Arlen House, Sunny Isles Beach: What Buyers Should Check

Arlen House is the biggest bay-side address in Sunny Isles Beach — three 22-story towers at 100, 300, and 500 Bayview Drive, at the south end of the island, built in phases between 1968 and 1975, with about 1,223 residences between them. It is not oceanfront: the towers stand on the Intracoastal side of Collins Avenue, bayfront on the water, with the beach a short walk across the street — and the trade for giving up direct sand is the lowest-priced full-service living in the city, plus a private marina and an on-site restaurant, neither of which the oceanfront towers offer at this price. The East tower at 100 Bayview Drive is the best known of the three: about 600 residences, built in 1975, designed by Morris Lapidus, the Miami Modern architect behind the Fontainebleau and Eden Roc. The two older towers — 300 Bayview Drive (1968) and 500 Bayview Drive (1969) — are smaller per tower at 312 residences each, and cheaper: one-bedrooms there have sold in the $225,000–$275,000 range in 2026, against $295,000–$768,000 in the East tower. Monthly dues run roughly $700 to $1,500 a month depending on tower and size, and they cover an unusually long list — air conditioning maintenance, cable TV, internet, water, sewer, electricity, laundry facilities, pest control, and security — which is part of why the headline dues look high and the all-in cost looks better. Two things a buyer must look into before anything else: these are 1968–1975 buildings, so their milestone inspection cycles began decades ago and the latest reports, the reserve studies, and the assessment history are the documents that decide whether the low price is a bargain or a bill waiting to happen — and the pet rules conflict between sources, including one listing that says no pets at all, so confirm them per tower before buying with a pet.

The facts

• Address: 100, 300 & 500 Bayview Drive, Sunny Isles Beach, FL 33160
• Completed: in phases — 300 Bayview Drive in 1968; 500 Bayview Drive in 1969; Arlen House East at 100 Bayview Drive in 1975
• Stories: 22 in each tower
• Residences: about 1,223 in total — Arlen House East about 599–600; 300 Bayview Drive 312; 500 Bayview Drive 312
• Developer: not verified in any public source checked
• Architect: Morris Lapidus, for Arlen House East at 100 Bayview Drive — his building list includes "100 Bayview Drive, Sunny Isles Beach, 1975," and a broker page credits Lapidus with the design; the architect of the two older towers was not verified
• Unit mix: one- to three-bedroom residences in the East tower; one- to three-bedroom in 300 Bayview Drive; studios to three-bedroom in 500 Bayview Drive
• Unit sizes: East 991–1,603 sq ft (three-bedrooms to 2,348 sq ft per Homes.com); 300 Bayview Drive 762–1,570 sq ft; 500 Bayview Drive 598–1,350 sq ft
• Waterfront: bayfront on the Intracoastal Waterway, on the west side of Collins Avenue; the beach is across the street, a short walk — listings describe the complex as "across from the beach" and "just a block from the beach"
• Parking: valet service building-wide; assigned spaces per listings
• Associations: each tower has its own condominium association — Arlen House Condominium Association, 300 Bayview Drive, Suite A1, (305) 944-2348; Arlen House West Condominium Association, Inc., 500 Bayview Drive (same phone). The shared amenity and management arrangement across the three towers should be confirmed with the associations.

Amenities and day-to-day living

Arlen House runs a full resort-style program across the three towers: a heated pool and jacuzzi, tennis courts, a fitness center, a sauna, a library, a game room, a child play area, shuffleboard, a private marina, a manned gate, 24-hour security and reception, valet parking, an on-site restaurant (two restaurants are mentioned in one listing), a spa salon, a mini-market/convenience store, and a courtesy bus. Residences have wrap-around balconies and floor-to-ceiling glass in the Lapidus East tower, with Intracoastal and ocean views, and hurricane impact windows and doors. The market is the most active on the bay side by volume. In the East tower, recent sales include #1626 (1,521 sq ft) at $768,000 in October 2026 ($505/sq ft), #1620 (991 sq ft) at $295,000 in September 2026 ($298/sq ft), and #229 (1,331 sq ft) at $265,000 in July 2026 ($199/sq ft). At 300 Bayview Drive, 17 sales closed in the last twelve months, including #2101 (762 sq ft) at $275,000 in November 2026, #516 (1,570 sq ft) at $420,000 in June 2026, and #2108 (1,220 sq ft) at $510,000 in May 2026. At 500 Bayview Drive, recent sales include #325 (762 sq ft) at $225,000 in September 2026, #2023 (1,220 sq ft) at $307,500 in June 2026, and #617 (762 sq ft) at $235,000 in June 2026. About 78 residences were listed for sale across the three towers in November 2026 (32 East, 22 at 300, 24 at 500), and 55 were listed for rent — East at an average of $3,717 a month (28 listings), 300 Bayview Drive at $2,930 (13 listings), and 500 Bayview Drive at $2,793 (14 listings).

