Who insures the kitchen cabinets? Who handles the deductible after a leak? An association board needs an answer residents can actually use. Start with the governing documents and both policies, then write down where the responsibility changes hands.
A condominium master policy generally addresses the association’s insured building and common-property interests. A unit-owner policy, often called HO-6, can address the owner’s belongings, personal liability and interior property within its terms. The dividing line depends on the association’s documents, applicable law and policy wording. Paying association dues does not answer every unit-owner coverage question.
Walk through the building before discussing the premium
- Structure and shared areas: Identify the association’s property, common elements and any separately maintained structures. Match that list with the master policy’s insured property and limits.
- Interiors and upgrades: Ask whether the master policy addresses original finishes, later improvements, both or neither. Have the unit owner’s insurer review the portion left to the owner.
- Belongings: Furniture, clothing and electronics need their own review under the resident’s personal property coverage. Do not infer contents coverage from the association’s building limit.
- Liability: Separate the association’s liability, a board member’s governance exposure and a unit owner’s personal liability. One policy name does not establish all three protections.
- Deductibles and assessments: Find the applicable deductible and how an assessment may be allocated. Then ask the owner’s insurer about the actual loss-assessment or deductible-related terms, limits and exclusions.
“Walls-in” is not a complete specification
Two proposals can use reassuring shorthand while insuring different parts of the unit. Ask for the policy’s actual definition of insured property and the relevant governing-document provisions. A cabinet, a floor covering and a later renovation can sit on different sides of that definition.
Washington’s regulator distinguishes all-in coverage, all-in coverage excluding improvements and bare-walls arrangements. Those descriptions are a useful vocabulary for the discussion. Read its condo insurance guide, then confirm the wording for your own association.
Keep a record of known interior improvements and confirm who must insure them. Ask how each policy treats original finishes and later upgrades. The installation date or the person who paid for the work does not settle coverage.
Separate maintenance duties from coverage decisions
Responsibility for maintaining property does not by itself establish how a policy responds to damage. Review the governing documents and both policies for these questions:
- Which property is damaged, and who has the obligation to maintain or insure it under the governing documents?
- Is the cause covered by the relevant policy, and do any water exclusions, limitations or deductibles apply?
- Who must report the event under the master policy and unit-owner policy, and what evidence should they preserve?
- If an assessment follows, what makes it eligible under the owner’s loss-assessment coverage, and what limits or special restrictions apply?
Keep the claim contact and reporting process clear for the board and owners. The relevant policy terms and facts determine the coverage response; these checks do not assign fault or guarantee payment.
Condo, HOA and co-op are different starting points
In an HOA of individually owned houses, first identify what the association actually owns or is obligated to insure. A pool or clubhouse does not automatically put every member’s house under a master property policy. For a condominium, the declaration and applicable condominium law help define the unit and common elements.
A co-op needs its own review of the corporation’s insurance, the shareholder’s occupancy agreement and the resident’s policy. Avoid sending a generic HO-6 requirement to every association member without checking the form of ownership. New York DFS discusses cooperative and condominium policies separately.
Leave the renewal meeting with a resident explanation
Bring the declaration and amendments, bylaws, current master policy and endorsements, renewal proposal, building values and loss history. Use the meeting to resolve a short list:
- What changed in the property insured, valuation basis, limits, exclusions and deductibles?
- Which deductible or uninsured amount may need association funds or a lawful assessment, and how will the board plan for it?
- What information should owners send their own insurance agent so their interior, assessment and personal coverage can be reviewed?
- Who receives a loss report, submits the master-policy claim and updates residents while it is reviewed?
A useful resident note names the current master insurer and policy period, explains where owners can obtain the relevant summary, identifies the claim contact and asks owners to review their own coverage. Keep the explanation consistent with the actual policies. A certificate or short email does not amend them.
Beagle’s association insurance page outlines its coverage review for condo, HOA and co-op communities.
Bring the governing documents and current policies when you book an association insurance review. Start with the unresolved responsibilities before comparing the price.
Review your association's coverage
Explore coverage for shared buildings, common areas and the association's responsibilities. Bring your governing documents and current policies to the discussion.