Who Pays for Hurricane Damage to a Condo? Owner vs. HOA

In Florida, the association pays for hurricane damage to a condo building as originally installed, and you pay for your unit’s interior finishes, contents, and upgrades through your HO-6 policy. Every owner also shares the master-policy deductible and any damage above the policy limits, usually through a special assessment.

Panhandle condo owners began filing claims after Hurricane Isaias, and Florida’s split comes from Chapter 718 of the Florida Statutes. Outside Florida, your declaration and your state’s condo law set it.

Who Pays for What After a Hurricane

The association repairs the insured building as originally installed, and you repair and insure the items Florida law assigns to unit owners. Under Fla. Stat. 718.111(11)(f), the association’s master policy covers the roof, exterior and load-bearing walls, floor slabs, and common elements. For master policies issued or renewed after January 1, 2009, that coverage is primary over owner policies for the property the association must insure.

Association pays	You pay
Roof	Floor, wall, and ceiling coverings
Exterior and load-bearing walls	Electrical fixtures and appliances
Floor slabs	Water heaters and filters
Common elements	Built-in cabinets and countertops
Reconstruction of insured property, as a common expense	Window treatments and personal property
The building as originally installed	Betterments (upgrades) and the cost difference of any upgrade

Unit interiors the association’s insurance excludes are generally your responsibility under the declaration. The association’s duty stops at the original installation. If you upgraded flooring or cabinets, the cost difference belongs on your own HO-6 policy, the condo unit owner’s insurance.

Before you start any work, even inside your own unit, you need the board’s prior written consent and any required permits under 718.111(11)(g)1. For how these duties work outside a storm, see our guide on who is responsible for condo repairs.

Deductibles and Damage Above the Policy Limits

The master-policy deductible is a common expense that every owner shares under 718.111(11)(j), unless one of the exceptions in 718.111(11)(j)1. to 4. applies. Damage inside or next to your unit does not, by itself, move the deductible onto you. One exception covers damage the owner did not report until after the claim was settled or denied.

Damage that exceeds the policy limits is also a common expense. The association may levy a special assessment to pay for it, and it cannot put off reconstruction because the damage is larger than the insurance. A Florida law firm walks through this rebuild duty in its explainer on who pays to rebuild a Florida condo after a hurricane.

Two things would change this answer for your building. The first is an exception in 718.111(11)(j)1. to 4. that fits your facts. The second is a community that is a homeowners association (HOA) under Chapter 720, which follows different rules.

How a Hurricane Deductible Becomes a Special Assessment

A hurricane deductible becomes a special assessment when the association divides the uninsured part of the loss among all owners as a common expense. Master-policy hurricane deductibles are often 2% to 5% of insured building value, according to Hurricanelaw.pro, a Florida hurricane-claims law firm. The exact percentage varies by policy, so request a copy of your association’s policy in writing to find yours.

The path from storm to bill runs in five steps:

1. The association files a claim on its master policy.
2. The hurricane deductible applies, figured as a percentage of insured building value.
3. The association owes the deductible, plus any damage above the policy limits, as a common expense.
4. The board may levy a special assessment to collect that amount from owners.
5. Each owner receives a bill for their share.

Take a hypothetical $40 million building with a 3% hurricane deductible. These figures are illustrative and do not quote any real policy.

Line	Figure
Insured building value	$40,000,000
Hurricane deductible	3%
Deductible in dollars ($40,000,000 × 0.03)	$1,200,000
One owner’s share of the common elements	0.5%
That owner’s assessment ($1,200,000 × 0.005)	About $6,000

If the damage also runs past the policy limits, the excess is still a common expense the association may assess, and reconstruction still goes ahead. For how the master policy and its deductible are built, read our guide to the HOA master policy. Florida’s procedure for levying the bill is covered in our page on Florida HOA special assessment rules.

What Your HO-6 Loss Assessment Coverage Pays

Loss assessment coverage on your HO-6 policy pays your share of an assessment like the one above, up to the limit you bought. According to Hurricanelaw.pro, the common default limit is $1,000. Coastal owners often raise it to $10,000 to $50,000.