What to check before you buy

• Monthly cost — verify the dues per tower, don't take the range. Homes.com gives a monthly HOA range of $700 to $1,500 for Arlen House, covering internet, pool, and cable TV. Per-unit examples: East #710 (991 sq ft) at $939 a month, East #1125 (1,357 sq ft) at $1,452 a month, East #216 (1,603 sq ft) at $1,300 a month, and West #617 (762 sq ft) at $989 a month — about $0.81 to $1.30 per square foot per month, a wide spread that reflects different towers, sizes, and listing dates rather than one rate. The dues cover an unusually long list (air conditioning maintenance, cable TV, internet, water, sewer, electricity, laundry facilities, pest control, security, roof repairs), so confirm exactly what is included for the specific unit — and confirm it against the adopted budget for that tower, including whether any special assessment is running. One listing states 'special assessments have been paid in full' — that is listing copy, not an association document.
• Milestone inspections — cycles began decades ago; ask for the latest reports. Built in 1968–1975, these towers' milestone inspections began decades ago (first around 1993–2000 on the 25-year coastal rule, then every ten years) — derived estimates, not confirmed dates. Ask each tower's association for its most recent completed milestone report and its Structural Integrity Reserve Study (SIRS), and confirm the 40-year certification status. No verified milestone report or certification was found in public sources for any of the three towers. Under Florida's SIRS rules, reserves for SIRS items are no longer waivable — but confirm each tower's position with its own association.
• Subsidence — not on the study's list, which is a real positive. Arlen House does not appear on the published list of 35 barrier-island buildings the University of Miami's 2024 InSAR study found settling between 2 and 8 centimeters from 2016 to 2023. The study's authors said no building was found unsafe, and the absence of Arlen House from the list is a point in its favour, not a guarantee: ask the associations whether any engineering review or monitoring has been done, and whether the milestone reports address settlement at all, since heavy construction has continued all around the south end of the island.
• Reserves and assessments — unverified. No building-wide reserve figure or assessment history was found in public sources for any of the three towers. Given the buildings' age and the milestone timing, the reserve study and the last three years of board minutes for the specific tower are essential reading.
• Owner-occupancy — unverified. No owner-occupancy ratio was found in public sources for any of the three towers. If you are financing, your lender will check it — confirm it before you are under contract, not after.
• Rentals — clearly happening, but the rules were not verified. Fifty-five units were listed for rent across the three towers in November 2026, so rentals clearly happen; no rental minimum, annual cap, or association approval process was verified in public sources. Confirm the current lease rules for the specific tower with its association before buying for income — and do not buy here expecting short-term rental income.
• Pets — the rules conflict, including one listing that says no pets at all. Homes.com lists dogs allowed with a size limit, a $250 pet deposit, and breed restrictions. CondoBlackBook's building record says 'Pets OK for owners, Large Pets not allowed for owners & renters,' while its rental records say 'No Pets for Renters.' And a Keller Williams listing for a unit at 500 Bayview Drive (#1727) states 'No pets permitted.' The reading that reconciles them is that owners may keep pets (possibly with size limits) while renters may not — but that is an inference, not a verified rule, and the 'no pets' listing may reflect a tower-specific rule. Confirm the current rules — including any size, number, or breed limits, and the owner-versus-renter distinction — with the association of the specific tower before you buy if a pet is part of the plan.

Who this building suits

Arlen House suits a buyer who wants the lowest-priced full-service living in Sunny Isles Beach — a one- or two-bedroom from the $200,000s, with a heated pool, tennis, a gym, a restaurant, a mini-market, a private marina, valet, and 24-hour security, on the bay with the beach a short walk across the street — and who is comfortable doing the diligence a 1968–1975 building demands: read the milestone report, the reserve study, and the assessment history for the specific tower before signing, and confirm the pet rules for that tower. It is a poor fit for a buyer who wants direct oceanfront, a new or newer tower, short-term rental income, or a firm pet answer from public sources — the beach is across Collins, the towers are 50-plus years old, the rental rules were not verified, and the pet rules conflict between sources and must be confirmed with the association. If you are choosing between this and another tower, send Mike the buildings you are comparing and he will walk through the finances with you, building by building.

Next step

Get the free Sunny Isles Beach Buyer's Building Guide — the ten questions to ask before you sign, applied to the tower you are actually considering. Or book a call with Mike to walk through Arlen House together.