Your HO-6 Condo Insurance Policy Questions Answered

HO6 Insurance May Be Required for Your Condo

If you’ve purchased a condo recently you may have been required to purchase HO-6 insurance coverage.  HO-6 insurance is required if your condo association’s master insurance policy isn’t “all-in” coverage.  Wondering what it’s all about?  Today’s guest post by Maria Lampros of Guard Insurance should answer all your questions.

What is an HO-6 insurance policy?

An HO-6 policy is like a home insurance policy, but instead is for condominium unit owners. Lenders have started requiring HO-6 insurance policies for new condo unit purchases. This is commonly known as “studs-in” or “walls-in” coverage.

Why do I need a condo insurance policy, when I already pay into my condo association master insurance policy?

When purchasing HO-6 condo insurance, it is important to take into consider the master condo insurance policy, if there is one. Many master insurance policies cover only the property, common areas and physical structure of your building. But there is a lot more to your condo than that.

Your condo is your home, and your home is filled with items that are unique to you and your lifestyle, like your furnishings, your computer equipment and any upgrades you may have installed. HO-6 Condo Insurance can provide coverage from damages that occur within your unit. Beyond insuring your personal belongings, your HO-6 policy can also help you control deductibles as well as provide comprehensive liability coverage.

What can an HO-6 condo insurance coverage policy include?

The basic categories of an HO-6 policy are:

• Dwelling
• Personal Property
• Loss of Use
• Additional Property Coverage
• Personal Liability
• Medical Payments to Others
• Additional Liability Coverage

DWELLING

Since insurance coverage on your condominium or apartment building is normally purchased by your condo association, your dwelling coverage focuses on your real property within your condo. Up to a specified limit, an HO-6 policy provides coverage on a replacement cost basis to insure the items in the following four categories:

Alterations and improvements – Your built-in cabinets, kitchen appliances and interior partitions are examples.

Common areas – In the event that your condo association by-laws require you to insure property which is outside your condo, for example a portion of your hallway or stairs, entrance or walkway, coverage can be provided by your dwelling coverage.

Property exclusive to your condominium – Your real property that pertains fully to your condominium, for example, upgraded doors and safety locks.

Structures which you own that are located off premises – Dwelling coverage can also provide coverage for a private garage or storage shed which you own that is located in another part of your building complex.

PERSONAL PROPERTY

Furnishings, electronics, TVs, or jewelry are just a few examples of items which can be covered under personal property. Your personal belongs, and those of your family members residing with you, can be covered on an actual cash value basis. This amount is based on the coverage limit you select and can be covered in your home, in transit, in storage; anywhere in the world.

PERSONAL LIABILITY

If ever faced with a claim or lawsuit for injuring others or damages to someone else’s property, personal liability pays (up to your liability limit) for damages awarded to the “injured” party. Personal liability can also pay your defense expenses, even if the suit has no merit.

LOSS OF USE

In the event that a fire or other covered loss makes it temporarily impossible for you to live at home, loss of use coverage can help defray the cost for extra living expenses incurred.

MEDICAL PAYMENTS TO OTHERS

If someone is accidently injured on your property, whether or not you caused the injury, this coverage can pay medical expenses, with a per person limit, for anyone other than a family member who resides with you. Even if someone is accidently injured off your premises, if you are liable, this coverage can also pay for medical expenses.

ADDITIONAL PROPERTY COVERAGE

Additional property coverage can provide coverage for items such as credit cards and fire department service charges. Loss assessment can also help pay for your share of repairs to common areas, such as a swimming pool or activity center.

ADDITIONAL COVERAGES TO CONSIDER

• Building additions & alterations – you may want to consider increasing the basic limit, depending on the coverage carried by your condo association master policy
• Business-in-the-home coverage – insure your office furniture and equipment, as well as liability exposures associated with working at home
• Special home computer coverage – comprehensive protection for your computer hardware and software
• Replacement cost coverage – upgrade your basic coverage to insure your personal belongs at today’s current prices
• Loss assessment – increase your basic limits, add coverage for additional locations and/or coverage for loss assessment resulting from earthquake damage
• Scheduled personal property – insure your special valuables, such as a diamond ring or fine arts collection which can be individually insured for their appraised value
• Rental to others – while your unit is occupied by tenants, this endorsement protects you with property and liability coverage

 The time to find out that your insurance coverage is incomplete is NOT after you have a claim. For this matter and all insurance related questions and decisions, keep in mind that your HO-6 condo insurance policy is unique and must be specifically reviewed. Please always review your policy and consult with your insurance representative.

 Guard Insurance Agency is a Trusted Choice independent insurance agency serving Massachusetts since 1983.

 

 

 

 

Categories: Buyer Info
Tags: Condominiums

This entry was posted on Wednesday, December 10th, 2014 at 9:25 pm and is filed under Buyer Info. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.

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