Florida Condo Unit-Owner HO-6 Insurance Claims

Florida Condo Unit-Owner HO-6 Claims

If you own a condo in Florida, your HO-6 unit-owner policy is not the master policy in miniature — it's a different product that picks up where the master leaves off. The boundary line is set by the declaration of condominium, modified by Fla. Stat. 718.111(11), and contested by carriers any time a unit owner files a claim.

What HO-6 typically covers

Coverage A — Dwelling (betterments and improvements): cabinetry, countertops, upgraded flooring, fixtures, anything installed beyond original spec
Coverage B — Other structures: usually minimal or absent in a condo
Coverage C — Personal property: furnishings, electronics, clothing, contents
Coverage D — Loss of use / ALE: hotel, rental, restaurant differential while uninhabitable
Coverage E — Personal liability: bodily injury / property damage liability
Coverage F — Medical payments to others
Loss-assessment coverage — typically a sub-limit ($1,000-$50,000 or more), critical after a master-policy loss
Ordinance or law — often available by endorsement

Coverage scope vs the master policy

Florida condo declarations typically follow one of three coverage-scope models:

"Bare walls" / "walls-in" — master covers structure only to the inside surface of perimeter walls/ceiling/floor; HO-6 covers everything from drywall in. Most aggressive HO-6 exposure.
"Original installation" / "single entity" — master covers everything originally installed including drywall, subfloor, basic flooring, basic fixtures; HO-6 covers betterments only. Fla. Stat. 718.111(11)(f) imposes this as the statutory minimum.
"All-in" — master covers everything including upgraded fixtures (rare in Florida post-2008 reforms; some pre-existing declarations still operate this way).

Read your declaration. It controls.

Why HO-6 claims commonly underpay

Master/HO-6 ping-pong. Master carrier says "that's an HO-6 item"; HO-6 carrier says "that's a master item." You're stuck.
Original-installation disputes. Carrier argues the granite countertop is "betterment" (HO-6) when the declaration says "as originally installed by developer" included granite (master).
Loss-assessment under-claiming. Most owners don't realize the special assessment they just got hit with is HO-6-recoverable to the policy sub-limit.
ALE gaps. Loss-of-use is commonly underclaimed; receipt-tracked alternative living costs add up fast in a coastal market.

When to escalate

Same statutory framework as other Florida claims: Fla. Stat. 627.70131 deadlines, Fla. Stat. 627.70132 supplemental window, Fla. Stat. 624.155 CRN. The HO-6 carrier owes the same duty of good-faith claim handling as any other Florida property insurer.

What Ocean Point does on an HO-6 claim

Declaration + master-policy review to establish the coverage scope boundary
Master claim coordination to prevent ping-pong allocation
Betterments-and-improvements inventory with vendor records, receipts, and replacement-cost research
Loss-assessment claim positioning when the association levies an assessment
ALE documentation discipline — receipts, rental comps, time-tracking

Frequently asked questions

My HOA's master policy is paying for the building damage — why would I need to file an HO-6 claim?

Because the master rarely covers everything you have in the unit. Upgraded flooring, custom cabinetry, contents, ALE, and any special assessment exposure are HO-6 territory. The master fixes the shell; the HO-6 makes you whole inside it.

What's the difference between walls-in and all-in coverage?

Walls-in (bare walls) means the master covers the building structure only — everything from drywall inward is on you. All-in means the master also covers original-installation fixtures, flooring, and finishes. Florida statute imposes an 'original installation' minimum, so true bare-walls declarations are rare today, but the older the declaration, the more carefully it needs to be read.

How much loss-assessment coverage should I carry?

Enough to cover a likely-worst-case special assessment from a master-policy loss. After named-storm events with 5% deductibles on $10M+ buildings, special assessments of $10,000-$50,000+ per unit are common. Many unit owners carry $1,000 in loss-assessment — wildly under-insured. Check your declarations page and consider increasing it before the next storm season.