By Terri Guest, CIRMS, CMCA

Most condominium owners know that their homeowner’s association carries property insurance for the buildings.  Most also know that they should carry insurance for their personal property because the HOA will not insure their couch and their clothing.  But what about the other stuff?  What about the kitchen cabinets and the carpeting?  Who insures that?

Great question – and one every condominium owner should find out the answer to.  Ideally, where the coverage for the HOA stops, the condominium unit owner’s policy (HO-6) should begin.  Avoiding gaps in coverage will help protect the owner from paying out of pocket to replace interior fixtures like kitchen cabinets.  Alternatively, if the policy for the association covers unit interiors, the HO-6 should not so that the owner doesn’t end up paying for coverage they don’t need.

So how do you find out who is supposed to insure what?  First, review the certificate of insurance and/or the CC&R’s with your personal agent.  Then, contact the agent for your homeowner association and confirm what you discussed with your personal agent.  You can also have your personal insurance agent contact the agent for the HOA and be sure there are no gaps or overlaps in coverage. 

Terri Guest is the Northern California Sales & Marketing Representative for Berg Insurance Agency, and may be reached at Terri@BergInsurance.com.