Key Takeaways
- Cypress offers the cheapest rates on condominium unit-owners insurance in Florida.
- Condo insurance rates range from $68 a month in Duval County to $179 a month in Miami-Dade County.
- Citizens is the best option when other companies won't insure your condo unit.
Although it’s becoming difficult to find HO-6 condominium insurance in Florida, it’s still important to shop around. As some companies stop insuring Florida condo units and others raise their prices, comparing quotes is the best way to make sure you are getting your best rate. Whether you are a new Florida condo owner or need to switch companies, here are key shopping tips for finding the best HO-6 condominium insurance in Florida.
In this article
Best condo insurance companies in Florida
Cypress, Homeowners Choice and Kin are the best companies for HO-6 condo insurance in Florida, based on a combination of price, financial strength and availability to new customers.
If you’re not familiar with the term, an HO-6 is homeowners insurance designed specifically for unit owners in condominiums and co-ops.
Cypress offers the state’s cheapest condo insurance, charging rates that average $96 a month, according to filings with the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation (FLOIR). Kin’s rates are not available in FLOIR’s database.
All three companies have an A rating for financial strength from Demotech. The better an insurance company’s financial strength rating, the less likely it is to go out of business.
Castle Key, a subsidiary of Allstate, is the state’s largest condo insurance provider. However, Allstate’s recently reported plans to reduce the number of condo units it insures in Florida may make it difficult to get a new policy from Castle Key.
Many other insurance companies have already scaled back their condo insurance offerings in Florida, and some companies don’t insure older condos or those located too close to the coast. If you’re having a hard time finding a company willing to insure your condo, Citizens may be your best bet.
A nonprofit insurance company created by the state, Citizens is only available to you if you meet either of the following criteria:
- You are unable to get coverage from a private insurance company.
- The lowest rate available from a private company is 20% higher than Citizens’ price for comparable coverage.
You have to contact a Citizens agent to verify your eligibility. The company offers an agent-lookup tool on its website to help you get started.
| Company | Monthly rate | Financial strength rating |
|---|---|---|
| Cypress | $96 | A (Demotech) |
| Castle Key | $104 | B+ (AM Best) |
| Citizens | $116 | Not rated |
| Homeowners Choice | $121 | A (Demotech) |
| Kin | Not available | A (Demotech) |
| Rates provided by the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation. | ||
Since condo insurance rates tend to vary by customer, it’s best to compare quotes from multiple companies when you shop.
Get free condo insurance quotes from top companies
How much is condo insurance in Florida?
The average cost of HO-6 condo insurance in Florida is $1,457 a year, or $121 a month, but rates vary by location.
For example, condo insurance rates average $68 a month in Duval County, compared to $179 a month in Miami-Dade County.
| County | Annual rate | Monthly rate |
|---|---|---|
| Broward | $1,346 | $112 |
| Duval | $812 | $68 |
| Hillsborough | $1,066 | $89 |
| Miami-Dade | $2,146 | $179 |
| Orange | $890 | $74 |
| Palm Beach | $1,668 | $139 |
| Pinellas | $1,133 | $94 |
| State average | $1,457 | $121 |
| Source: Florida Office of Insurance Regulation | ||
What does condo insurance cover in Florida?
Condo unit owners insurance in Florida covers the inside of your unit on a walls-in basis, your belongings, liability claims against you and other expenses.
Your condo’s homeowners association (HOA) is supposed to have a master policy that covers damage to the exteriors of buildings in your complex, as well as common areas, such as lobbies, hallways, rec rooms and pools.
A typical HO-6 for condo unit owners includes the following coverages:
- Dwelling or building property coverage for structural damage within your unit, including wall coverings, flooring, cabinets and countertops.
- Personal property or contents coverage for your belongings, including your furniture, appliances, electronics, clothing and recreational gear.
- Loss of use for temporary living expenses if covered damage leaves your home uninhabitable during repairs.
- Personal liability for expenses related to injuries or property damage you cause to others by accident, generally while not operating a vehicle.
- Guest medical coverage, which pays for medical treatment for a guest injured while visiting your home, regardless of fault.
- Loss assessment coverage of up to $2,000 for an assessment your HOA may impose to repair covered damage in common areas or shared liability expenses.
Most standard condo insurance policies in Florida cover your unit for a set of named perils that typically include fire, theft, vandalism, falling objects and several others. You can often upgrade to open-perils coverage, which broadens your protection by covering damage from any cause not specifically excluded by your policy.
