HOA insurance in Florida
HOA insurance is the set of policies a Florida homeowners association buys to protect common areas, association finances and its volunteer board: property coverage for shared amenities, general liability, directors and officers (D&O), crime or fidelity, and often umbrella and workers' compensation. Homeowners insure their own houses separately. We insure condo and homeowners associations.
Florida statute references checked against the 2026 Florida Statutes on October 20, 2026.
What does HOA insurance cover?
HOA insurance covers the property the association owns and the risks of running the community: common-area buildings and amenities, injury and damage claims from common areas, claims against the board, theft of association money and, if the association has employees, workers' compensation.
| Coverage | Typical examples | Worth asking |
|---|---|---|
| Property | Typical examplesClubhouse, pool and pool equipment, gates and entry features, fences, lighting, signs and association-owned equipment | Worth askingWhich items are covered, and whether wind and named storms have a separate deductible |
| General liability | Typical examplesA slip and fall at the pool or clubhouse, an injury at a community event, property damage claims from common areas | Worth askingLimits, and whether events and amenity rentals are included |
| Directors and officers (D&O) | Typical examplesClaims of alleged mismanagement, breach of duty or failure to enforce the governing documents | Worth askingWhether the association itself is covered, how defense costs are handled and whether employment practices coverage is included |
| Crime and fidelity | Typical examplesTheft or embezzlement by people who handle association funds | Worth askingWhether the limit matches the most money held at one time, and whether management company staff are covered |
| Umbrella and excess liability | Typical examplesA serious injury claim that exceeds the general liability limit | Worth askingWhether total limits satisfy vendor, event and lender contracts |
| Workers' compensation | Typical examplesMedical costs and lost wages for an employee hurt on the job | Worth askingWhether any association staff count as employees |
| Flood | Typical examplesDamage from rising water to a clubhouse or other common property | Worth askingWhether the property is in a flood zone and whether flood is excluded from the property policy |
What HOA insurance does not cover
- Individual homes and their contents, which each owner insures.
- Owners' personal liability, which stays with each owner.
- Flood, unless the association buys it separately.
- Maintenance and wear and tear, which property policies generally exclude.
Sources: Community Associations Institute: insurance in community associations, who covers what; Triple-I: directors and officers insurance
Which common-area property does an HOA insure?
An HOA insures the common-area property it owns or must maintain under the declaration, such as clubhouses, pools, gates, entry monuments, fences, lighting and playgrounds, and the declaration decides which items are included.
Questions to confirm with your agent
- Are roads, drainage structures, walls, fences, signs and landscaping covered, limited or excluded? Policies often limit coverage for outdoor items.
- How was the insured value of each building and amenity set, and when was it last updated? The 3-year appraisal rule is in the condominium statute and does not apply to HOAs, so your declaration and lender set the schedule. Regular updates are still good practice.
- What is the wind or named-storm deductible, and could the association fund it after a hurricane?
- Are any buildings, such as the clubhouse, in a flood zone? See flood insurance in Florida.
- Does the declaration make the association responsible for building exteriors or roofs, as some townhome communities do? If so, the property policy looks more like a condominium master policy.
Which liability and workers' compensation coverage does an HOA need?
Most HOAs carry general liability, often with an umbrella policy, because people can be hurt or property damaged on common areas and at community events, and Florida requires workers' compensation for private employers with four or more employees (one or more in construction).
- General liability pays covered injury and property damage claims, so check the limit against contracts for events, vendors and amenity rentals.
- Umbrella or excess liability adds limits above the general liability policy for serious claims.
- Autos: if the association owns or leases vehicles, such as a maintenance truck or a patrol car, it needs commercial auto coverage. Hired and non-owned auto coverage can matter when staff or volunteers drive on association business.
- Workers' compensation depends on whether people are employees of the association, of the management company or of a vendor, and that depends on the facts, so have your agent review it.
- Vendors: ask for certificates of insurance from landscapers, pool and security companies, and ask whether the association should be listed as an additional insured.
Sources: Florida Statutes §440.02: workers' compensation definitions; Florida Statutes §440.10: liability for compensation
What does Florida law require HOAs to insure?
Chapter 720 requires an HOA to maintain insurance or a fidelity bond for all persons who control or disburse association funds; it does not set property, liability or D&O requirements, which come from your declaration, lenders and contracts.
- Covered persons include those authorized to sign checks and the president, secretary and treasurer.
- The coverage must reach the maximum funds in the custody of the association or its management agent at any one time, and the association bears the cost. The statute sets no fixed dollar amount.
- An association may waive the requirement if a majority of the voting interests present at a properly called meeting approves the waiver each year. Talk to your association attorney before relying on a waiver.
