Blog > Florida Condo Insurance: How the Master Policy and Your HO-6 Fit Together

Florida Condo Insurance: How the Master Policy and Your HO-6 Fit Together

by Julia Ray

✓ Reviewed by Julia Ray, Broker and Owner, Raydiant Realty · Florida broker license BK3433857 · Reviewed October 21, 2026 · Our research process

Key takeaway: Florida condo insurance comes in two layers. The association insures the building as built, and you insure the finishes, belongings and liability inside your unit with an HO-6 that must include at least $2,000 of loss assessment coverage. After a storm, the master policy's deductible is a common expense that owners share, so in an older Hallandale Beach tower read that deductible first and size your HO-6 and loss assessment limit to your share of it.

Who this guide is for: You own or are buying a unit in a Hallandale Beach condo and need to know what the association's policy pays for, what your own HO-6 must cover, whether you need flood insurance and how a large deductible reaches you.

At a glance
Association policy	Adequate property insurance on the building; replacement cost appraised at least every 3 years
Your HO-6 covers	Interior finishes, fixtures, appliances, cabinets, belongings, loss of use, liability
Loss assessment minimum	$2,000 per direct loss; deductible no more than $250 (627.714)
Master deductible	Set by the board; a common expense shared by owners
Fannie Mae master policy	100% of replacement cost; deductible up to 5%; per-unit deductible up to $50,000
Fannie Mae HO-6 deductible	Up to the greater of 5% of coverage or $2,500
Citizens flood rule	Condo unit-owner policies not required to buy flood
NFIP RCBAP	Up to $250,000 in building loss for any one unit

Florida Condo Insurance in an Older Hallandale Beach Tower

In a Florida condo you pay for two policies. One is the association's master policy, which reaches you through your dues and, after a loss, through an assessment for the deductible. The other is your HO-6. In an older Hallandale Beach tower the master policy's deductible, not your HO-6 premium, decides how much risk you carry, because the deductible and any damage above the coverage are shared by every owner.

So start with the association's policy, not with quotes. Ask the board or manager for the master policy's declarations page and the deductible the board set. Then size your HO-6 to fill what the master policy leaves out, including your share of that deductible. The rest of the condo rules that shape these costs are in our guide to Florida condo law in 2025 and 2026.

What the Master Policy Covers under Florida Condo Insurance Law

Section 718.111(11) of the Florida Statutes sets the rules, as amended by HB 913 (2025).

Adequate property insurance at replacement cost

Every association must carry adequate property insurance, whatever the declaration says. Coverage can be based on replacement cost from an independent appraisal or an update of one, at least every 3 years. It covers the condominium property as originally installed, or replacement of like kind and quality, plus approved alterations.

Master policy deductibles set by the condo board

The board sets deductibles at a board meeting, consistent with industry standards. Deductibles and damage beyond the coverage are common expenses, so owners share them by their percentages in the declaration, and the bill can arrive as a special assessment. Our special assessments guide covers how that bill is levied.

Damage an owner causes

If you, your tenant or a guest cause damage through intentional conduct, negligence or breaking the rules, you pay the uninsured repair cost unless the owners voted to opt out of that rule. That's one reason your HO-6 carries liability coverage.

Fannie Mae master policy minimums

For loans sold to Fannie Mae, the master policy must equal at least 100% of the estimated replacement cost of the project, with a deductible of no more than 5% of the coverage per required peril. A per-unit deductible is capped at $50,000 per unit.

What HO-6 Condo Insurance Covers in Florida

HO-6 coverage for interior finishes

The master policy must exclude items inside the unit that serve only that unit: floor, wall and ceiling coverings, electrical fixtures, appliances, water heaters and filters, built-in cabinets and countertops, and window treatments. Those, and their insurance, are your responsibility. Citizens describes its HO-6 as covering the parts of the dwelling you're responsible for, such as cabinets and flooring.

HO-6 personal property and loss of use

An HO-6 covers your belongings and, if a covered loss makes the unit uninhabitable, additional living costs while it's repaired.

HO-6 liability and medical payments

It also covers personal liability and medical payments if someone is hurt on your property.

HO-6 loss assessment coverage

Section 627.714 requires every Florida condo unit owner policy to include at least $2,000 of property loss assessment coverage for all assessments from the same direct loss, with a deductible of no more than $250. Citizens includes up to $2,000. On a large master deductible, $2,000 is a floor, not a plan.

HO-6 as excess coverage

Your unit policy pays after any other policy that applies, so the master policy goes first on anything both cover.

Fannie Mae HO-6 requirements

Fannie Mae requires a unit owner policy when part of the interior or improvements isn't covered by the master policy, or when the master policy has a per-unit deductible. Coverage must be at least the greater of the cost to restore those items or the per-unit deductible, and the HO-6 deductible can't exceed the greater of 5% of coverage or $2,500.

