Florida Condo Insurance: What the Association Covers and What Your HO-6 Must Cover

A Florida condo is insured by two policies at once. The association carries a master policy on the building, and each owner carries a unit owner policy, usually called an HO-6. Florida law decides which policy covers what, and it does so for every residential condominium in the state, whatever its declaration says (§718.111(11)).

Insurance company pages explain what an HO-6 is. This guide explains the split the law sets, because that's what decides who pays when something goes wrong.

Who insures what

Every association property policy must cover all portions of the condominium property as originally installed, or replacement of like kind and quality, plus alterations the association made to the common elements (§718.111(11)(f)). The same paragraph lists what the association's policy must exclude. Those items are the unit owner's to insure.

The excluded items are the owner's only when they're inside the unit and serve only that unit. A water heater in a shared mechanical room that serves several units is a different case.

Upgrades follow the same logic. The association doesn't have to pay to rebuild improvements a current or former owner installed, or developer upgrades that weren't standard in every unit, if they benefit only that unit (§718.111(11)(n)). If a previous owner put in custom cabinetry or a renovated bathroom, that's on your policy.

Who pays when there's damage

The law separates damage from an insurable event, such as a hurricane, a fire or a burst pipe, from ordinary wear.

• After an insurable event, the association repairs the parts its policy must cover, as a common expense. Property insurance deductibles and any damage beyond the policy limits are also common expenses, shared by all owners (§718.111(11)(j)).
• Without an insurable event, such as a slow leak or worn-out fixtures, the declaration's maintenance provisions decide whether the association or the owner pays.
• If an owner caused the damage through negligence, intentional conduct or breaking the rules, that owner pays the repair costs insurance doesn't cover. That includes damage to other owners' property and to things they were required to insure.
• If you don't report a loss in time, and the association's claim is settled or denied before you tell it, the association doesn't have to pay for the repair.

An association can opt out of these rules by a majority of all voting interests and go back to its declaration's own cost-sharing formula. It must record the opt-out in the county records (§718.111(11)(k)–(m)), so check for one when you review an association's documents.

Water damage from the unit above

Say a supply line bursts in the unit above yours. The association's policy covers the drywall and other portions of your unit as originally installed. Your HO-6 covers your flooring, cabinets, paint and belongings. If the upstairs owner was negligent, for example by ignoring a known leak, they're responsible for the costs that insurance doesn't pay, including damage to your unit.

Who does the repairs

The association does all reconstruction after a property loss. You can do work on your own unit only with the board's prior written consent, and the board can set conditions on the repair method, the contractor and the contract. If the association rebuilds something you were required to insure, it can charge you for it and collect it like any other assessment (§718.111(11)(g)).

Deductibles and special assessments

The board sets the master policy's deductibles at a board meeting, based on the association's available funds, reserves and assessment authority (§718.111(11)(c)). Windstorm deductibles on Florida condo policies are often a percentage of the building's insured value rather than a flat amount, so after a hurricane the deductible alone can be large.

Because deductibles and uninsured damage are common expenses, the association usually covers them with reserves or a special assessment on every owner. That's where loss assessment coverage on your HO-6 comes in.

Loss assessment coverage

Florida requires every HO-6 policy to include at least $2,000 of loss assessment coverage, with a deductible of no more than $250 (§627.714). It pays your share of an association assessment that results from the kind of loss your policy covers, such as a windstorm deductible.

Three rules matter:

• The limit is fixed by the date of the loss. Your coverage is whatever limit you had the day before the storm or other event. Raising it after a hurricane is forecast won't help for that event.
• The cap applies per loss, not per assessment. If the association issues several assessments from the same event, the insurer pays no more than your limit in total.
• No double deductible. If a deductible already applied to your own claim from the same loss, none applies to the loss assessment part.

$2,000 rarely covers a unit's share of a percentage windstorm deductible on a large building. Most insurers sell higher limits. To size yours, ask the association for the master policy's windstorm deductible and divide it by your unit's share of the common expenses.

