 or $52 million pending assessment, said Pizzo, and theres a separate line item for pool furniture thats not what we meant about keeping building structurally safe, right?Time will show whether the chambers and the governor can agree on addressing the high condo costs before the six-day session commences. Additionally, DeSantis has said he would support an early Tallahassee return to comply with the anticipated immigration crackdown by the new Trump Administration or allocating additional recovery funds for victims of recent hurricanes.