You live in a condo, and the association has insurance. So why do you need insurance, too?

Your condominium association insurance covers the condominium building, commonly owned property, and liability insurance for the association. But that insurance doesn't cover losses to your unit as a result of a burglary, if water damage ruins your living room walls, or if someone slips on your wet kitchen floor and is injured.

That’s why you need condominium insurance—designed specifically for condo or co-op owners and available through All Star Direct.

Condominium policies protect you from losses to your personal property and the interior of your unit. You will also have liability protection for bodily injury or property damage to others.

The articles of the condominium association and state law determine exactly which building components are covered under the association’s master insurance policy. In most instances the association’s coverage stops inside the exterior walls meaning that you are responsible for the interior walls and possibly for fixtures, as well as your personal property and liability exposures.

Before You Buy Insurance

Before purchasing a condominium policy, check with your condominium association to make sure you're buying the insurance you need.
  • Find out what parts of the interior are covered by your condo association’s insurance and what items are your responsibility. Then make sure that you have adequate insurance to cover repairing or replacing the items for which you are responsible.
  • The contents of your condominium are not insured under the association’s master condominium policy. So, estimate the cost to replace your contents and buy insurance for that amount.
  • Your association’s master condominium policy does not provide any liability coverage for your unit or your personal exposures. So, make sure you purchase adequate liability insurance, usually $300,000 to $500,000 or more, depending on your situation.
  • If your association has insufficient funds, you may be assessed a proportionate share to pay for damage to your building and other situations. Check to see whether the condominium insurance you purchase covers these assessments. Buy this Loss Assessment Coverage in amounts of $5,000, $10,000 or more.