C.B. from Sarasota County, Florida writes:
Dear Mister Condo,
Can a condo board determine that all water heater units over 10 years old must be replaced? Can this stipulation be added to the association rules and would current homeowners be exempt from this sort of change?
Mister Condo replies:
C.B., establishing maintenance standards is the purview of the Board. Many Boards have been told by their insurance carriers that they will not be covered for failure of certain common wear items. Chief among those items are water heaters which tend to cause a lot of damage should they fail. The Board needs to protect the association by adhering to proper maintenance standards. By requiring water heater replacements at a specific interval (10 years or less is quite common), they are doing just that. No homeowners can be exempt from this kind of change. All must comply with the edict. All the best!