Do you have to carry an HO-6?

No Florida statute requires every unit owner to buy an HO-6, but two other things usually do:

• Your declaration of condominium. Many require owners to insure their units, and the association can enforce that.
• Your mortgage lender. Lenders almost always require it.

Even without a requirement, the parts of the unit the law assigns to you aren't covered by anyone else. Your HO-6 must also say that it is excess over any other policy covering the same property (§627.714(4)), so the master policy pays first for what it covers.

One exception: in a condominium of freestanding buildings with one unit each, such as some villa and townhome condos, the declaration can make each owner insure their whole building instead of the association (§718.111(11)(e)).

Flood insurance and Citizens

Standard property policies, including the master policy and an HO-6, don't cover flood. The association may buy flood insurance for the common elements, association property and units, but the law doesn't require it to (§718.111(11)(e)). Ask whether it has a flood policy and what it covers.

Citizens Property Insurance has been phasing in a rule that its personal residential policyholders carry flood coverage. Policies written on a condominium unit owners form are exempt (§627.351(6)(aa)), so an HO-6 from Citizens doesn't require a separate flood policy. That doesn't mean you shouldn't buy one, especially on a ground floor or in a flood zone.

Other association insurance rules

• Replacement cost appraisals. The association must have the building's replacement cost determined at least every 3 years, by an independent insurance appraisal or an update of an earlier one (§718.111(11)(a)).
• Fidelity bond. The association must insure or bond everyone who controls or disburses its money, for the most it holds at any one time (§718.111(11)(h)).
• Developer control. While the developer controls the board, it must make its best efforts to keep adequate insurance in place. Failing to is a breach of fiduciary duty by the developer-appointed directors (§718.111(11)(b)).

Before you buy a condo, check

• The master policy's declarations page, from the association's official records: the carrier, the limits and, above all, the windstorm deductible.
• Your unit's share of that deductible, and an HO-6 loss assessment limit that covers it.
• Whether the association carries flood insurance.
• The insurance article of the declaration, and any recorded opt-out of the §718.111(11)(j) cost rules.
• Improvements a past owner made, which your policy will need to cover.
• The reserves and any planned special assessments. See Florida Condo Milestone Inspections & Reserves.

Frequently asked questions

What does a condo association's insurance cover in Florida? The building and everything that's part of the condominium property as originally installed, including portions of each unit such as the drywall, plus the common elements. It must exclude owners' personal property and in-unit finishes, fixtures, appliances, water heaters, cabinets, countertops and window treatments (§718.111(11)(f)).

What does an HO-6 policy cover in Florida? The items the law makes the owner's responsibility: personal property, floor, wall and ceiling coverings, electrical fixtures, appliances, water heaters, cabinets, countertops, window treatments and owner improvements. It also typically covers liability, loss of use and loss assessments.

Who pays the association's hurricane deductible? All owners, as a common expense, usually through reserves or a special assessment. Loss assessment coverage on your HO-6 can pay your share, up to its limit.

Is HO-6 insurance required in Florida? Not by state law, but most declarations and virtually all mortgage lenders require it.

Who is responsible for water damage from a neighbor's unit? For a sudden insurable event, the association repairs the portions its policy covers and your HO-6 covers your finishes and belongings. If the neighbor was negligent, they're responsible for costs insurance doesn't pay.

How much loss assessment coverage do I need? At least the $2,000 Florida requires, but ideally enough to cover your unit's share of the master policy's windstorm deductible.

Learn more

• Florida Statutes §718.111 — condominium association powers, including insurance
• Florida Statutes §627.714 — unit owner coverage and loss assessments
• Florida Condo Milestone Inspections & Reserves
• Florida Reserve Requirements for HOA and Condo Boards
• How to Request HOA Records in Florida
• Chapter 718 vs. Chapter 720: How Condo and HOA Board Duties Differ

Statutory content on this page was last verified against the 2026 Florida Statutes on 2026-10-11. Confirm current statute text at flsenate.gov before relying on it.