Florida Condo Insurance (HO-6): Master Policy, Walls-In and Assessments

Buying a condo in Florida means sharing insurance responsibility with your neighbors. The association insures the building, you insure your unit’s interior and your belongings, and Florida law draws the line between the two more precisely than most owners realize.

The rules on special assessments changed after the 2021 Surfside collapse, too. Many associations now face structural inspections and reserve requirements that can lead to large assessments. This guide explains what your HO-6 policy covers, what the master policy covers, and where those new requirements fit.

What is HO-6 condo insurance?

An HO-6 is a homeowners policy designed for condominium unit owners. It typically covers:

• Your share of the building: the interior items Florida law makes the owner’s responsibility (often called “walls-in” coverage), usually listed as Coverage A on an HO-6.
• Personal property: furniture, clothing, electronics and other belongings.
• Loss of use: additional living expenses if a covered loss makes the unit unlivable.
• Personal liability: injuries or damage you’re legally responsible for.
• Loss assessment: your share of certain association assessments after a covered loss.

Citizens Property Insurance describes its HO-6 the same way: coverage for certain features of the unit’s interior, personal property, additional living expenses and liability.

What does the condo association’s master policy cover?

Section 718.111(11), Florida Statutes, requires every residential condominium association to carry adequate property insurance, with replacement cost determined by an independent appraisal at least every three years. The master policy must provide primary coverage for:

1. All portions of the condominium property as originally installed, or replacements of like kind and quality, following the original plans and specifications.
2. Alterations or additions made by the association under section 718.113(2).

The same subsection says the master policy must exclude personal property inside the unit and a specific list of interior items. Those items, and any insurance on them, are the unit owner’s responsibility.

Which parts of a Florida condo do you insure yourself?

Here’s how section 718.111(11)(f) splits the property:

Item	Master policy (association)	HO-6 (unit owner)
Building structure, roof, exterior walls, common elements	Yes	No (but see loss assessment)
Floor, wall and ceiling coverings	No	Yes
Electrical fixtures	No	Yes
Appliances	No	Yes
Water heaters and water filters	No	Yes
Built-in cabinets and countertops	No	Yes
Window treatments (curtains, drapes, blinds)	No	Yes
Your personal property	No	Yes
Your personal liability	No	Yes

The excluded items count only if they’re inside the unit’s boundaries and serve only that unit. Your declaration of condominium can add detail, so read the insurance and maintenance sections before you choose your Coverage A limit. If you’ve upgraded the kitchen or floors, price your coverage to replace those upgrades, not builder-grade finishes.

Your HO-6 must also state that it’s excess over any other policy covering the same property, under section 627.714(4).

Liability matters here too. Under section 718.111(11)(j), if damage to the building, other units or other owners’ property is caused by your negligence (or that of your family, tenants or guests) and isn’t paid by insurance, you can be responsible for the repair cost. A leaking water heater that damages the unit below is the classic example, and it’s the kind of claim the personal liability part of an HO-6 is meant for, subject to the policy’s terms.

What is loss assessment coverage, and how much does Florida require?

Loss assessment coverage pays your share of an assessment the association levies after a covered loss, such as when the association’s hurricane deductible or a shortfall leaves a repair bill that’s split among owners.

Under section 627.714, Florida Statutes, every unit owner’s policy issued or renewed since July 1, 2010 must include:

• At least $2,000 of loss assessment coverage for all assessments arising from the same direct loss, no matter how many assessments the association levies.
• A deductible of no more than $250 per direct property loss, and no deductible at all if one was already applied to your other property loss from the same event.

The limit that applies is the one in effect the day before the loss. Raising your limit after a hurricane is named won’t help with that storm’s assessments.

Association deductibles are set by the board under section 718.111(11)(c), based on the funds and assessment authority available, and section 718.111(11)(j) makes deductibles and damage beyond the master policy’s coverage a common expense shared by the owners. A percentage hurricane deductible on a whole building can be large, so many owners carry well above the $2,000 minimum. Ask the association for the master policy’s declarations page to see its deductibles, and our guide to the Florida hurricane deductible explains how percentage deductibles are calculated.

For claims, section 627.70132(4) gives you until the later of one year after the loss or 90 days after the board votes to levy the assessment, but no more than three years after the loss.

What are milestone inspections and structural integrity reserve studies?

After the 2021 Champlain Towers South collapse in Surfside, the Legislature passed Senate Bill 4-D in 2022, and later amended the rules, most recently in 2025. As of October 2026, two requirements stand out for owners.

Milestone inspections (section 553.899). Condo and co-op buildings three or more habitable stories tall must have a milestone inspection by December 31 of the year the building turns 30, measured from its certificate of occupancy, and every 10 years after that. A local building official may require the first inspection at 25 years based on local conditions such as proximity to salt water. A licensed architect or engineer performs it, starting with a visual phase one and moving to a more detailed phase two if signs of substantial structural deterioration are found.

Structural integrity reserve studies, or SIRS (section 718.112(2)(g)). Associations must have a SIRS at least every 10 years for each building three or more habitable stories tall. It covers the roof, structure and load-bearing elements, fireproofing and fire protection, plumbing, electrical, waterproofing and exterior painting, windows and exterior doors, plus other items costing more than $25,000 that affect them. Unit-owner-controlled associations that existed on or before July 1, 2022 had to complete their first SIRS by December 31, 2025.

The study must include a reserve funding plan. For budgets adopted on or after December 31, 2024, unit owners in an association that must have a SIRS generally can no longer vote to waive or reduce reserves for those items.

If your building has fewer than three habitable stories, these two requirements don’t apply.

Why do these rules lead to special assessments, and does insurance pay?

Inspections can turn up repairs, and reserve studies put a price on future replacements. When an association has to fund both and can’t waive reserves, the money comes from higher regular dues, special assessments, loans or lines of credit. SIRS rules specifically contemplate those funding methods.

Here’s the insurance catch: loss assessment coverage applies to assessments resulting from a direct loss of a type your policy covers. Repairs from age, wear or deferred maintenance, and reserve contributions, aren’t a covered loss. So an HO-6 generally won’t pay a special assessment for concrete restoration or a roof replacement that’s due because of age. Budget for those separately, and ask for the association’s latest milestone report and SIRS before you buy a unit.

Does an HO-6 cover hurricanes and flood?

An HO-6 usually covers wind damage to your interior items and belongings, subject to its hurricane deductible, which is a percentage of your HO-6 Coverage A. It doesn’t cover flood. Condo and townhouse owners in NFIP communities can buy flood coverage through the National Flood Insurance Program or a private insurer, and the association may separately insure the building against flood.

What to have ready before you request a quote

1. Your unit address, building height (number of stories) and year built.
2. The insurance section of your declaration of condominium.
3. The master policy’s declarations page, including its hurricane and all other perils deductibles.
4. A list of upgrades you’ve made to floors, cabinets, countertops and fixtures.
5. Your current HO-6 declarations page, if you have one.
6. Any recent milestone inspection or SIRS summary from the association.

Our condo insurance page covers unit owner policies, and our HOA and condo insurance program covers association coverage. When you’re ready, request a condo quote and ask us to match your loss assessment limit to the master policy’s deductible.