Homeland Public Adjusters represents condominium, HOA, co-op and master associations, and the managers who run them, with property insurance claims in Florida and New Jersey. A condominium association insurance claim or HOA insurance claim is a master policy claim: the association, not the unit owners, proves the loss to the common elements, and the board answers to every owner for the result. When a storm, fire, or water loss damages shared property, our licensed public adjusters document the loss, review the master policy, and present the claim to the insurance company on the board’s behalf.
Florida condominium and homeowners associations face hurricane and wind losses, water damage and fire across roofs, exteriors and shared buildings, often with a master policy and a percentage-based deductible. Homeland represents boards and managers from the first inspection through resolution, in Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach and across the state.
After a hurricane, the association's roofs are the master-policy claim; the water that came through them splits between the association and the unit owners.
Condo and HOA Association Claims in New Jersey
New Jersey condominium, townhome and community associations deal with nor’easters, coastal storms, flooding, fire and water damage to common property. Homeland represents boards and managers across New Jersey on the claim itself. The Adjuster Advantage Associations tools are available to Florida associations today.
ADJUSTER ADVANTAGE™ FOR ASSOCIATIONS · NO COST TO JOIN
Your insurance company has its own adjusters. Now your association can have yours.
Adjuster Advantage for Community Associations is made for condo, HOA, co-op and master association boards and for the managers who run them, including clubhouses, pools, gyms and other shared buildings. Know your coverage, keep your records, and have someone to call, before a storm and after one.
FOR THE MASTER POLICY
Policy Scan™
Upload the master policy. A licensed Homeland public adjuster reviews it and explains it in plain words: the deductibles in dollars, not just percentages, and what the association insures versus what each owner covers.
DATED PHOTOS AND DOCUMENTS
Safety Vault™ Building Record
Keep dated photos and documents of the roof, exterior, common areas, equipment, clubhouse and amenities, grouped by area. Download the building record as a PDF for the board.
REMINDERS FOR THE DATES YOU ENTER
90DAY XPlus™
The board enters the master policy renewal, milestone inspection, structural integrity reserve study and other dates. We email reminders 90, 30 and 7 days before each date you enter.
BEFORE AND AFTER A STORM
Prep Alerts + Building Storm Check-in
National Weather Service warnings for the building’s county. After a storm, owners report from their phones: I’m OK, I have damage, or I need help. The board sees one dashboard, unit by unit, for the owners who choose to share.
Questions about damage, the policy or what comes next? Your board has a licensed Homeland public adjuster to call, day or night. Hiring Homeland is always optional.
FOR COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION MANAGERS
Manager portfolio
Every building you manage on one screen: whether Homeland has confirmed you, the record files, the next date due and the last storm check-in.
For Florida associations today, with more states to follow. Each owner can also join Adjuster Advantage for their own unit: their own Safety Vault™, Policy Scan™ for the unit policy, Prep Alerts and Lifeline Card™.
Joining Adjuster Advantage is free and does not create a contract or agreement with Homeland Public Adjusters for any claim. Hiring Homeland is optional and requires a separate written agreement.
Condo, HOA, and Association Claims
Condominium and homeowners associations are responsible for insuring common elements such as roofs, exterior walls, hallways, elevators, pools, clubhouses, and amenities. After a storm or other covered loss, the association board must manage the claim while keeping owners informed and protecting the community’s reserves.
Association claims require coordination between the master policy, unit owner policies, property managers, contractors, and the board. Homeland Public Adjusters helps associations determine which damage falls under the master policy, document losses across multiple buildings and units, and keep the claim moving through each stage of the process.
Common area damage: Roofs, facades, balconies, stairwells, lobbies, and shared mechanical systems
Multi-building losses: Organized documentation when damage affects several buildings in the same community
Master policy review: Identifying applicable coverage, deductibles, and limits under the association’s policy
Board communication: Clear updates the board can share with unit owners and property management
Hurricane deductibles: Reviewing how percentage-based wind or hurricane deductibles apply to the loss
Clubhouses, pools and amenities: Shared buildings and facilities that are part of the community
Who Handles the Claim: Association or Unit Owner?
Condo water damage, a neighbor’s fire or a hurricane rarely damages only one layer of the building, so the first question on every association claim is who is responsible for what. In Florida the answer starts with the statute, not with the adjuster’s opinion. In New Jersey it starts with the declaration and the master deed, which usually follow the same line.
