Condo Insurance (HO-6) in Connecticut

By Jonathan Merwin, Founder and CEO, Licensed Insurance Advisor

Connecticut has condos of every kind. There are 1970s and 1980s garden complexes off the Merritt Parkway, shoreline cottages turned into small associations, converted Victorians with three or four units, townhouse communities in the suburbs and high-rise units in Stamford with a doorman. The HO-6 policy that fits each one is different, because each association’s master policy covers a different share of the building.

This page is for Connecticut unit owners. If you sit on a board and handle the association’s own policy, see Connecticut condo association insurance instead.

Portsmouth Atlantic Insurance is a family-owned independent agency founded in 2005. We’re licensed in 10 states, we compare 40+ carriers and our team has 200+ years of combined experience. We serve Connecticut owners from a Connecticut office and by phone at (603) 431-4020, email and online. We have 1,000+ Google reviews and over 2,000 testimonials. We work for you, not for one insurance company, and we don’t charge any fees.

Where the master policy stops and your HO-6 starts

Every Connecticut condo has two layers of insurance. The association’s master policy covers the common elements and the association’s liability. Your HO-6 covers you. The line between them is drawn in the declaration, usually in one of three ways:

• Bare walls. The master policy covers the structure. You insure nearly everything inside your unit: drywall finishes, flooring, cabinets, built-ins and fixtures.
• Single entity (original specs). The master policy rebuilds the unit as the builder delivered it. You insure upgrades you or past owners made, such as a new kitchen or hardwood floors.
• All-in. The master policy also covers improvements. You still need an HO-6 for your belongings, liability, loss of use and loss assessment.

Connecticut sets a starting point. Under Section 47-255 of the Common Interest Ownership Act, in buildings where units are divided by floors, ceilings or shared walls, the association’s property insurance generally must include the units and owner improvements, to the extent reasonably available. The declaration can limit that, or the board can opt out of insuring improvements after notice to owners. In communities of more than twelve units that don’t insure all improvements, the association must keep a schedule of the standard fixtures and finishes it covers and give it to owners at least once a year (CGA, Chapter 828).

That means two Connecticut owners in look-alike units can need very different HO-6 limits. The only way to know is to read your community’s insurance article and the master policy certificate. Send them to us, and we’ll size your unit coverage to what is actually on your side of the line.

The master deductible and loss assessment

This is where Connecticut condo owners most often find a gap. Master policies carry deductibles, and many associations have raised them over the years to hold down the shared premium. When a loss starts in or affects your unit, the declaration and the association’s rules may let the board pass some or all of that deductible to you. The act sets default rules for the master policy and its deductible, but each declaration adds its own terms.

Two parts of your HO-6 respond here:

• Building or unit coverage can pay for damage to your part of the building, and some policies will help with a master deductible charged back to you.
• Loss assessment coverage helps when the association bills all owners for a shared loss: a roof, a boiler room fire or a liability judgment above the master policy limits. It’s also the coverage that often responds to a deductible assessment.

Many HO-6 policies include only a small loss assessment amount unless you raise it. Ask the board or the manager what the master deductible is, and whether there is a separate wind or hurricane deductible. Then set your loss assessment limit so you could pay your share of a deductible or special assessment without a surprise bill.

Before you pick an HO-6 limit, find out what your master policy’s deductible is and who pays it.

Shoreline condos: wind, surge and flood

A lot of Connecticut’s condo stock sits close to Long Island Sound or a river: beach associations in Milford, Westbrook and Old Saybrook, harbor buildings in Stamford, Norwalk and Mystic, and complexes near the Housatonic and Connecticut rivers. Coastal buildings carry two risks the rest of the state worries about less.

Wind and hurricane deductibles

Many coastal master policies and HO-6 policies carry a separate deductible for named storms or hurricanes, often a percentage rather than a flat amount. Our guide to hurricane deductibles in Connecticut explains when they apply and how to find yours on the declarations page.

Flood

Flood isn’t covered by any HO-6 or standard master policy. Some associations buy a master flood policy for the building, but it may not cover the full value, and it won’t cover your belongings. A unit owner can buy an NFIP dwelling policy with up to $250,000 on the building and $100,000 on contents. New NFIP policies usually take effect after a 30-day waiting period, with some exceptions such as flood coverage a lender requires at closing (FloodSmart). New NFIP policies we write go through Selective.

Private flood can sometimes offer higher limits, a shorter wait or extras the NFIP doesn’t. We compare private flood carriers including Flow Flood, Neptune Flood, Beyond Floods, The Flood Insurance Agency, CatCoverage and Aon Edge. Look up the building on the FEMA Flood Map Service Center or our flood zone check. If you’re buying, see Connecticut’s flood disclosure law.

Water damage from the unit next door

In stacked and attached units, the most common claims aren’t storms. They’re water: a supply line that bursts upstairs, a dishwasher that leaks through the ceiling, an ice dam over a top-floor unit. Who pays depends on where the water started, what it damaged and what the declaration says. Your HO-6 is usually the first stop for your belongings and your side of the building.

