Your one stop for condo insurance.
Stop calling agent after agent for one quote each. One call, and a licensed agent shops your HO-6 with several insurance companies, A-rated options included, then lays the offers side by side. You pick.
You are in the right place. Keep reading for the answer, or call and let the shopping start now.
Ohio condo unit owners
Condo Insurance Ohio
The licensed agent behind this site compares Ohio HO-6 quotes from several companies. The answer in one breath: by default the board insures the buildings for at least ninety percent of replacement cost1, your declaration can change that, and what is left goes on your HO-6.
Find your line below, then have several companies lined up for you.
- One call, not ten
- Several companies shopped for you
- No obligation: a quote never binds
Compare my condo quotes
Several companies, side by side. You decide.
Downtown Cleveland skyline viewed from Edgewater Park on Lake Erie, Cleveland, OH. Photo: Eric Drost, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Condo Insurance Ohio: your declaration can rewrite the default
Before you set a Coverage A limit, find exactly where the association's policy stops inside your walls.
- State law sets a default, not a mandate
- Your declaration or bylaws can change it
- A deck or patio you add is yours to insure
The default. Unless your declaration or bylaws say otherwise, the board carries fire and extended coverage on every building and structure1 (Ohio Rev. Code § 5311.16(B)1).
The catch. That rule speaks of buildings and structures and does not list interior finishes. Whether your cabinets, floors and upgrades are on the master policy is settled by your declaration and its wording.
Your deck is yours. If the board let you build a patio, deck, fence or hedge on a limited common element, you keep it up and you insure it2.
Go deeper: the Ohio rule word for word, in plain English
Unless the declaration or bylaws provide otherwise, the board keeps fire and extended coverage on all buildings and structures of the condominium, for the benefit of every owner, in an amount of at least ninety percent of replacement cost1.
Two things follow. First, it is a default, so do not assume your building is insured the way the statute describes until you have seen the master policy. Second, it does not spell out your finishes, so the declaration and the policy wording decide those.
The improvement rule comes from Ohio Rev. Code § 5311.04(G)2: the board may approve open patios, decks, fences, hedges and similar features on limited common elements, as long as the owner of the unit those areas serve maintains and insures them2. For the full list of what an HO-6 covers, see the HO-6 insurance guide.
Know which deductible lands on you after a loss
Two deductibles can reach your wallet after one loss: the master policy's and your own.
- Your declaration says who pays the master deductible
- Your HO-6 may carry a separate wind line
- Mortgage rules can cap your own deductible
The master deductible. Ohio leaves this to your declaration and bylaws. Find the clause, then ask the board or manager how past claims were split.
Your own deductible. Many policies have one deductible for most losses and a different one for wind or hail, sometimes set as a percentage. Read every deductible line on your declarations page at renewal.
Go deeper: the lender ceiling on your HO-6 deductible
If your loan was sold to Fannie Mae, the unit owner deductible cannot top 5% of the coverage amount or $2,500, whichever is higher3. Check that ceiling before you raise a deductible to trim a quote.
Check the reserves before a repair becomes your bill
Funded reserves can mean fewer surprise assessments, and Ohio requires them unless an exception applies.
- Each year's budget must carry repair reserves
- A voting majority can waive it each year
- Two questions tell you where you stand
Each year the board has to adopt a budget with enough set aside to repair and replace major capital items, so a special assessment is not needed4 (Ohio Rev. Code § 5311.081(A)(1)4).
Ask the board: does this year's budget carry reserves, and did owners waive them?
Go deeper: when the Ohio reserve rule switches off
The requirement does not apply when the declaration or bylaws limit the board from raising assessments without an owner vote, or when owners holding at least a majority of the voting power waive it in writing each year4.
A thin reserve does not make a big repair go away. It means the money has to come from somewhere else, and a special assessment is one of those places. Ask for the current budget, any written waiver and any projects on the horizon.
Turned down? The Ohio FAIR Plan writes condo coverage
If standard companies say no, owners who live in the unit may still have a place to apply.
- The plan lists an HO-6 form
- It is for a primary residence
- Rentals and second homes stay in the standard market
The Ohio FAIR Plan is the state's residual market. It lists condo coverage for units that are the owner's primary residence, and its forms include the HO-65.
Treat it as the backstop, not the opening move. Put its form and deductibles next to any standard offer before you choose.
Go deeper: renting the unit out or using it as a second home
The plan's condo listing is tied to a primary residence. A unit you rent out, or a place you use part of the year, falls outside that listing, so keep working the standard market and say exactly how the unit is used when you ask for quotes.
Stuck on a claim? Ohio's regulator takes the call
When your insurance company will not fix a claim problem, the state's consumer line is your next step.
- A toll-free consumer services line
- Use it after your insurer says no
- Have your claim file in hand
Ohio Department of Insurance Consumer Services: 800-686-15266.
Before you dial, lay out the policy and claim numbers, the adjuster's name and a dated note of each conversation.
Tornado season: how a wind loss splits in a condo
Wind damage often touches two policies. Knowing the split helps keep your claim moving.
- Roof and siding: often the master policy
- Inside your unit: your HO-6
- Loss assessment can help with your share
When the association insures the structure, wind damage to a roof or siding usually goes to its policy. Inside your unit, your HO-6 takes over for what you insure.