Damaged item
Whose policy responds
Why
Roof, exterior walls, windows (as originally installed), stairwells, elevators, pool, clubhouse, common-area plumbing and electrical
Association master policy
Florida Statutes 718.111(11)(f) requires the association to insure all portions of the condominium property as originally installed, plus later alterations to the common elements.
Drywall, paint and wallpaper inside the unit
Association master policy (drywall); unit owner HO-6 (wall and ceiling coverings)
The statute excludes floor, wall and ceiling coverings from the master policy, but the drywall itself is part of the building.
Flooring, kitchen cabinets and countertops, appliances, water heater, electrical fixtures, window treatments
Unit owner HO-6
Listed in 718.111(11)(f) as excluded from the master policy when they are inside the unit and serve only that unit.
Furniture, electronics, clothing and other personal property
Unit owner HO-6 (Coverage C)
Personal property inside the unit is excluded from the master policy.
The master policy deductible, and covered damage above the master policy limit
Association as a common expense, which can become a special assessment
Unit owners with loss assessment coverage on their HO-6 can claim their share; Florida requires at least $2,000 of that coverage on unit owner policies.
Leak from one unit into another
Depends on what was damaged and whether the cause is covered, not on whose unit the water came from
The building parts go to the master policy; the finishes and contents go to each owner's HO-6; negligence can bring a third policy into it.
Two consequences follow. First, a unit owner should not report building damage directly to the master policy carrier as if it were their own claim; the board or the manager reports it, and the owner reports the inside-the-unit portion to their HO-6 carrier. Second, when the master policy pays less than the repair costs, the gap is a common expense, and that is how a hurricane deductible becomes a special assessment. The fuller explanations are in our guides to the master policy versus the unit owner policy and to who is responsible for water damage in a condo.
Condo Unit Owners: Loss Assessments
When a covered loss damages the building and the association’s insurance does not cover all of it, for example because of a large hurricane deductible, the association may assess unit owners for their share. A condo unit owner’s policy can include loss assessment coverage that pays the owner’s share of an assessment after a covered loss. Florida requires condo unit policies issued or renewed on or after July 1, 2010 to include at least $2,000 of it, and the limit that applies is the one in effect the day before the loss. Notice of a loss assessment claim is due by the later of 1 year after the date of loss or 90 days after the board votes to levy the assessment, and no later than 3 years after the date of loss. Check your policy and your condominium documents, and call us if you have been assessed.
Sources: Sections 627.714 and 627.70132, Florida Statutes. Policy Scan™ can show whether you have this coverage and at what limit.
What a Board Should Do After Association Property Damage
Acting quickly and keeping careful records can help protect an association claim from the start.
1
Protect the property: Take reasonable steps to prevent further damage, such as tarping roofs, extracting water, or securing openings, and keep receipts for this work.
2
Document the common elements: Photograph and video roofs, exteriors, hallways, lobbies, equipment, amenities, and shared systems before cleanup or repairs begin.
3
Let Homeland notify the carrier: Call us before you speak with the insurance company. Hire us, and we’ll submit the notice of loss according to the master policy requirements and handle every carrier conversation from there.
4
Keep the community informed: Update unit owners and the property manager, and remind owners to report damage inside their own units to their own insurers.
5
Gather the association’s documents: The master policy, declarations, prior inspection and reserve reports, maintenance records, and vendor contracts.
6
Track emergency expenses: Board-up, water extraction, temporary repairs and other loss-related costs all need receipts.
7
Record board decisions: Keep minutes and notices that show what the board decided and when.
8
Track the timeline: Record when the damage occurred, when repairs started, and when the community returned to normal.
9
Review the policy: Look for hurricane or wind deductibles, limits, conditions, and notice requirements.
10
Speak with a public adjuster: Contact Homeland Public Adjusters before accepting a settlement or signing a release so we can review the claim and the policy.
PREPARE BEFORE THE NEXT STORM
You don’t have to remember all of this. Adjuster Advantage has your board prepared.
Our team handles the claim from inspection through resolution so boards and managers can focus on the community. Homeland is a Business Partner member of the Community Associations Institute (CAI), Southeast Florida Chapter, and a member of the Florida Association of Public Insurance Adjusters (FAPIA).
Detailed damage inspection: We inspect the buildings and common elements to identify visible and hidden damage.
Master policy review: We review the master policy to identify applicable coverage, deductibles, limits, and conditions.
Repair and replacement estimates: We prepare a detailed estimate of the cost to repair or replace damaged property.
Carrier communication: We communicate with the insurance company and its adjusters and respond to requests for information.
Board and manager updates: Clear status reports the board can share with owners.