• Water backup from drains and sewers is excluded unless you add it. Ground-floor and basement units need it most (water backup coverage guide).
• Loss of use pays for a place to stay while the unit is repaired, which can take months when several units are open.
• Personal liability responds if water from your unit damages a neighbor’s.

Older and converted buildings

Connecticut has many small associations in older buildings: a three-family in a town center split into condos, a carriage house converted to two units, a mill building turned into lofts. These buildings often have older wiring, plumbing and heating, and a rebuild after a big loss has to meet current codes. Ask whether the master policy carries building ordinance or law coverage. If it doesn’t, an upgrade bill can land on owners as an assessment. In a small association with no manager, the board may also be a few volunteer neighbors, so get the master certificate in writing every year.

If you rent the unit out or leave it empty

An HO-6 written for an owner who lives in the unit assumes you’re there. If you rent it to a long-term tenant, it usually needs a rental unit-owner policy or endorsement, with lost rent coverage and liability for a landlord. Short-term and seasonal rentals have their own rules. Check the association’s rental rules too. See Connecticut landlord insurance for more.

Many shoreline and lake condos sit empty for the winter. Long vacancies can trigger policy conditions for freezing and water damage, and some carriers ask for heat to be kept on, water shut off or a monitoring device. Our Connecticut second home insurance page covers how seasonal units are written.

High-value condos and liability

A penthouse in Stamford or a waterfront unit in Greenwich or Westport can hold more in finishes, art and jewelry than many houses. High-value carriers can write a unit with broader coverage for improvements and higher limits for valuables, and we compare them when a standard HO-6 falls short. Whatever the unit is worth, liability matters: an HO-6 usually starts at a modest liability limit, and a Connecticut umbrella policy adds a higher layer above your HO-6 and auto.

Buying a Connecticut condo: what to bring us

Most lenders want proof of the master policy, and many want an HO-6 on the unit, especially when the master policy is bare walls or single entity. Some also ask about the master liability limits, fidelity coverage and flood. Once your offer is accepted, send us:

• The resale certificate and the insurance article from the declaration
• The master policy certificate, including its deductibles
• Any association flood policy
• Your lender’s insurance requirements and closing date
• Details on any upgrades the seller made

For a side-by-side look at how unit coverage differs from a house policy, see condo insurance vs. homeowners insurance. If you’re buying a single-family home instead, see Connecticut homeowners insurance.

Connecticut condo insurance by town

We’ve written town guides for condo owners across Fairfield County and beyond:

• Stratford condo insurance
• Fairfield condo insurance
• Stamford condo insurance
• Norwalk condo insurance
• Greenwich condo insurance
• Darien condo insurance
• New Canaan condo insurance
• Danbury condo insurance

For flood on the coast, see Fairfield County flood insurance and coastal home insurance in Connecticut. For everything we do in the state, visit our Connecticut insurance page.

Get a Connecticut condo insurance quote

Frequently asked questions

Do I need condo insurance in Connecticut?

State law doesn’t require it, but most lenders do, and many declarations require owners to carry an HO-6. Even without a mortgage, the master policy doesn’t cover your belongings, your liability or the part of the unit the declaration leaves to you.

How do I know if my master policy is bare walls or all-in?

Read the insurance article of your declaration and ask the manager or board for the master policy certificate. In communities of more than twelve units that don’t insure all improvements, Connecticut law requires the association to give owners a schedule of the fixtures and finishes it covers at least once a year.

Can my association make me pay the master deductible?

Often, yes, depending on your declaration and where the loss started. That’s why the size of your HO-6 unit coverage and loss assessment limit matter. Find out the master deductible, including any separate wind or hurricane deductible, before you choose limits.

Does my HO-6 cover flood?

No. Flood needs its own policy. A unit owner can buy NFIP coverage of up to $250,000 on the building and $100,000 on contents, and private flood is another option. New NFIP policies usually have a 30-day wait.

I rent my Connecticut condo out. Is my regular HO-6 enough?

Usually not. A rented unit needs a rental unit-owner policy or endorsement with lost rent and landlord liability. Your tenant should carry renters insurance for their own belongings.

How do I start a quote?

Call (603) 431-4020 or use the form on this page. Have the unit address, the master policy certificate with its deductibles, your declaration’s insurance article and your current declarations page ready. We don’t charge any fees.

Sources

• Connecticut General Assembly, Chapter 828, Common Interest Ownership Act (incl. Sec. 47-255)
• FEMA FloodSmart (NFIP)
• FEMA Flood Map Service Center

General information for Connecticut condo unit owners. It is not a quote or legal advice. What a policy covers depends on its own wording and endorsements, your community’s declaration and each carrier’s underwriting. Have an attorney confirm which rules apply to your association.