HOA and Condo Maintenance in St. Petersburg, Florida
Community Association Interior & Exterior Painting Services
HOA and condo maintenance in St. Petersburg
Ally Property Service maintains common areas for HOA and condominium associations across St. Petersburg and the wider Pinellas County coast. The work is janitorial and maintenance: common area cleaning, exterior washing, painting, pool area upkeep, repairs, pet waste stations, and storm preparation and cleanup. It is scheduled, documented, and reported to the board, because a board that cannot show what was done cannot defend the spend at the annual meeting.
Our office is at 570 Carillon Pkwy in St. Petersburg, which means crews are not driving in from another county when something goes wrong on a Friday afternoon.
What St. Petersburg does to a building
Associations here are maintaining property in one of the harder environments in Florida, and the conditions are specific enough to plan around.
Salt air carried off Tampa Bay and the Gulf attacks painted surfaces, railings, fixtures and fasteners continuously, not seasonally. Humidity and an eleven-month growing season mean mildew and algae establish on north-facing walls, shaded breezeways and pool decks faster than most boards expect. Afternoon sun degrades coatings on west and south elevations well ahead of the manufacturer's stated life. Sand and organic debris block deck drains and roof scuppers, which is a nuisance in April and a flooded lobby in September.
None of that is unusual. What varies is whether a community is on a schedule or reacting. Communities on a schedule spend less per visit and avoid the premium that comes with emergency calls during hurricane season, when every vendor in Pinellas County is booked.
The compliance calendar St. Petersburg boards are working to
Two statutory obligations shape what a St. Petersburg condominium board is planning for, and both generate maintenance work.
Milestone inspections. Under Section 553.899, Florida Statutes, buildings three habitable stories or more that are subject in whole or in part to condominium or cooperative ownership must have a milestone inspection by December 31 of the year the building reaches 30 years of age, measured from the certificate of occupancy, and every 10 years after that. Section 553.899(3)(b) allows the local enforcement agency to require the first inspection at 25 years instead of 30, based on local conditions including proximity to salt water. For a coastal city like St. Petersburg that distinction matters, and a board should confirm with the local enforcement agency which threshold applies to its building rather than assuming the 30-year default.
Structural integrity reserve studies. Section 718.112(2)(g), Florida Statutes, requires a structural integrity reserve study for condominium and cooperative buildings three stories or more in height, covering specified components including roof, structure, fireproofing, plumbing, electrical, waterproofing and exterior painting, and windows and exterior doors.
Neither inspection fixes anything. Both produce a list, and the list becomes maintenance and repair work with a board behind it asking what it costs and when it can be scheduled. That follow-through is the work Ally does.
What the association is responsible for
Section 718.113(1), Florida Statutes, places maintenance, repair and replacement of the common elements with the association, except where the declaration assigns a limited common element to a unit owner. For communities governed by Chapter 720, the declaration and the governing documents set the equivalent allocation.
In practice that means the board owns the condition of the walkways, breezeways, stairwells, lobbies, clubhouses, pool decks, parking areas, trash corrals and amenity spaces that residents judge the community by, and that a prospective buyer sees first.
What we maintain
- Common area cleaning for lobbies, hallways, breezeways, stairwells, elevators and amenity rooms
- Restroom and clubhouse cleaning and consumable restocking
- Trash room, trash chute and trash corral cleaning and deodorizing
- Pressure washing for building exteriors, walkways, pool decks, parking structures and dumpster pads
- Interior and exterior painting with coastal-rated coatings
- Pool deck and enclosure upkeep
- Pet waste station installation, servicing and restocking
- General maintenance and repairs, carpentry and light electrical
- Drain, gutter and scupper clearing
- Storm preparation, securing and post-storm cleanup
Scopes are written per community after a walkthrough, with photographs and unit pricing, so the board is approving a defined piece of work rather than an open-ended retainer.
Putting a St. Petersburg vendor under contract
Section 718.3025, Florida Statutes, sets requirements for condominium maintenance contracts, including that the contract be in writing and state the services to be provided and the fee. Competitive bidding thresholds apply: under Section 718.3026 a condominium association must obtain competitive bids for contracts exceeding five percent of the total annual budget including reserves, and under Section 720.3055 the equivalent threshold for a homeowners' association is ten percent.
Boards should also confirm that any vendor carries general liability and workers' compensation coverage, and should get that verification in writing before work begins. Under Section 440.02(20), Florida Statutes, construction-trade contractors face a lower employee threshold for mandatory workers' compensation coverage than non-construction employers, so the answer is not the same for every trade on a property.
Where we work
Ally Property Service works with HOA and condominium communities throughout St. Petersburg, including the downtown waterfront, Old Northeast, Snell Isle, Shore Acres, Jungle Terrace, Tyrone, Pinellas Point, Greater Pinellas Point and the Gateway and Carillon corridor, and across the surrounding Pinellas coast in Gulfport, South Pasadena, St. Pete Beach, Treasure Island, Madeira Beach, Seminole, Largo, Pinellas Park, Clearwater, Dunedin, Safety Harbor, Oldsmar and Palm Harbor. We also serve communities across Tampa Bay and the wider Florida Gulf Coast.
Common questions from St. Petersburg boards
Does Ally manage the association?
No. Ally is a maintenance and janitorial vendor, not an association management company. We work for the board directly or alongside whichever management company the community uses. Association management in Florida is a separate, licensed function.
How often should common areas be cleaned in a coastal building?
It depends on the community's size, amenity mix and traffic, and on what the governing documents require. Buildings with enclosed lobbies, elevators and shared restrooms generally need more frequent attention than garden-style communities. Pool areas carry their own requirements under Florida's public pool rules, which a board should confirm with the county health department.
When does our St. Petersburg building need a milestone inspection?
Section 553.899 sets the first inspection by December 31 of the year the building reaches 30 years of age for condominium and cooperative buildings three habitable stories or more. Section 553.899(3)(b) allows the local enforcement agency to require it at 25 years based on local conditions including proximity to salt water, so confirm the applicable threshold with the local enforcement agency.
Do we have to put the maintenance contract out to bid?
It depends on the contract value against the budget. Under Section 718.3026 a condominium association must obtain competitive bids where the contract exceeds five percent of the total annual budget including reserves. For a homeowners' association the threshold is ten percent under Section 720.3055.
Can you work from the list our milestone inspection or reserve study produced?
Yes, for the maintenance and repair items. Structural work, roofing and electrical restoration beyond light repairs belong with licensed specialty contractors, and we will say so rather than take work we should not.
How quickly can you get to a St. Petersburg property?
Our office is on Carillon Parkway in St. Petersburg. For scheduled work we agree a route and frequency in the scope. For storm response, communities on a seasonal retainer are sequenced first.
References
Section 553.899, Florida Statutes — milestone inspections, including subsection (3)(a) on the 30-year threshold and subsection (3)(b) on the local 25-year option. Section 718.112(2)(g), Florida Statutes — structural integrity reserve studies. Section 718.113(1), Florida Statutes — maintenance of common elements. Section 718.3025, Florida Statutes — condominium maintenance contract requirements. Section 718.3026, Florida Statutes — condominium contract bidding threshold. Section 720.3055, Florida Statutes — homeowners' association contract bidding threshold. Section 440.02(20), Florida Statutes — construction industry definition for workers' compensation coverage.
This page is general information about Florida community association maintenance and is not legal advice. Statutes are amended regularly and a community's declaration, articles and bylaws may impose different or additional requirements. Boards should confirm their obligations with association counsel and with the local enforcement agency before acting.