- The association's insurance policies are among its official records, so keep current policies and declarations pages easy to find.
- Your declaration and bylaws may require more, such as property insurance at replacement cost or minimum liability limits.
Sources: Florida Statutes §720.3033: HOA officers, directors and fidelity coverage; Florida Statutes chapter 720: homeowners' associations (full chapter); Florida Statutes §720.303: HOA official records
What do homeowners in an HOA need to insure themselves?
Homeowners insure their own house, belongings and personal liability with a homeowners policy, because the HOA's policy generally covers only the common areas.
- Dwelling coverage for the house, usually at replacement cost.
- Personal property and personal liability.
- Loss assessment coverage, which can help with some assessments after a covered loss. Ask your agent about the limit.
- Flood, which a homeowners policy generally excludes. See flood insurance in Florida.
- Townhome owners should check whether the declaration assigns exteriors or roofs to the association before choosing a policy.
Share the details with owners through homeowners insurance in Miami and South Florida, which explains roof, wind and hurricane coverage.
Sources: Florida Statutes §720.305: HOA member obligations and remedies
What should an HOA board ask at its next insurance review?
Ask whether limits, deductibles and exclusions still match what the association owns, spends and signs, starting with this checklist.
- Does the property schedule list every building, amenity and piece of equipment, with current values?
- What are the named-storm and other wind deductibles, and could the association fund them?
- Do liability limits meet the requirements in vendor, event and lender contracts?
- Does the crime limit match the most money held at one time, including reserves?
- Does the D&O policy cover the association itself, defense costs and employment practices?
- Are certificates of insurance on file for every vendor that works on the property?
- Who counts as an employee for workers' compensation, and is that documented?
- If the board waived the fidelity requirement by member vote, is the vote renewed and recorded each year?
More on the D&O and crime questions in D&O and crime insurance for condo and HOA boards.
Sources: Florida Statutes §720.3033: HOA officers, directors and fidelity coverage
Frequently asked questions
Can an HOA require homeowners to carry insurance?
Generally yes, if the community's governing documents include such a requirement; Florida's HOA law, chapter 720, does not itself require homeowners to carry insurance. Under section 720.305, each member must comply with chapter 720, the governing documents and the association's rules, and the association can bring a legal action to enforce them. Read the insurance section of your declaration and ask your association attorney.
Does HOA insurance cover my home?
No. An HOA policy generally covers only the common areas the association owns or maintains, plus the association's liability and board protection. You need your own homeowners policy for your house, belongings and personal liability. Some townhome communities assign exterior building coverage to the association, so read your declaration and ask your agent.
Does HOA insurance cover hurricane damage?
It can cover wind and hurricane damage to common-area property the association is responsible for, subject to the policy's limits and its wind or named-storm deductible. Flood is usually separate, and damage to individual homes falls under each homeowner's own policy. Review the deductible with the board so the association knows how it would pay.
Does an HOA need workers' compensation insurance?
If the HOA is a private employer with four or more employees (one or more in construction), Florida law requires it to secure workers' compensation. Some HOAs have no employees because a management company or vendors supply the staff. Who counts as an employee depends on the facts, so ask your agent to review it.
Can HOA members see the association's insurance policies?
Yes. Florida's HOA statute lists the association's insurance policies, or a copy, among the official records that members may inspect under the statute's procedures. Boards should keep current policies, declarations pages and certificates easy to find so they can answer requests on time.
How is HOA insurance different from condo association insurance?
A condo association insures the building and common elements under chapter 718, and Florida law requires adequate property insurance. An HOA under chapter 720 usually insures only common-area property, and the statute requires only fidelity coverage. Homeowners in an HOA insure their own houses, while condo owners insure what the master policy excludes.
Florida laws and sources used on this page
Statute references were checked against the 2026 Florida Statutes on October 20, 2026. Florida changes these laws often, so confirm current requirements with your association attorney.
- Community Associations Institute: insurance in community associations, who covers what
- Triple-I: directors and officers insurance
- Florida Statutes §440.02: workers' compensation definitions
- Florida Statutes §440.10: liability for compensation
- Florida Statutes §720.3033: HOA officers, directors and fidelity coverage
- Florida Statutes chapter 720: homeowners' associations (full chapter)
- Florida Statutes §720.303: HOA official records
- Florida Statutes §720.305: HOA member obligations and remedies
Ready to review your association's insurance?
Send us your governing documents, current policies and renewal date. A licensed Assure US agent reviews them, markets the account to multiple insurance companies and walks the board through the options in plain English or Spanish.
This page is general information, not a coverage recommendation. Policies and requirements vary; a licensed Assure US agent will review your association's documents and policies.