Condex Insurance in Massachusetts: Master Deed, Master Policy, and HO-6

CondoMA

Reviewed by Jon Merwin, Founder and CEO

Key takeaways

In Massachusetts, “condex” usually means a two-family house converted into two condominium units. The law treats it as a condominium under M.G.L. Chapter 183A.
Chapter 183A allows the organization of unit owners to insure the common areas; the specific insurance duties usually live in the master deed and by-laws, so those documents matter more than the label.
Many two-unit associations are run informally by the two owners. A lapsed or missing master policy is a real risk to check for.
Your HO-6 (or homeowners policy, if the documents call for it) should match what the master deed says you own and must insure.
Flood is never in a standard policy. Ice dams and old plumbing are the claims that most often test who-insures-what in older Massachusetts houses.

Condex insurance in Massachusetts covers a home that looks like a two-family house but is owned like a condo. Each owner holds a deed to one unit and a share of the land, roof, foundation and other common areas. That split ownership is why a condex is insured differently from the two-family it used to be, and why a policy that would be right for a single-family home can leave gaps here.

This guide is written for Massachusetts condex owners and buyers: how Chapter 183A frames the association’s role, how to read a master deed for insurance, where a master policy and your own policy meet, and what to check in an older Massachusetts building before you close.

What is a condex in Massachusetts?

Across Greater Boston, the North Shore and older mill cities, many two-family homes have been converted into two condominium units, one per floor or one per side. Buyers call these condexes. The term is informal; under M.G.L. Chapter 183A, a condex is simply a condominium with two units, created by recording a master deed.

A few features show up again and again in Massachusetts conversions, and each one affects insurance:

Stacked units. In an up-and-down conversion, water from the top unit runs straight into the bottom one, so a single leak can involve both owners’ policies and the association’s.
Shared systems. Older two-families often share a roof, a basement, a porch, a driveway and sometimes a utility line, which are usually common areas.
A two-person association. The organization of unit owners is often a condominium trust with the two owners as trustees. Decisions, including renewing insurance, depend on both people.

What Chapter 183A says about insurance

Section 10 of Chapter 183A lists the powers of the organization of unit owners. One of them is to obtain insurance on the common areas and facilities, written in the organization’s name, without prejudice to each unit owner’s right to insure their own unit. In other words, the statute permits a master policy and protects your right to buy your own; it leaves the details to the condominium documents.

That makes the master deed and the by-laws (often a declaration of trust) the place to look. They typically say whether a master policy is required, whether it must cover the whole building or only the common areas, who pays the deductible, and how insurance money is used after a loss. If the documents are silent or vague, that is worth knowing before something goes wrong.

Who insures what in a Massachusetts condex?

The master deed draws the lines

The master deed describes each unit and its boundaries. Some say your unit ends at the interior surface of the walls; others include the walls, windows or even the exterior on your side. The farther your unit boundary extends, the more of the building your own policy may need to cover.

Master policy and HO-6 together

Where the association carries a master policy on the building, your HO-6 sits on top of it. It covers your interior finishes and upgrades to the extent the master policy does not, your belongings, your liability, extra living costs after a covered loss, and loss assessment if the association bills owners for a shared loss or deductible.

When there is no master policy

In some two-unit buildings, each owner buys a homeowners policy on “their half” and nobody insures the common areas in the association’s name. That can work only if the documents allow it and the policies are built to fit. Otherwise a claim on the shared roof or foundation can fall between two policies. If that sounds like your building, we can review it with both owners.

Expert tip from Jon Merwin, Founder and CEO

“With a condex, start with the documents, not the policy. Once we know what the master deed says each owner owns, we can build coverage that fits instead of guessing.”

What should your Massachusetts HO-6 include?

Dwelling coverage for your interior. Set it to what it would cost today to rebuild the kitchen, baths, floors and anything a past owner improved, measured against what the master policy covers.
Loss assessment. Compare the limit with the master policy deductible and your share of it. In a two-unit association, your share can be half.
Water damage and backup. Older plumbing and stacked units make water the claim to plan for. Ask whether sewer and drain backup is included or needs an endorsement.
Personal property and loss of use. Choose replacement cost, and a loss-of-use limit that would carry you through a repair to an older building.
Liability and an umbrella. Shared driveways, porches and stairs mean shared exposure. An umbrella policy adds limits above your HO-6 and auto.

