ASSOCIATIONS · STORM PREPARATION

Before the Storm: What Your Association Should Have on File

By Nelson Avila, Licensed Florida Public Adjuster (License G332385) · Florida Certified Contractor · Property Insurance Appraiser & Umpire
Homeland Public Adjusters · Last reviewed: October 2026

Board members walking a condo building as a storm approaches

Hurricane roof damage at a condo or HOA association building

A board’s job after a major storm goes faster, and the claim it files goes further, when certain records are already current rather than scrambled together afterward.

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The master policy itself, in hand

Short answer: An association’s storm claim goes faster and further when the full master policy, recent reserve studies, maintenance records, dated photos and a unit-owner contact list are current before the storm. Maintenance history matters most: it answers the argument that storm damage was old wear.

With the declarations page and any endorsements — not a summary from the management company — so whoever handles the claim knows exactly what’s covered, what the deductible structure looks like, and what’s excluded.

Recent reserve studies and maintenance records

A well-documented maintenance history helps counter the argument that storm damage was actually pre-existing wear or deferred maintenance, one of the most common reasons associations see claims disputed or reduced.

Pre-storm photos and video of common areas, the roof and building exteriors. Updated at least once a year, ideally right before hurricane season, this is the single most useful thing a board can do, since it establishes a clear “before” against any “after.”

A current unit roster and contact list also matters, so the board can reach every unit owner quickly after a widespread loss. Call Homeland before the association speaks with the insurance company about a post-storm claim. Boards that have these records ready are in a dramatically stronger position than those piecing it together after the fact.

Balcony furniture: the projectile problem

Community managers across Florida say the same thing before every storm: the notice goes out to clear the balconies, some owners do it, most do not. The chairs, planters and grills that stay become wind-blown projectiles that crack sliders, punch impact windows, dent cars and tear railings. After the storm they also start the hardest argument on the claim: whose policy pays.

A chair that leaves a balcony usually damages common elements (the master policy), another owner’s unit (that owner’s HO-6, with a possible claim back against the owner who left the chair) and sometimes a car (auto policy). The master policy adjuster will ask whether owners were told to clear their balconies. The unit owner’s carrier will ask whether the neighbor was negligent. If nobody can produce the notice or a dated photo of that balcony before the storm, the association tends to absorb the damage or chase an owner for months.

Two things that change the outcome. First, make the balcony notice part of the hurricane plan the board adopts, not only an email blast: a rule that balconies are cleared within 24 hours of a hurricane watch and that items found afterward are documented and removed at the owner’s cost is enforceable and visible in the claim file. Second, photograph the building the day before: one manager with a phone, walking the exterior and shooting every stack of balconies with the date on the photo. That hour is what later proves a slider was broken by a neighbor’s furniture rather than by wind, and what moves a disputed item to a paid one.

Homeland works with associations in Naples, Boca Raton and Ocean County before and after hurricane season.

Frequently asked questions

What records should a condo or HOA board have before hurricane season?

The full master policy with its declarations page and endorsements, recent reserve studies and maintenance records, pre-storm photos and video of common areas, the roof and exteriors, and a current unit roster and contact list.

Why do maintenance records matter for an association’s storm claim?

A well-documented maintenance history helps counter the argument that storm damage was pre-existing wear or deferred maintenance, one of the most common reasons association claims are disputed or reduced.

How often should an association take pre-storm photos?

At least once a year, ideally right before hurricane season, so there is a clear “before” to compare against any “after.”

Who pays when an owner’s balcony furniture damages another unit in a hurricane?

Common-element damage goes to the association’s master policy; damage inside another owner’s unit goes to that owner’s HO-6 policy, which may pursue the owner who left the furniture. The association’s pre-storm notice and dated pre-storm photos of the balconies are what decide those arguments.

Can a condo board require owners to clear balconies before a hurricane?

Boards commonly adopt a hurricane plan with a balcony-clearing rule, with items found after the deadline documented and removed at the owner’s cost. Have association counsel confirm the rule’s wording and adoption; once adopted it belongs in the file the insurer sees.

This article is for general information only and is not legal or insurance advice. Every policy and every claim is different — call Homeland. We review your policy language with you at no cost.

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