Flood and Condo Insurance in Hallandale Beach

FEMA notes that a standard property policy typically doesn't cover flood, so flood is a separate decision for the association and for you.

NFIP building policy for the association

The association can buy the NFIP's Residential Condominium Building Association Policy (RCBAP) for the building. It can pay up to $250,000 in building loss for any one unit, and an NFIP policy may have a 30-day waiting period.

Flood coverage for your condo unit

FEMA encourages unit owners to buy their own contents or building flood coverage. Ask whether the association carries an RCBAP and at what limit before you decide what to add.

Citizens flood rule and condo unit owners

Citizens Property Insurance is phasing in a flood insurance requirement for its personal residential policies with wind coverage, reaching all such policies by January 1, 2027. Outside the flood hazard area it started with dwellings worth $600,000 or more in 2024, then $500,000 in 2025 and $400,000 in 2026. Condominium unit-owner policies are not required to buy flood under that rule, so the decision is yours and your lender's.

Whatever you choose, check the association's flood policy first. If the building carries an RCBAP close to the per-unit limit, your own flood policy can focus on contents and finishes; if it carries none, a flood loss to the building becomes a shared cost like any other uninsured damage.

Why Condo Insurance Is Harder in Older Florida Towers

Large master deductibles

A deductible of up to 5% of the building's coverage is within Fannie Mae's limit. On a large tower's coverage, each owner's share of that deductible can be several times the $2,000 loss assessment minimum, as the example below shows.

Who owns the windows and doors

The declaration decides whether windows, sliding doors and hurricane protection are yours or the association's, and that decides which policy covers them. Read it before you quote.

Replacement cost appraisals every 3 years

The association must base its coverage on a replacement cost set by an independent appraisal, or an update of one, at least every 3 years. When a new appraisal raises the replacement cost, the coverage and any percentage deductible rise with it, and so does the premium in your dues. Ask the manager for the date of the last appraisal and whether the next budget reflects it.

Lender insurance minimums

A master policy that falls short of Fannie Mae's requirements, or an HO-6 that doesn't cover a per-unit deductible, can hold up a loan. Our non-warrantable condo guide covers what happens when a building doesn't fit.

Wind Mitigation Discounts on Florida Condo Insurance

Windstorm mitigation credits

Under section 627.0629, rate filings for residential property insurance must include actuarially reasonable discounts or credits for fixtures and construction techniques shown to reduce windstorm loss, and insurers must tell policyholders which hurricane mitigation discounts are available. Ask your insurer for that list and what it needs to verify your unit's features.

Hurricane protection and the association

Under HB 913 (2025), unless the declaration says otherwise, you don't pay to remove and reinstall your hurricane protection, including windows and doors, when the association needs it moved to repair its own property.

Condo Insurance Example: Sizing an HO-6 for a Master Deductible

The numbers below are hypothetical. Replace them with your building's declarations page and your unit's share.

Line (hypothetical)	Figure
Master policy coverage on the tower	$80,000,000
Windstorm deductible set by the board	5%, or $4,000,000
Your unit's share in the declaration	0.35%
Your share of the deductible after a hurricane	$14,000
Statutory loss assessment coverage on your HO-6	$2,000
Uncovered gap	$12,000

In this case the $12,000 you could owe after one storm outweighs most of what you'd save by trimming the HO-6. Two units in the same building can face different gaps, because each unit's percentage in the declaration sets its share. Your agent can tell you which higher loss assessment limits are offered and at what premium. If the master policy has a per-unit deductible instead, Fannie Mae requires your HO-6 to cover at least that amount.

How Reserves and Repairs Affect Your Condo Insurance

Insurance and reserves pay for different things, and a buyer should read them together. The SIRS funds the roof, structure, waterproofing, windows and exterior doors as they wear out; the master policy pays when a storm or other covered loss damages them. When the reserves fall short, the wear becomes an assessment. When the coverage falls short, the loss becomes one.

Roof coverage on the master policy

Fannie Mae requires the master policy to be written on a replacement cost basis, with one exception: roofs must be insured but don't have to be at replacement cost. Ask how the building's roof is insured and when the SIRS says it's due for replacement. Any shortfall after a loss is a common expense shared by the owners.

Paying a hurricane deductible from condo reserves

Reserve funds may be used only for their stated purposes unless a majority of the total voting interests approves in advance. A board that wants to pay a hurricane deductible from reserves needs that vote; otherwise the deductible arrives as an assessment. Our SIRS guide for condo buyers shows how to read the reserve side, and the milestone inspection page covers the structural findings that feed it.

