Condo Association Hurricane Claims in Florida: A Board's Guide

Short answer

The association claims the building; unit owners claim what is theirs

Under Fla. Stat. 718.111(11), the association's master policy covers the condominium property as originally installed, or replaced with like kind and quality. Unit owners insure their personal property and the items the statute excludes from the association's coverage, such as floor, wall, and ceiling coverings, appliances, water heaters, built-in cabinets and countertops, and window treatments within the unit. Storm surge goes to the association's flood policy, often an NFIP Residential Condominium Building Association Policy. The board files the building claims; each owner files their own HO-6 claim.

1. 01Secure the property and keep people out of unsafe areas.
2. 02Document common elements and every damaged unit before cleanup, with wind and water separated.
3. 03Mitigate under the board's authority and keep every invoice.
4. 04Give written notice to the master property, wind, and flood carriers.
5. 05Tell owners what the association is claiming and what they need to claim themselves.

Master policy versus HO-6: who claims what

Fla. Stat. 718.111(11)(f) requires the association's property policy to provide primary coverage for all portions of the condominium property as originally installed or replaced with like kind and quality, and for alterations made under 718.113(2). It must exclude personal property within the unit and the listed unit items: floor, wall, and ceiling coverings, electrical fixtures, appliances, water heaters, water filters, built-in cabinets and countertops, and window treatments. Those are the unit owner's responsibility and belong under the owner's HO-6 policy.

In practice that means the association claims roofs, exterior walls, windows and sliders where the declaration makes them association property, structural elements, common hallways, lobbies, amenities, and building systems. Owners claim interior finishes, cabinets, appliances, and contents. Read the declaration as well, since it defines unit boundaries and which items are limited common elements.

Under 718.111(11)(g), reconstruction after a loss is generally undertaken by the association, and owners need the board's prior written consent to do reconstruction work on their portions of the unit. Under 718.111(11)(j), the association is not obligated to pay for repairs of losses that an owner knew or should have known about and did not report until after the association's claim was settled or denied as untimely. Tell owners to report unit damage to the association promptly.

The board's duties after the storm

Directors owe fiduciary duties to the owners, and a hurricane claim tests them. Practical duties include securing the property, mitigating further damage, giving timely notice to every carrier, documenting the loss, keeping owners informed, and making deliberate decisions on deductibles, repairs, and assessments at properly noticed meetings.

After a declared state of emergency, Fla. Stat. 718.1265 gives boards emergency powers unless the governing documents specifically prohibit them, including meeting by phone or video with practicable notice, declaring unsafe areas off limits on professional advice, contracting for drying and board-up on owners' behalf with reimbursement, removing wet drywall and other materials to prevent mold, levying special assessments without an owner vote, and borrowing to fund emergency repairs. Those powers are limited to what is reasonably necessary to protect health, safety, and welfare, mitigate further damage, and make emergency repairs. Use them for the emergency, document why, and talk to association counsel about anything beyond it.

The association's hurricane deductible and special assessments

Most association policies carry a hurricane or named storm deductible written as a percentage of insured value, often applied per building. On a tower insured for $30 million, a 3 percent deductible is $900,000. Under 718.111(11)(c), the board sets the deductible based on available funds and assessment authority, and under 718.111(11)(j), property insurance deductibles and damages beyond coverage are generally a common expense.

That is how a hurricane turns into a special assessment. Owners should check their HO-6 policies for loss assessment coverage. Florida law gives owners extra time for that notice: under Fla. Stat. 627.70132(4), notice of a loss assessment claim is due the later of 1 year after the date of loss or 90 days after the board votes to levy the assessment, and no later than 3 years after the date of loss. Tell owners when the board votes, in writing, so they can act.

Because the deductible comes off the top, a complete scope matters more here than anywhere. Every missed item on the carrier's estimate is paid by the owners through the assessment. Our hurricane deductible guide walks through per-building and total-value examples.

