Personal Insurance
Condo Insurance — Your HOA Policy Doesn't Cover You
Your condo association's master policy covers the building and common areas — but not your unit, belongings, or personal liability. An HO-6 condo policy fills those critical gaps.
What Your HOA Policy Doesn't Cover
Understanding the difference between the HOA master policy and your personal condo policy is essential to knowing you're actually protected.
HOA Master Policy — What It Covers
The condo association's master policy covers the building structure, common areas, and shared amenities. It protects the association — not individual unit owners.
Your Unit Interior
Depending on the master policy type, your walls, floors, and fixtures may or may not be covered by the HOA. Your HO-6 covers your unit interior.
Your Personal Belongings
Your furniture, electronics, clothing, and personal property are never covered by the HOA master policy. Your HO-6 covers them.
Your Personal Liability
If someone is injured inside your unit or you accidentally cause damage to a neighbor's unit, the HOA policy won't protect you.
Loss Assessment
If the HOA master policy has insufficient coverage for a major loss, the association may assess each unit owner for the shortfall. Loss assessment coverage pays your share.
Additional Living Expenses
If your unit becomes uninhabitable, ALE pays for temporary housing and increased living costs during repairs.
Condo insurance expertise
We write HO-6 condo policies and help condo owners understand the interaction between their personal policy and the HOA master policy.
What to ask your HOA
Before buying condo insurance, get a copy of the master policy and ask these questions.
- Is the master policy "bare walls in" or "all-in"?
- What are the master policy deductibles?
- What are the HOA loss assessment procedures?
- Is coverage on a replacement cost basis?
HO-6 Condo Coverage in Detail
Unit Interior / Dwelling
Covers your unit's interior — walls, floors, ceilings, fixtures, and improvements. The right limit depends on your HOA master policy type.
- Covers walls-in if master is "bare walls"
- Improvements and betterments
- Kitchen and bath fixtures
- Custom flooring and finishes
Personal Property
Covers furniture, electronics, clothing, and appliances against fire, theft, water damage, and other covered perils.
- Replacement cost or ACV options
- Worldwide coverage for belongings
- Sublimits for jewelry and valuables
- Consider a floater for high-value items
Personal Liability
Covers you if a guest is injured in your unit or you accidentally damage a neighbor's unit — a burst pipe flooding the unit below is one of the most common condo claims.
- Guest injury in your unit
- Damage to neighboring units
- Legal defense costs
- Recommend $300K minimum
Loss Assessment
Covers your share of an HOA special assessment resulting from an insured loss that exceeds the master policy limit.
- Fills gap when master policy falls short
- Available in $1K–$50K increments
- Relatively inexpensive
- Can save thousands after major events
Additional Living Expenses
If your unit is uninhabitable after a covered loss, pays for temporary housing and increased living costs.
- Hotel and temporary housing
- Increased meal costs
- Storage costs
- Duration varies by policy
Water Backup
Sewer and drain backup is one of the most common and costly condo losses — especially in buildings with shared plumbing.
- Sewer and drain backup
- Sump pump failure
- Inexpensive endorsement
- Strongly recommended
Common Questions
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The HOA master policy covers the building structure, common areas, and shared amenities. "Bare walls in" policies cover only the bare structure — you're responsible for everything inside. "All-in" policies cover unit interiors, but your belongings and liability are never covered.
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It depends on your HOA master policy type. If "bare walls in," you need enough dwelling coverage to rebuild your unit interior. If "all-in," you need less dwelling coverage but still need personal property and liability.
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Loss assessment coverage pays your share of a special assessment levied by your HOA after a covered loss exceeds the master policy limits. It's one of the most overlooked but important condo coverages.
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If a neighbor's pipe bursts and damages your unit, their liability should pay — but claims can be complicated, and your own HO-6 can step in while liability is being determined.
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Off-premises storage is typically covered up to a sublimit — often 10% of your personal property limit. If you store significant valuables, verify the sublimit.
Don't rely on your HOA to protect what's yours.
An HO-6 condo policy covers your unit, belongings, and liability — the coverage your association policy doesn't provide.