Florida Condo Insurance Questions Answered
Common Questions from Florida Condo Unit Owners
What is an HO-6 policy?
An HO-6 (Unit Owners) policy insures what Florida law makes the unit owner responsible for, including:
- Interior finishes and components
- Personal property
- Personal liability
- Additional living expenses
- Limited loss assessment exposure
It works alongside — not in place of — your association’s master policy.
What does Florida law say the association insures?
Under Florida Statute 718.111(11)(f), the association generally insures the building as originally installed, excluding:
- Cabinets and countertops
- Flooring
- Wall coverings
- Plumbing fixtures
- Electrical fixtures
- Appliances
- In-unit water heaters
- Owner upgrades and improvements
These are the unit owner’s responsibility and must be insured under the HO-6.
Do I need building coverage if the association insures the structure?
Yes. Your HO-6 must include Coverage A (Unit Interior) to insure:
- Cabinets
- Countertops
- Flooring
- Fixtures
- Appliances
- Interior partitions
- Upgrades
The association does not rebuild these items.
What is loss assessment coverage?
Loss assessment coverage helps pay your share of:
- Association insurance deductibles
- Uninsured portions of covered losses
- Certain ordinance & law costs
In Florida, most HO-6 policies provide $2,000, which reflects statutory and carrier limitations.
Can I increase loss assessment limits?
In much of the Florida market, especially in coastal and older buildings, carriers cap this coverage at $2,000.
Higher limits are often not available due to underwriting and regulatory constraints.
We explain what is insurable — and what is not — so there are no surprises.
Does my HO-6 cover hurricane damage?
Yes, for:
- Interior damage
- Personal property
- Loss of use
- Liability
The association policy handles structural and common elements.
Your HO-6 responds to what the statute assigns to you.
How do hurricane deductibles affect me?
Hurricane deductibles are usually:
- A percentage of the association’s Building limits
- Often 2%–10%
- Funded through special assessments to unit owners
Your HO-6 may provide limited loss assessment coverage, subject to policy and statutory limits.
Do I need flood insurance for my condo?
Flood is excluded from HO-6 policies.
Flood coverage is typically covered by your master association.,
If your unit is in a flood zone or a coastal/high-risk area, a separate NFIP or private flood policy may be appropriate to cover:
- Personal property
- Improvements
What about water damage from another unit?
Your HO-6 typically covers:
- Damage to your interior
- Your personal property
- Your liability if your unit causes damage to others
Coordination with the association and neighboring owners is often required.
Does HO-6 cover short-term rentals (Airbnb, VRBO, weekly rentals)?
In most cases, no — not in the standard Florida insurance market.
The reason is not just carrier preference; it is driven by reinsurance and statutory constraints, particularly the Florida Hurricane Catastrophe Fund (FHCF).
All standard HO-6 carriers rely on FHCF-backed reinsurance.
FHCF policy language and reinsurance treaties contain vague and restrictive occupancy definitions that create uncertainty around short-term rental exposure.
As a result:
- Many standard carriers are prohibited by their reinsurance agreements from covering short-term rentals.
- To preserve FHCF eligibility, carriers often exclude or restrict all short-term rental occupancy.
- This is an underwriting and reinsurance issue, not simply an agency guideline.
Therefore, most standard HO-6 policies in Florida:
- Allow owner-occupied and long-term rental use
- Allow seasonal or snowbird occupancy
- Exclude short-term rental use (Airbnb / VRBO / transient occupancy)
If a unit is used for short-term rental, coverage may require:
- A surplus lines or specialty market
- Different policy forms
- Different deductibles and pricing
- Compliance with association bylaws and local ordinances
We advise unit owners that:
Short-term rental use must be disclosed in advance, because in the FHCF-driven standard market it is often uninsurable under an HO-6 form.
We place coverage only where the occupancy type is fully compliant with both carrier underwriting and Florida reinsurance requirements.
Why use a condo specialist instead of a general agent?
Because Florida condo insurance involves:
- Statutory coverage boundaries
- Percentage hurricane deductibles
- Loss assessment mechanics
- Ordinance & law exposure
- Carrier-specific underwriting limits
We insure Florida condo unit owners only, and structure HO-6 policies around these realities.
How do I get a quote?
A proper HO-6 quote considers:
- Unit size and features
- Interior reconstruction cost
- Hurricane and wind exposure
- Occupancy type
- Carrier underwriting rules