Negotiation: We advocate for a fair settlement based on the policy and the documented loss.
Florida and New Jersey: We represent associations in both states.
Serving property owners since 2007.
No Recovery, No Fee.
Condo & HOA Claims by the Numbers
Community associations by the numbers
50,600Community associations in Florida, housing 4.47 million units and 10.9 million residents (CAI, 2025)
7,300Community associations in New Jersey, 569,000 units (CAI, 2025)
931,892Condo unit-owner (HO-6) policies in force in Florida as of March 2026, plus 19,240 condo wind-only policies, 74.5% of them with Citizens (OIR)
13,000Condo associations in Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach alone, with nearly 610,000 units (Dec 2023)
Florida. Florida law requires notice of an initial or reopened property claim within 1 year after the date of loss, and notice of a supplemental claim within 18 months. For hurricanes and similar weather events, the date of loss is the landfall date or the date the event is verified. The claim-handling deadlines (acknowledge within 7 calendar days, pay or deny within 60 days after notice) apply to residential property insurers, and Florida defines residential coverage to include condominium and cooperative association policies. Unit owner loss assessment claims have their own notice rule, described above. Your policy may include its own requirements, so do not wait.
New Jersey. New Jersey regulations require insurers to begin an investigation within 10 working days of notice of a claim and set a 30-calendar-day period, running from receipt of a properly executed proof of loss, for first-party claims, with written explanations and updates every 45 days if more time is needed.
Free Board & Manager Education Session. Thirty minutes, on site or by video, in English or Spanish: who covers what, the deductible in dollars, the clocks that run on the association, the first 72 hours, where claims come up short and the dispute options. See all twelve slides or request a session for your board or management company.
For Property Managers and CAMs
In most communities the manager, not the board, is the person who finds the damage, calls the carrier and lives with the claim for the next year. Florida licenses community association managers under Part VIII of Chapter 468, and the statute defines the work: handling association funds, preparing budgets, noticing meetings, coordinating maintenance and the other routine services involved in running the association. Negotiating an insurance claim on the association’s behalf for compensation is public adjusting, which Florida licenses separately, so a manager who wants the claim handled well brings in a licensed public adjuster and keeps the board informed. New Jersey does not license community association managers at the state level, but the same line applies: the public adjuster license belongs to the person negotiating the claim.
What we take off your desk: the carrier calls, the inspection scheduling, the estimate, the proof of loss and the supplement after the first payment.
What we need from you: the master policy and declarations page, the declaration or master deed, the last reserve study or milestone report, access, and the owner list for unit-level coordination.
What the board sees: a written status at each stage you can forward to the directors, and a board-meeting summary when they want one.
What we never do: contact unit owners without the manager’s knowledge, sign for the association, or give the board legal advice.
Managers who want their boards to understand the process before the next storm can book a free Board & Manager Education Session, on site or by video, with a handout the directors keep.
In the News: A Real Condo & HOA Associations Claim
In the News. According to NBC 6 South Florida, when fire tore through the New World Condominiums building in Miami-Dade County in January 2023, the association had no fire insurance at all — its policy had been canceled, and owners had voted down a special assessment meant to fund 40-year recertification work. The result: nearly 200 residents displaced and 75 units damaged, with no master policy to fall back on. It's a stark reminder that a condo or HOA board's insurance decisions ripple through every unit owner's financial security, and that even associations with coverage can find their master policy's payout falling short of what a major fire, storm, or structural loss actually costs. When an association's claim gets delayed, underpaid, or disputed, a licensed public adjuster can help the board document the loss and pursue the full amount the policy owes — Homeland Public Adjusters works with condo and HOA boards across Florida and New Jersey to do exactly that.
Free board education session. Homeland presents a 30-minute, vendor-neutral session to boards and managers: who covers what, the deductible in dollars, the deadlines, and where association claims come up short. Request a session for your board.
Condo & HOA Association FAQs
Who files the claim for a condo or HOA, the association or the unit owners?
The association files for the common elements under the master policy. Each unit owner files for their own unit and belongings under their own policy. Homeland works with boards on the master policy claim.
What is the difference between the master policy and a unit owner’s policy?
The association’s master policy generally covers the building structure and common areas — it does not cover a unit owner’s personal belongings or interior finishes. Those are the unit owner’s own responsibility under their individual policy. Homeland can help determine which policy applies to each part of a loss.
How do hurricane deductibles work for an association?