Florida sets a floor. Fla. Stat. 627.714 requires at least $2,000 of property loss assessment coverage on owner policies issued or renewed on or after July 1, 2010. The statute also sets these terms:

• The deductible on loss assessment coverage is no more than $250 per direct property loss.
• If a deductible already applied to other property loss from the same direct loss, no deductible applies to the loss assessment coverage.
• The insurer does not have to pay more than your limit for the same direct loss, however many assessments the board levies.
• Your policy’s coverage is excess over the amount recoverable under any other policy.

The $2,000 floor leaves a gap in the $6,000 example. The minimum coverage pays $2,000, and you pay the remaining $4,000 ($6,000 − $2,000) yourself unless you bought a higher limit. Some policy forms also sublimit the deductible portion of an assessment, often at $2,000, so a higher overall limit can still cap the deductible piece.

Pick a loss assessment limit at least as large as your likely share of the master-policy hurricane deductible. Ask your agent in writing whether your form carries a deductible sublimit. Our guide to loss assessment coverage shows how to size the limit, and our HO-6 insurance page explains the rest of the owner’s policy.

What to Do in the First Days

Document the damage and report it to the association in writing before anyone starts repairs. Take these steps in order:

1. Photograph all visible damage, inside the unit and on any common elements you can safely reach.
2. Report the damage to the association in writing, by email with a read receipt or by certified mail.
3. Request a copy of the association’s insurance policy so you know the coverage and the hurricane deductible amount.
4. Do not begin reconstruction, even inside your unit, until the board gives prior written consent.

Report promptly, because the association has no duty to pay in one situation. Under 718.111(11)(j)4., the association is not obligated to pay when you knew about the loss and did not report it until after the claim was settled or denied as untimely.

Florida’s claim deadlines under Fla. Stat. 627.70132 are one year to file an initial or reopened claim and 18 months for a supplemental claim, according to Hurricanelaw.pro’s condo claims page. Those deadlines apply to both master-policy and HO-6 claims. Ask your insurer in writing which deadline applies to your storm and your policy.

When the Board Does Not Act

Florida law gives owners a court remedy and a dispute program when a board fails or refuses to act after a natural disaster. Officers and directors owe owners a fiduciary duty under 718.111(1)(a). Under 718.111(11)(a), the association must use best efforts to keep adequate insurance, including a replacement-cost valuation updated at least every 36 months.

Start with a written request to the board that cites 718.111(11)(j) and names the damaged common elements. If the board still does not act, owners have three routes:

• Receivership: Any interested person may petition the circuit court to appoint a receiver under 718.117(7)(a), if a judge finds the appointment is in the owners’ best interests.
• State dispute resolution: Disputes can go through the DBPR dispute-resolution program.
• Civil action: You can sue the association, and 718.303 allows prevailing-party attorney fees.

Keep copies of every letter and board reply. For other 2026 changes to Chapter 718, see our summary of Florida condo laws in 2026, and for how Florida’s insurance market affects premiums and carriers, see Florida condo insurance.

If You Are Not in Florida

Outside Florida, no single rule decides who pays for hurricane damage to a condo, because the declaration, the bylaws, and the state’s condo act decide who insures and repairs what. In South Carolina, for example, the Horizontal Property Act has no detailed insurance split like Florida’s, and the master deed and bylaws control. Read the insurance and maintenance articles of your own declaration before you assume the Florida split applies.

HOAs follow a different path even inside Florida. Communities governed by Chapter 720 have no direct equivalent to 718.111(11)(j). Their reconstruction duties depend mainly on the recorded declaration and other governing documents.

For a side-by-side view of the association’s policy and the owner’s policy in any state, see our overview of condo association insurance.

Request your association’s master policy in writing this week and find its hurricane deductible. Multiply that dollar figure by your share of the common elements, then compare the result to the loss assessment limit on your HO-6 policy. If your share is larger than your limit, raise the limit with your agent before the next storm so you know who pays for hurricane damage to a condo in your building and how much of it falls on you.

This is general information, not legal advice. Hurricane damage responsibility depends on your declaration, your insurance policies, and your state’s condo law. Consult an attorney licensed in your state about your specific situation.