An HO-6 condo unit-owner policy usually covers sudden water damage to your unit's interior finishes and improvements, your personal belongings, extra living costs if you must move out, your liability if water from your unit damages others, and often your share of the association's master policy deductible through loss assessment coverage. What exactly is yours depends on your condo documents. Water in your unit? Call (413) 603-1274.
The usual split
| Usually the HO-6 (your policy) | Usually the master policy (association) |
|---|---|
| Interior walls, floors, cabinets, fixtures inside your unit (depends on documents) | Building structure, roof, exterior walls |
| Upgrades and improvements you made | Common pipes, hallways and common areas |
| Your belongings | Original construction, under "all-in" style policies |
| Loss of use and liability | Shared building systems |
| Loss assessment for the master deductible |
Your master deed and bylaws decide where your unit ends and the common elements begin. General information only.
Check these on your policy
- Dwelling or "Coverage A" limit for your unit's interior
- Loss assessment limit, compared to your association's master deductible
- Water backup endorsement
- Freezing and vacancy conditions
When water comes from another unit
Report it to your own insurer and the association right away. Your HO-6 often pays for your unit, and your insurer may recover from the responsible owner. See upstairs water damage: who pays and condo water damage.
Choosing HO-6 limits
- Dwelling (Coverage A): enough to rebuild everything inside your unit that the master policy does not cover, including upgrades like new kitchens, flooring and bathrooms
- Personal property: the replacement cost of your belongings
- Loss assessment: at least the master policy deductible, since that can be passed on to you
- Loss of use: enough for a few months of temporary housing
- Water backup: if your unit has a basement or ground floor
Ask the association for a copy of the master policy declarations each year, and compare it with your HO-6.
Improvements you made
If you remodeled your kitchen or bathroom, the master policy may only cover the unit as originally built. The difference falls to your HO-6 policy. Keep receipts and before-and-after photos of improvements so the value is easy to prove after a loss.
Common condo water claims
- Your dishwasher leaks into your own kitchen: usually your HO-6, for finishes and belongings
- Your washer hose floods the unit below: your HO-6 liability may pay for their damage, and the association may look at you for the master deductible
- A common pipe in the wall bursts: often the association's master policy, for the building parts
- A neighbor's toilet overflows into your ceiling: your HO-6 for your unit, and your insurer may seek repayment from the neighbor's insurer
Your master deed and the exact source of the water decide which policy applies. Photograph the source before anything is repaired.
Report it even if you think the association pays
Tell your own insurer about every water loss in your unit. If the master policy denies part of it, or passes the deductible to you, you will want your own claim already open.
Questions
What is loss assessment coverage?
It helps pay your share when the association charges owners for a loss, including a large master deductible.
How do I document it?
Photos, the source, the moisture readings and a list of damaged items. See how to document water damage.
Water in your condo? Call now
Call (413) 603-1274 now. Locally owned in Chicopee.