Yes. On the standard Florida condo contract rider, you state in writing any special assessment that has been levied or that showed up on the association's agenda or in its minutes in the 12 months before the contract, and if you leave one out, you pay it in full at closing (Florida Realtors/Florida Bar Condominium Rider, 2025 revision). Even without that rider, Florida courts have held since 1985 that a home seller must disclose known facts that materially affect value and that a buyer can't readily see (Johnson v. Davis).
So the real question is how you handle it so the assessment doesn't cost you the sale. In Hallandale Beach right now, homes take a median 124 days to sell and close at 92.7% of list price, and 32.6% of homes have had a price drop (Redfin, September 2026). Buyers have time and choices. A late surprise gives them a reason to walk.
What exactly do I have to tell a buyer about a special assessment?
Tell them what you know, in writing. The rider has you list any assessment already levied and any that is pending, which it defines as an item on the agenda or in the minutes of the association within 12 months before the contract's effective date.
Pull your board minutes and agendas for the past year instead of relying on memory. Under Florida law the association has to send owners a written notice giving the specific purpose of any special assessment (Fla. Stat. 718.116), so keep that letter handy for your buyer.
Who pays a special assessment when I sell my Hallandale Beach condo?
Whoever the contract says. Florida's condo statute doesn't split it for you, so it gets negotiated, and the rider gives you the boxes to do it:
- Lump-sum assessments levied as of the effective date: you check Buyer or Seller. Left blank, the seller pays.
- Installments due on or before closing: the seller pays them.
- Installments due after closing: you check Buyer or Seller. Left blank, the buyer pays.
- If the association won't let the assessment be assumed: the seller pays it in full at or before closing.
Florida makes a new owner jointly and severally liable with the previous owner for unpaid assessments that came due up to the transfer of title (Fla. Stat. 718.116).
The closing number comes from the estoppel certificate. The association has 10 business days to issue it after a request, and it must itemize assessments and special assessments owed, plus what comes due during its effective period, which is 30 days, or 35 if it was sent by regular mail (Fla. Stat. 718.116). You can request one before you list to see your number, then get a fresh one for closing if it expires.
What documents does a buyer get, and how long can they back out?
A resale buyer is entitled, at your expense, to current copies of the declaration, articles, bylaws and rules, the annual financial statement and budget, and the FAQ sheet. They also get the milestone inspection summary if your building has one, the most recent structural integrity reserve study or a statement that none was completed, and any turnover inspection report done on or after July 1, 2023 (Fla. Stat. 718.503).
If the buyer doesn't have those documents more than 7 days before signing, not counting Saturdays, Sundays and legal holidays, the contract is voidable. The buyer then gets 7 days, on the same count, after signing and receiving them. That right can't be waived and ends at closing. Handing the package over early shortens the risky part of a deal.
Will a special assessment hurt my sale price in Hallandale Beach?
It can, and this market gives you little cushion. The median sale price in Hallandale Beach was $264,874, down 9.44% from a year earlier, and only 3.4% of homes sold above list (Redfin, September 2026). Buyers compare your all-in cost, not just your asking price.
You have three ways to deal with it: pay it off before listing, price the unit to reflect it, or offer a credit and leave it with the buyer. Which works depends on the amount and on what competing units in your building are doing. More on my page about selling a home in Hallandale Beach.
I market every listing the way I show neighborhoods on my YouTube channel: video tours of the home and the area around it (https://www.youtube.com/@miamifineliving).
This is general information, not legal advice. Have a Florida real estate attorney or your title company review your specific contract.
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to disclose a special assessment that hasn't been voted on yet?
If it was on the association's agenda or in its minutes in the 12 months before the contract, the rider treats it as pending, so list it (Florida Realtors/Florida Bar Condominium Rider).
Can a buyer cancel over a special assessment?
The rider's assessment section only allocates who pays. It doesn't create a cancellation right on its own. A buyer can still cancel within the 7-day document period if the contract is voidable (Fla. Stat. 718.503).
How do I find out the exact amount owed on my unit?
Request an estoppel certificate from your association. It has 10 business days to issue it, and the certificate itemizes what's owed and what's scheduled to come due (Fla. Stat. 718.116).
About the author: Roman Ivanov is a South Florida listing agent with Miami Fine Living by Roman Ivanov (Real Broker, LLC), helping homeowners sell condos and single-family homes in Aventura, Sunny Isles Beach, Hallandale Beach, North Miami Beach and Hollywood. 160 career sales, licensed in Florida since 2014, and 5.0 on Google. Free home value: https://www.miamifineliving.net/home-value/ · (786) 909-4892