Whether you choose named- or open-perils coverage, condo insurance typically does not cover damage from floods, but flood insurance is available separately.
In certain coastal regions, condo insurance also excludes wind and hail. In these areas, you typically need to purchase standalone windstorm coverage for protection from these risks.
Additional condo insurance coverages to consider
While standard HO-6 insurance in Florida covers many of the most-common insurance losses a condo unit owner may face, the following additional coverages are also worth considering.
Water backup coverage: A standard HO-6 policy does not cover damage from a backup of your home’s sewer or drainage system, including a sump-pump failure. However, most insurance companies offer a water backup endorsement that is relatively inexpensive to add to your policy.
Flood insurance: Since standard condo insurance does not cover damage resulting from floods, including storm surges, you may also need to consider getting flood insurance. If your condo’s HOA already has a master flood insurance policy, this coverage may extend to improvements in your unit, but not your belongings, which you can protect with contents-only flood insurance.
How much condo insurance is required in Florida?
Condo insurance is not required by state law in Florida, however, lenders typically require it for a mortgage, and many condo homeowners associations also require it.
Lenders typically require your building property coverage to match your unit’s replacement value. For a mortgage, a condo unit's replacement value is the estimated cost of rebuilding its interior to its specifications and quality grade at the time the loan was issued.
HOA insurance requirements vary by complex, but they generally include specified building property and liability limits.
If your home is in a high-risk flood zone, your lender is likely to also require you to get flood insurance, unless your condo’s HOA already has a master flood policy that provides enough building coverage for your unit.
How much condo insurance do I need in Florida?
It’s generally best to insure your condo at its replacement value, even if you don’t have a loan, while your contents and liability needs depend largely on your belongings and financial situation.
Choosing a building property limit for your condo insurance
Most insurance companies use software to calculate the amount of building property coverage you need, based on the replacement value of your condo unit’s interior fixtures.
You generally need to provide your insurance agent with accurate details about your unit to get an accurate calculation. Most insurance companies ask you to provide your unit’s square footage, the makeup and quality grade of your floors, wall coverings, cabinets and countertops as well as similar other details.
Your building property limit goes a long way toward determining your insurance rate. In Florida, the average price of a condo insurance policy with a $100,000 building property limit is $231 a month, more than double the rate of a $60,000 policy.
| Building property limit | Monthly rate |
|---|---|
| $40,000 | $77 |
| $60,000 | $90 |
| $80,000 | $114 |
| $100,000 | $231 |
| Source: National Association of Insurance Commissioners | |
If you disagree with the insurance company’s estimate of your unit’s replacement value, you may have to hire an appraiser to provide your own estimate.
How much coverage do I need for my contents?
Most insurance companies offer default limits for your contents, or belongings, but it usually does not cost much to increase this amount.
The best way to figure out how much contents coverage you need is to create a home inventory or an itemized list of your possessions and the value of each item or set.
If the combined value of your possessions is greater than your insurance company’s default contents limit, you can typically increase your limit. Doing so tends to only increase your rate by a relatively small amount.
It’s also important to consider adding a personal property rider to your policy for any high-value items you may have.
Most insurance companies place sublimits on the coverage they provide for jewelry, artworks and other valuables. For example, most standard policies limit the total amount of coverage available for jewelry to $1,500.
Adding a scheduled personal property rider to your policy can cover specific high-value items you own at their full worth.
How much personal liability coverage do I need for my condo insurance?
Most condo insurance policies come with $100,000 in liability protection, but you may need a higher limit, depending on your earnings and net worth.
The personal liability protection in your condo insurance policy typically extends to injuries or damage you may cause away from your home. This can include things such as accidentally hurting someone in a pickup basketball game or starting a kitchen fire in a vacation rental.
If you are found responsible for expenses that exceed your policy’s liability limit, you may have to tap into your retirement savings or other assets to cover the shortfall.
At minimum, your liability limit should match your net worth plus your mortgage balance. If you have a high net worth and/or earn a high salary, consider an umbrella policy for additional liability protection.
It’s also important to know that the personal liability coverage in condo insurance does not cover business activities. If you conduct a business in your condo unit, you may need commercial liability insurance.
QuoteWizard.com LLC has made every effort to ensure that the information on this site is correct, but we cannot guarantee that it is free of inaccuracies, errors, or omissions. All content and services provided on or through this site are provided "as is" and "as available" for use. QuoteWizard.com LLC makes no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, as to the operation of this site or to the information, content, materials, or products included on this site. You expressly agree that your use of this site is at your sole risk.