If the master deductible is passed to owners, loss assessment coverage can help with your share when the cause is one your own policy covers. Check your policy.
Five gaps to close before your next Ohio renewal
Each of these can turn a loss that looks covered into a bill you pay yourself.
- Most start with a line in your declaration
- Each takes one question to check
- Tap the water picker to test yours
Water from the unit above
Two policies meet at an upstairs leak. Find where the master policy stops before it happens, then report fast and claim on your own.
Coverage A or Coverage C
A is what is permanently installed and not on the association's policy8. C is your belongings after a covered loss or theft9. Size A to your declaration, deck included.
The master policy deductible
If your declaration passes it to owners, it is your cost. Ask how your own policy treats that charge.
Vacant or rented condo units
The FAIR Plan's condo listing is for a primary residence. Empty homes can face coverage limits, so shut the water off before a long trip.
Special assessments and thin reserves
Waived or low reserves can push a big repair onto owners. Loss assessment coverage usually follows only a covered loss.
Go deeper: the fine print behind each Ohio gap
Water. Your declaration and the master policy draw the line inside the unit. When a leak starts, tell the manager right away, photograph the damage and open a claim on your policy. If the neighbor upstairs caused it, their liability coverage may come into play too. Our water damage from the unit above guide lists what to do, in order.
Appliances and limits. Many carriers write on the standard HO-6 form, which usually treats built-in appliances as Coverage A; your own policy has the final word10. Use the contents calculator for Coverage C and how much condo insurance for Coverage A.
Deductible and your lender. When the loan follows Fannie Mae's guide and the master policy has a per-unit deductible, your policy must reach whichever is more: that deductible or the cost to restore the uncovered interior11.
Empty or rented units. Policies can limit coverage for a home left empty, and a rented unit may need a different form. Say how the unit is used when you ask for quotes, and check your policy.
Assessments. Loss assessment coverage can help with an assessment that follows a loss to the community, when the cause is one your own policy covers12. A bill for routine upkeep is usually yours to pay, so ask the board about planned assessments before you close. See loss assessment coverage.
See how several companies treat the same Ohio unit
An agent who represents one company can show you that company's policy. Side by side, you see the rest.
- Same limits, several companies, one view
- Ask each which discounts apply, if any
- You pick; a quote binds nothing
Companies can read the same declaration, deck and deductible choice differently. Lining them up on identical limits is how you see it.
Plenty of owners renew for years without anyone revisiting their walls-in amount, loss assessment limit or deductible. A fresh comparison puts all three on the table.
On discounts or credits, ask each company. Availability varies by company and state, and a written quote shows whether any apply to you.
Go deeper: how an Ohio comparison works, step by step
- You share the basics about the unit and how you use it.
- The agent matches HO-6 options against what your declaration and master policy leave to you.
- You see forms, limits and deductibles next to each other, and you choose.
Until a policy is issued, you are not covered: a quote on its own binds nothing. Ohio condo owners can ask for quotes through this site; licensing by state is covered in the agent disclosure.
Pull four papers and your quote starts on real numbers
With these in hand, the comparison is built on your building's actual rules, not guesses.
- Missing one? You can still start
- The master deductible line matters most
- Mention any deck or patio you built
- Your declarations page, if you carry a policy today.
- A certificate or summary of the association's master policy, deductible included.
- The insurance and maintenance sections of your declaration or bylaws.
- Your improvements: flooring, cabinets, appliances, and any deck or patio.
Ready? Send a quote request, or read what shapes condo insurance cost first.
Ohio condo owner questions
Is condo insurance mandatory in Ohio?
The requirement usually comes from two places. Your declaration or bylaws may require a policy. And a Fannie Mae-guided loan calls for a unit owners policy in two cases: the master policy skips some of the interior or improvements, or it has a per-unit deductible13.
What coverage parts should an Ohio HO-6 include?
Five parts: A for what you own in the unit, C for belongings, D for extra living costs while a covered loss keeps you out14, E for your defense and liability when you are responsible for someone's injury or property15, and F for medical bills of people hurt on your property16. Add loss assessment and size A to what your declaration leaves you.
If the association insures the exterior but the declaration splits repair costs, who pays for shared exterior damage?
In Ohio the declaration carries the weight. The statute's building coverage rule applies unless the declaration or bylaws provide otherwise1, so a declaration that assigns exterior repairs to owners can change who pays. Read the insurance and maintenance sections together. An owner who built an approved deck or fence on a limited common element insures it.
What happens if a lender finds an Ohio association's master policy insufficient?
The lender measures the master policy against its own rules, not the statute. The default of ninety percent of replacement cost can be changed by the declaration or bylaws1, so it reads the actual policy. Under Fannie Mae's guide, a gap in interior coverage or a per-unit deductible means the buyer needs an HO-6 large enough to fill it.
Does the Ohio FAIR Plan cover condo units?
Yes, for units that are the owner's primary residence, on an HO-6 form5. It is the fallback when standard companies decline, not the first stop. Rentals and second homes fall outside its condo listing, so those owners keep comparing in the standard market.
Before you renew, make one call.
A licensed agent compares several companies on the same limits. Asking changes nothing on your policy, and a quote never binds you.