Documenting the common elements

• Roof: membrane, flashing, coping, rooftop equipment, and any penetrations, photographed from safe vantage points or by drone.
• Envelope: every elevation, including stucco cracking, sealant failure, window and slider damage, and balcony rails and enclosures.
• Interior common areas: hallways, stairwells, lobbies, elevator cabs and machine rooms, fitness and pool areas.
• Building systems: electrical rooms, fire alarm and sprinkler components, pumps, chillers and cooling towers, generators, with serial plates.
• Site: parking structures, seawalls, docks, fences, gates, signage, landscaping and lighting where covered.
• Unit interiors: the association should still photograph damage inside units, because it links unit damage to the envelope failures above or beside it and helps both claims.

Wind versus surge on beachfront buildings

On Gulf-front and sound-front condos, the wind and surge split is the central coverage question. Wind and wind-driven rain through openings go to the master property or wind policy. Surge goes to the association's flood policy. Many beachfront buildings are elevated, with parking, lobbies, and mechanical rooms on the ground floor, so surge damage concentrates below and wind damage above.

NFIP coverage under an RCBAP can reach $250,000 per unit, subject to the building's replacement cost and policy limits, and coverage for enclosed areas below the lowest elevated floor is limited. On a large tower, that may fall well short. Report both claims together, give both carriers the same photo set and timeline, and keep one damage map of the property showing what you attribute to wind, to water, or both. Our wind versus flood guide covers how causation is proven.

Where milestone inspections and SIRS come in

A recent milestone inspection or Structural Integrity Reserve Study is pre-storm evidence of the building's condition. It can show that a roof, balcony, or envelope component was sound before the storm, which helps rebut a claim that damage was wear and tear. It can also cut the other way if it documented existing deterioration, so read it carefully before sending it to a carrier.

After a significant storm, the board should ask its engineer whether new structural concerns need evaluation, and keep repair planning, reserve funding, and the insurance claim coordinated so storm damage is claimed and not quietly absorbed into reserve projects. Our guides on milestone and SIRS deadlines and on whether a report finding is maintenance or an insurance claim cover that overlap.

Timelines boards should calendar

• Notice of the association's property claim: as soon as practicable, and in all cases within 1 year after the date of loss under Fla. Stat. 627.70132. For a hurricane, the date of loss is the landfall date.
• Supplemental claims: within 18 months after the date of loss.
• NFIP flood: signed and sworn proof of loss within 60 days of the loss unless FEMA extends it in writing.
• Owner loss assessment claims: the later of 1 year after the loss or 90 days after the board votes the assessment, but no later than 3 years after the loss.
• Insurer response: Florida law generally requires the insurer to acknowledge claim communications within 7 days and to pay or deny within 60 days after notice.

Commonly Asked Questions

Related

• Hurricane Isaias claims: what to do now →
• How hurricane deductibles work in Florida →
• Wind vs. flood damage on Gulf-front property →
• Board insurance obligations under 718.111(11) →
• Milestone inspection and SIRS deadlines →
• Report findings: maintenance or claim? →
• Florida claim notice deadlines →
• Condo master policy vs. unit owner insurance →
• The appraisal clause in claim disputes →
• Contact Coyne Commercial Group →

About the Author

James Coyne

Florida Licensed Public Adjuster, License W482618. Founder of Coyne Commercial Group, Firm License G350978, Sanford, Florida. Represents commercial property owners, condominium and HOA associations, and homeowners on insurance claims statewide.

Sources

• Fla. Stat. § 718.111(11) (2026): condominium association insurance, deductibles, reconstruction, and common expenses
• Fla. Stat. § 718.1265 (2026): association emergency powers
• Fla. Stat. § 627.70132 (2026): notice of property claims and loss assessment claims
• Fla. Stat. § 627.701 (2026): hurricane deductibles; annual or per-hurricane options for commercial residential policies
• FEMA NFIP: Summary of Coverage, Residential Condominium Building Association Policy (May 2024)

This page is for general information, not legal advice or a coverage determination. Confirm any deadline or obligation against your policy, your association’s governing documents, and current Florida law.