What is an HO-6 policy in property insurance?
An HO-6 is the homeowners form for a condominium unit owner. It covers the interior of the unit, personal property, loss of use, liability, and association loss assessments. The building exterior and the common elements belong to the association's master policy, so every condo claim starts by drawing that line.
| What it insures | The unit interior, personal property, loss of use, liability, and loss assessment |
|---|---|
| What it does not insure | The exterior of the condominium building, which sits on the association master policy |
| Florida floor | Unit owner policies must carry at least $2,000 of loss assessment coverage, Fla. Stat. 627.714 |
| Where the line is drawn | The association policy must exclude floor, wall and ceiling coverings, electrical fixtures, appliances, water heaters, built-in cabinets and countertops, and window treatments, Fla. Stat. 718.111(11)(f)3 |
| The recurring gap | The association deductible is a common expense of the condominium and comes back to owners as an assessment, Fla. Stat. 718.111(11)(j) |
What an HO-6 policy actually means
HO-6 is the policy form written for somebody who owns a unit inside a building that someone else insures. The association carries a master policy on the structure and the common elements. The HO-6 picks up what the master policy leaves out: the finished inside of the unit, your belongings, the cost of living elsewhere while the unit is unrepairable, liability, and the assessments the association charges you after a loss.
In Florida the dividing line is statutory, not a matter of opinion. Fla. Stat. 718.111(11)(f)3 requires the association policy to exclude all personal property inside the unit, plus floor, wall and ceiling coverings, electrical fixtures, appliances, water heaters, water filters, built-in cabinets and countertops, and window treatments. Everything on that list is the unit owner's to insure. Citizens describes its own HO-6 the same way: it covers certain features of the unit interior and does not cover the exterior of the building.
After a hurricane that produces two claims, not one. Wind takes the roof, water runs down through three floors of units, and the association files on the master policy while every owner files on their own HO-6. The two adjusters do not talk to each other, and the gap between them is where unit owners lose money.
What an HO-6 policy does to a hurricane claim
Read the declaration of condominium next to the statute before accepting anyone's line-drawing. Drywall, paint, flooring, cabinets and appliances sit on the unit owner's side of Fla. Stat. 718.111(11)(f)3. A carrier or a board that calls them association property is arguing against the statute.
Expect an assessment and check the limit now. Fla. Stat. 718.111(11)(j) makes the association's deductible and everything above its limits a common expense of the condominium, which is another way of saying it comes back to owners. That is what loss assessment coverage exists to pay, and the $2,000 statutory minimum is nowhere near a hurricane number.
Document the interior the day the water stops. Photograph every room, every finish, and every appliance before demolition, because the HO-6 claim lives entirely on the unit owner's own record. The photo protocol is the checklist.
Track both claims on one timeline. The unit claim and the association claim run separately, and an association still negotiating with its own carrier does not stop your deadlines from running. Use the condo and HOA playbook to keep the two files aligned.
Loss assessment coverage
Condominium unit-owner coverage for an association assessment charged to owners after a covered loss to common elements. Limits are usually small by default and can be endorsed upward.
Fixture
Personal property attached to a building permanently enough that it is treated as part of the building. The label decides which coverage pays, at what limit, and whether depreciation and contents sublimits apply.
Coverage A (dwelling)
The limit that applies to the house itself, including attached structures. Most other limits in a homeowners policy are calculated as a percentage of Coverage A.
Coverage C (personal property)
Contents. Typically 50 to 70 percent of Coverage A, usually settled at actual cash value unless replacement cost on contents was purchased, and carved up by sublimits for categories like jewelry, firearms, and electronics.
Every term on a denial letter is defined in the glossary.
- Fla. Stat. 718.111(11) (condominium association insurance; what the association policy must exclude; deductibles as a common expense) · flsenate.gov ↗
- Fla. Stat. 627.714 (residential condominium unit owner coverage; loss assessment coverage required) · flsenate.gov ↗
- Citizens Property Insurance Corporation, personal policies (HO-6 Condominium Unit Owners) · citizensfla.com ↗
Statute summaries drafted August 2026 and simplified for education; verify against current statute. Not legal advice; consult an attorney about your specific claim.
The word on the letter is not the last word.
Send the denial letter, the estimate, or the assessment notice. You will get a straight read on whether the provision the carrier applied actually does what the letter says it does.
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