Massachusetts risks that shape condex coverage

Winter is the season that tests a condex. Ice dams can push water under shingles and into the top unit’s ceilings, and frozen pipes in an unheated common basement can damage both units. Whether the association’s policy or yours responds depends on whose property was damaged and where the water came from, so it pays to sort that out before the first cold snap.

Near the coast, from the North Shore to the South Shore and the Cape, wind deductibles and carrier appetite can change the picture, and some owners end up with a policy from the Massachusetts FAIR Plan. Flood is a separate policy everywhere; check your address on the FEMA Flood Map Service Center. For higher-value coastal homes, see our coastal Massachusetts high-value home insurance guide.

Buying a Massachusetts condex? A checklist before closing

Get the recorded master deed and the by-laws or declaration of trust.
Ask for the declarations page of the current master policy, or written confirmation that there is none.
Find the unit boundary language and note who insures walls, windows, roof and systems.
Write down the master deductible and who pays it.
Ask whether the two owners keep a reserve or simply split costs as they come.
Have your agent line up your HO-6 or homeowners policy against all of the above before closing.

How Portsmouth Atlantic helps Massachusetts condex owners

Portsmouth Atlantic Insurance is an independent agency licensed in Massachusetts. We don’t have a Massachusetts office; our team works with Massachusetts clients from Portsmouth, New Hampshire, by phone, email and video. We compare 40+ carriers, and we don’t charge agency or broker fees on personal lines policies.

For a condex, we start with your homeowners side: we read the master deed and any master policy, then recommend an HO-6 or other policy that fits what you own. If you also have a vacation place, see our Massachusetts second home insurance page; North Shore owners can see our Newburyport page. If the association itself needs building coverage, our small condo association insurance page explains how we approach it.

Request a Massachusetts condex insurance quote

Tell us about the property and we’ll compare carriers. Or call us at (603) 431-4020. Have the master deed and the master policy declarations page handy if you can.

Frequently asked questions

Is “condex” a legal term in Massachusetts?

No. Massachusetts real estate agents and buyers use “condex” for a two-unit property, usually a former two-family house, that has been converted to condominium ownership. The Massachusetts Condominium Act, M.G.L. Chapter 183A, does not use the word. Legally it is a two-unit condominium, and the master deed, the by-laws and the organization of unit owners decide who insures what.

Does Massachusetts law require a condex to carry a master policy?

Chapter 183A, section 10 gives the organization of unit owners the power to obtain insurance on the common areas and facilities, written in its name, without limiting each owner’s right to insure their own unit. The duty to buy a master policy, and how much coverage it carries, usually comes from the master deed and by-laws rather than the statute itself, so read those documents and ask for the current declarations page.

Do I need an HO-6 or a homeowners policy for my half of a Massachusetts condex?

It depends on the documents. If the association carries a master policy on the whole building, most owners need an HO-6 for interior finishes, improvements, belongings, liability and loss assessment. If the documents leave each owner to insure their own side, or there is no master policy at all, you need coverage built around that duty, and the shared roof, foundation and grounds still need to be insured by someone.

Who pays the master policy deductible in a two-unit Massachusetts condo?

The by-laws usually answer this. Some charge the deductible to the owner whose unit was damaged; others treat it as a common expense split by percentage interest. In a two-unit building either approach means one of two neighbors pays. Loss assessment coverage on an HO-6 may help with your share, subject to the policy terms and limits.

Does condex insurance cover flood or ice dams in Massachusetts?

Flood is excluded from standard master, homeowners and HO-6 policies and has to be bought separately through the National Flood Insurance Program or a private flood policy. Ice dam water damage is a different question: it is often covered as sudden water damage, but who pays depends on whether the roof and the damaged walls belong to the association or to the unit owner under your master deed.

What should I ask for before buying a Massachusetts condex?

Ask for the master deed, the declaration of trust or by-laws, any rules, and the declarations page of the association’s current insurance, or written confirmation that there is none. Have your agent compare them before closing so your own policy covers what the association does not.

Related guides

Sources

This page is general information, not legal advice. Your condominium documents and policy language control. Coverage is subject to policy terms, conditions, and underwriting.