Condo Insurance When You Sell or Rent Out Your Unit

A pending deductible assessment in a sale

If owners have been assessed for a master deductible, the estoppel certificate lists it, and a buyer is jointly liable for anything that came due before closing. Installments that fall due after closing belong to the buyer unless the contract says otherwise. Sellers can price around it with our Hallandale Beach condo selling guide.

Insurance on a rented condo unit

You stay responsible for uninsured damage caused by people connected to you, including through negligence or rule violations, unless the owners opted out of that rule. If you rent the unit, tell your insurer and confirm the policy form fits a rental. The building rules for leasing are in our guide to renting out a Hallandale Beach condo.

Florida Condo Insurance Cost and How to Compare Quotes

No state source opened for this page publishes an average HO-6 premium for Hallandale Beach, and prices change with the building, the unit and the coverage. Compare quotes on equal terms instead of chasing an average.

Compare HO-6 quotes on the same limits

Use the same dwelling, personal property, loss of use and liability limits on every quote, and the same deductible. A cheaper quote with a $2,000 loss assessment limit isn't comparable to one with a higher limit.

Ask each insurer about mitigation credits

Each insurer should tell you which windstorm discounts apply to your unit and what proof it accepts, since Florida requires insurers to explain the hurricane mitigation discounts available.

Get the master policy declarations page

Citizens notes you can ask your condo board for a copy of the association policy. Give it to each agent so the HO-6 fits around it rather than overlapping it.

Condo Insurance Checklist Before You Buy or Renew

Get the master policy's declarations page. Note the windstorm deductible and any per-unit deductible.
Work out your share of that deductible. Use your percentage in the declaration.
Read the declaration on windows and doors. It decides which policy covers them.
Ask whether the association carries flood insurance. Then decide on your own flood coverage.
Set your HO-6 loss assessment limit. Ask for a limit above the $2,000 minimum if your share calls for it.

If you're buying, bind the HO-6 before closing; the order of steps is in our Florida condo buying guide, and insurance is one line in our Florida closing cost estimate. Comparing buildings first? Our Hallandale Beach condos for sale guide sorts them by age and side of A1A. I can get a building's master policy summary from the association before you write an offer.

Reader check: This page explains sections 718.111 and 627.714 as published on October 21, 2026, and isn't insurance or legal advice. Confirm coverage, limits and deductibles with a Florida-licensed insurance agent and the association's manager.

Florida Condo Insurance FAQs

What is the average condo insurance cost in Florida?

No state source opened for this page publishes a current average HO-6 premium. Your price depends on the unit, the building, the coverage limits, the deductible and the windstorm credits you qualify for. Get quotes on identical limits and deductibles, and include the loss assessment limit you need for your share of the master deductible.

Which company offers the best condo insurance in Florida?

The best fit is the policy that covers what your master policy leaves out at the limits you need. Compare quotes on the same dwelling, contents, liability and loss assessment limits and the same deductible, ask which windstorm discounts apply, and check that the HO-6 meets your lender's requirements. A Florida-licensed agent can quote several insurers.

How much does homeowners insurance cost on a $400,000 house in Florida?

A house policy insures the whole structure, while a condo HO-6 covers only the interior, belongings and liability, so the two prices aren't comparable. For Citizens policyholders, houses with dwelling values of $400,000 or more needed flood coverage from January 1, 2026; condo unit-owner policies are exempt from that rule.

Why are condos hard to insure?

The building and the unit are insured separately. The master policy covers the structure with a deductible the board sets and owners share, the declaration decides who owns windows and doors, and lenders add minimum coverage rules. An HO-6 has to fill the gaps between all three without overlapping the master policy.

Is HO-6 insurance required in Florida?

Florida law makes interior finishes and belongings the owner's responsibility but doesn't require every owner to buy a policy. Your declaration may require one, and Fannie Mae requires an HO-6 when the master policy leaves out part of the interior or has a per-unit deductible. If you have a mortgage, ask your lender whether yours is required.

Does a Florida condo HO-6 cover hurricane damage?

An HO-6 covers your part of the unit and your belongings for the perils listed in the policy, so check that windstorm is one of them. The master policy covers the building, and owners share its windstorm deductible. Your HO-6's loss assessment coverage, at least $2,000 by law, can help pay that share.

Do I need flood insurance for a condo in Hallandale Beach?

Citizens doesn't require flood coverage for condo unit-owner policies, and the association may carry an NFIP building policy that pays up to $250,000 per unit. FEMA still encourages unit owners to buy their own contents or building flood coverage, since standard policies typically exclude flood. Your lender may have its own rule.

Reviewed by Julia Ray, Broker and Owner, Raydiant Realty, October 21, 2026. This guide explains how the rules work; it is not legal, tax or insurance advice.