CONDO UNIT OWNERS · POLICY BASICS

HOA Master Policy vs. HO-6: What the Association’s Policy Covers and What Yours Does

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

Side-by-side view of a water-damaged condo unit interior and the condominium building exterior

Flood-damaged built-in cabinetry and fixtures inside a condo unit

The association’s master policy and your own unit-owner policy are not the same coverage looking at the same loss from two angles — they’re genuinely separate policies, often from separate carriers, and a single loss can fall partly on each.

What the master policy usually handles

The building’s structure, common areas, and — depending on the association’s governing documents and whether it carries a “bare walls,” “single entity” or “all-in” coverage designation — sometimes original fixtures inside the unit, like built-in cabinets or flooring, as they existed when the building was constructed.

What your own policy usually handles

Your personal belongings, upgrades or improvements you made to the unit, loss-of-use if the unit becomes uninhabitable, and your portion of a master-policy deductible or special assessment if the association’s documents make unit owners responsible for it.

Where this gets confusing. A single water or fire loss can trigger a claim against the association’s master policy for the building and common-area damage, and a separate claim against your own policy for your belongings and any upgrades — filed at the same time, documented differently, and sometimes handled by two different adjusters who don’t talk to each other.

What does HOA insurance cover? The Florida rule

In Florida the split is not a matter of custom. Fla. Stat. §718.111(11)(f) requires the association’s master policy to 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 then lists what the master policy does not cover when the item is inside a unit and serves only that unit: personal property, floor, wall and ceiling coverings, electrical fixtures, appliances, water heaters, water filters, built-in cabinets and countertops, and window treatments including curtains, drapes, blinds and hardware. Everything on that list is the unit owner’s HO-6 to insure. New Jersey has no equivalent statute; the master deed and bylaws draw the line, and most follow the same pattern.

Item	Master policy or HO-6 (Florida)
Roof, exterior walls, windows as originally installed, elevators, pool, hallways	Master policy
Drywall inside the unit	Master policy (the drywall is building; the paint on it is a wall covering, HO-6)
Flooring, cabinets, countertops, appliances, water heater, light fixtures, window treatments	HO-6
Furniture, electronics, clothing	HO-6 (Coverage C)
Your share of an assessment after a covered loss	HO-6 loss assessment coverage, at least $2,000 under §627.714

Condo master policy claim: who files it, and how the two claims fit together

The association is the named insured on the master policy, so the board or the manager reports the building damage and controls that claim. A unit owner who calls the master carrier directly about the roof creates a second, uncoordinated file and sometimes a recorded statement the board never sees. The owner’s job is the HO-6 claim: report the inside-the-unit damage and contents to your own carrier, give the manager your photos, and keep the two claims consistent about what was damaged and when. On a large loss the association’s public adjuster and the owner’s can be the same firm or different ones; what matters is that the master claim is proved before the deductible and any shortfall are assessed back to owners.

Master policy vs. HO-6 by the numbers

$2,000Minimum loss assessment coverage on a Florida unit owner policy (Fla. Stat. §627.714)

$250Maximum deductible Florida allows on loss assessment coverage

2–5%Typical hurricane deductible on a master policy, as a share of the insured value, assessed to owners when reserves cannot cover it

1 dayThe loss assessment limit that applies is the one in effect one day before the loss, not a later increase

Sources: Fla. Stat. §718.111 · Fla. Stat. §627.714

Why this matters before a loss, not just after

Homeland represents individual condo unit owners, separately from any work we may do for an association’s board. Call us before you speak with either insurance company, and we’ll help sort out which policy responds to what.

Homeland sorts out master-versus-unit coverage for condo owners in Key Biscayne, Clearwater and Miami Beach.

Frequently asked questions

What does a condo association’s master policy usually cover?

The building’s structure and common areas, and depending on whether the governing documents use a “bare walls,” “single entity” or “all-in” designation, sometimes original fixtures inside units like built-in cabinets or flooring.

What does my own condo unit policy cover?

Your personal belongings, upgrades or improvements you made, loss of use if the unit becomes uninhabitable, and your portion of a master-policy deductible or special assessment if the association’s documents make owners responsible for it.

Can one condo loss involve two insurance claims?

Yes. A single water or fire loss can trigger a claim against the master policy for the building and common areas and a separate claim against your own policy, sometimes handled by two different adjusters.

Who files the condo master policy claim?

The association, through the board or its manager, because it is the named insured. Unit owners report inside-the-unit damage to their own HO-6 carrier and give the manager their photos so the two claims match.

Does HOA insurance cover the inside of my unit?

In Florida, only the parts of the unit that are building as originally installed, such as drywall. Flooring, cabinets, countertops, appliances, the water heater, fixtures and window treatments inside the unit are excluded from the master policy by statute and belong on your HO-6.

This article is for general information only and is not legal or insurance advice. Every policy and every claim is different — always review your own policy language or speak with a licensed public adjuster about your specific situation.

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