By Prop Hunters · Updated October 16, 2026 · Miami Lakes, FL
Yes, you can sell a house with open code violations, but the violations don’t disappear when you sell. Fines and liens can follow the property and will show up in a title search. Your options are to fix the problem and close the case, ask for a fine reduction, or sell as-is to a buyer who takes on the work — with any liens paid from the proceeds at closing.
Florida’s code-enforcement law lets a local code board fine an owner who doesn’t correct a violation by the deadline. Fines can reach up to $250 per day for a first violation and $500 per day for a repeat violation, and up to $5,000 per violation if the board finds it irreparable or irreversible. A recorded order imposing a fine can become a lien on the property, and fines can keep growing until the violation is corrected (Fla. Stat. § 162.09). A local government generally cannot foreclose on a code lien against a homestead, but the lien still has to be dealt with when the property is sold.
Miami-Dade has many incorporated cities, plus large unincorporated areas. If your property is inside a city, that city’s code compliance department enforces the code; if it is unincorporated, Miami-Dade County does. Open permits and unpermitted work are tracked by the same building department. The county’s permits page is a starting point, and each city page on our site links to that city’s official site.
Under Section 8-11(f) of the Miami-Dade County Code, most buildings other than single-family homes, duplexes and very small structures must be recertified as structurally and electrically safe at 30 years (25 years near the coast), then every 10 years. A building that misses its deadline can be referred to the county’s unsafe-structures process. If you own a small apartment or commercial building, check the county’s recertification page.
Whichever route you choose, disclose what you know, and have a title company run a lien search so there are no surprises.
The violation itself is tied to the property, and recorded liens show up in the title search. At closing, liens are normally paid from the seller’s proceeds, and the buyer takes responsibility for correcting any remaining violation.
Yes. A recorded code-board order imposing a fine can become a lien on the property, and fines can continue to accrue until the violation is corrected.
No. You can sell as-is, and the buyer will account for the work. The more you know about what’s open, the more accurate the offer.
Ask the city or county about a reduction after compliance, and talk to an attorney. A sale can pay the lien from the proceeds if there is enough equity.
This guide is general information, not legal or tax advice. Florida law changes, and every situation is different — talk to a Florida attorney or tax professional about yours.