What does condo insurance cover?

CONDO INSURANCE CONFUSED???

Don’t be confused about what your condo association might cover if you have damage or a fire in your condo.  Generally, you are personally responsible for what is inside your condo, and condo insurance will cover your possessions. Condo insurance is designed specifically for condos, and it covers what you keep inside of yours.

So, what exactly is Condo Insurance?

Since you are personally responsible for the inside of your condo, having a personal condo insurance policy is important.

If you are in a condo association, they generally have a master policy that covers the property, common areas and physical structure of your building. The association policy, however, does not cover your personal property or your legal responsibility to others.  If you have made improvements or added custom details to your unit, the condo association would not be responsible for these losses either.

There are various options that you can choose from while selecting your condo insurance.   Discuss the following with your insurance representative to make sure that you are covered properly for any loss!

1. Protect your personal property
2. Liability for property damage
3. Insure the replacement value of your primary dwelling and specified permanent attachments, up to a specified value
4. Bodily injury if someone is hurt on your property
5. Damage protection from dangers, such as vandalism, fire, plumbing freezes

                Condo insurance covers damage to improvements and additions and damage to upgrades in your unit. Condo insurance also covers your personal belongings and the structural parts of the building that you own.

WHAT TO DO BEFORE YOU BUY CONDO INSURANCE:

Inventory the contents of your condo and decide on the level of coverage that you will need.

Call your insurance rep to discuss all options and prices before committing to a policy.

TO SUMMARIZE:

A basic condo insurance policy will cover damages to most of your personal belongings, as well as walls, floors, ceiling coverings, etc. Most condominium by-laws or agreements state that whoever owns the condo will be responsible for everything within the unit, including permanently attached fixtures and all improvements made to the condo. 

Review your condo insurance options carefully.  Be sure that you are comfortable with your personal policy coverage and adequately protected.

By Craig Bruno