Florida law requires a hurricane deductible separate from the policy’s all-other-perils deductible, usually a percentage of the dwelling or structure coverage limit (commonly 2%, 5%, or 10%, with the options depending on the size of the policy) rather than a flat dollar amount — though the insurer must still disclose the dollar equivalent on the Declarations Page. It generally applies once per hurricane season to claims against the same insurer group. The exact percentage and dollar amount are specific to each association’s own policy; Policy Scan™ can show you both.
Source: Florida Department of Financial Services, Florida's Hurricane Deductible (myfloridacfo.com).
What is Adjuster Advantage for Associations, and what does it cost?
It’s free to join, with no cost and no contract or agreement with Homeland Public Adjusters for any future claim. It gives boards and managers the master policy explained in plain words, a dated Safety Vault™ building record, 90DAY XPlus™ reminders, Prep Alerts with a Building Storm Check-in, and a Manager Portfolio for anyone overseeing more than one building.
Can a manager see all of their associations in one place?
Yes. A community association manager’s Manager Portfolio shows every building they manage on one screen: whether Homeland has confirmed the association, its record files, the next date due, and the last storm check-in.
Can you handle a loss that affects several buildings?
Yes. Typically it’s one overall claim, but each affected building is documented and evaluated as its own part of that claim, the same approach Homeland uses for multi-building condo and association properties.
When does a condo association need a public adjuster?
As soon as a loss touches the common elements, the building envelope or more than one unit, and before the board accepts the insurer's scope. Association claims involve a master policy with its own deductible, unit owners' policies, the declaration's maintenance and insurance provisions, and a board that has a fiduciary duty to the members. A public adjuster documents the loss for the association, prepares the claim under the master policy and negotiates it so the board isn't deciding between an underpaid claim and a special assessment. Homeland handles condo, HOA, co-op and master association claims in Florida and New Jersey.
Does Homeland work with the property manager and the board?
Yes. On most association claims we coordinate with the community association manager day to day and report to the board or its insurance committee at the decision points: scope, the insurer's position, any appraisal or mediation, and settlement. Unit owners with their own damage are referred to their own policies, and we can represent them separately.
What does the association’s master policy cover in Florida?
Under Florida Statutes 718.111(11)(f), the master policy must cover all portions of the condominium property as originally installed under the plans and specifications, and all alterations or additions to the common elements. It excludes personal property inside units, floor, wall and ceiling coverings, electrical fixtures, appliances, water heaters and filters, built-in cabinets and countertops, and window treatments that are inside a unit and serve only that unit. Those belong on the unit owner’s HO-6.
Should a unit owner report damage directly to the master policy carrier?
Report it to the manager or the board first. The association is the named insured on the master policy and controls that claim; an owner calling the master carrier about building damage can create a second, uncoordinated claim file. The owner reports the inside-the-unit damage and contents to their own HO-6 carrier, and the two claims are then reconciled against the statute’s split of responsibility.
Can a property manager negotiate the association’s insurance claim?
A manager can report the loss, gather records and coordinate access, but negotiating the amount of an insurance claim on someone else’s behalf for compensation is public adjusting, which Florida licenses separately from community association management. Boards that want the claim negotiated bring in a licensed public adjuster, and the manager stays the point of contact.
What does the association’s master policy cover in Florida?
Under Florida Statutes 718.111(11)(f), the master policy must cover all portions of the condominium property as originally installed under the plans and specifications, and all alterations or additions to the common elements. It excludes personal property inside units, floor, wall and ceiling coverings, electrical fixtures, appliances, water heaters and filters, built-in cabinets and countertops, and window treatments that are inside a unit and serve only that unit. Those belong on the unit owner’s HO-6.
Should a unit owner report damage directly to the master policy carrier?
Report it to the manager or the board first. The association is the named insured on the master policy and controls that claim; an owner calling the master carrier about building damage can create a second, uncoordinated claim file. The owner reports the inside-the-unit damage and contents to their own HO-6 carrier, and the two claims are then reconciled against the statute’s split of responsibility.
Can a property manager negotiate the association’s insurance claim?
A manager can report the loss, gather records and coordinate access, but negotiating the amount of an insurance claim on someone else’s behalf for compensation is public adjusting, which Florida licenses separately from community association management. Boards that want the claim negotiated bring in a licensed public adjuster, and the manager stays the point of contact.
Association claims usually begin with a specific type of property damage. Homeland Public Adjusters assists boards and managers with each of these covered losses.
Serving on a board or managing a community after property damage is difficult enough without also handling a complex insurance claim. Contact Homeland for a free review of your association claim. Our team can document the damage, organize the supporting evidence, and represent the association throughout the claims process.
By Nelson Avila
