Personal Insurance — Michigan
Your Condo. Your Space. Your Protection.
Condo ownership comes with a unique insurance situation — the association insures the building, but your unit's interior, your personal belongings, and your personal liability are typically your responsibility. HO-6 condo insurance fills that gap.
Who This Coverage Is For
Condo insurance — also known as HO-6 coverage — is relevant for Michigan owners of condominium units, townhomes governed by a homeowners association, and other individually owned units within a shared-ownership residential community. Understanding what your condominium association's master policy covers — and what it doesn't — is the essential first step in evaluating your own unit-owner coverage needs. Association master policies vary significantly: some cover the unit interiors as originally built (bare walls-in or all-in coverage), while others cover only the building structure and common areas, leaving unit owners responsible for everything inside their walls. Knowing which type of master policy your association carries determines how much individual coverage you need.
Coverage Options to Consider
Unit Interior / Building Property
Covers improvements, fixtures, and building components within your unit that are your responsibility under the association's master policy — including flooring, cabinetry, countertops, and interior walls. The scope of this coverage depends on what your association's master policy covers.
Personal Property
Covers your furniture, clothing, electronics, and other personal belongings against covered losses. Replacement cost coverage pays to replace items at current prices; actual cash value coverage accounts for depreciation.
Personal Liability
Covers claims made against you for bodily injury or property damage that occurs within your unit or as a result of your personal activities — including damage you accidentally cause to a neighbor's unit.
Loss of Use
If a covered loss makes your condo unit temporarily uninhabitable, this coverage helps pay for hotel stays and additional living expenses while your unit is being repaired.
Loss Assessment
Covers your share of a special assessment levied by the condominium association following a covered loss to common areas or the building — an exposure that many condo owners don't anticipate until they receive an assessment notice.
Why Condo Insurance Matters
The Association's Policy Doesn't Cover Everything
Many condo owners assume the association's master policy covers their unit completely. In reality, most master policies have significant gaps from the unit owner's perspective — particularly regarding interior improvements, personal property, and personal liability. Understanding exactly what your association's policy covers before you need to file a claim is the right time to evaluate your individual coverage needs.
Loss Assessments Can Be Significant
If a covered loss to the building or common areas exceeds the association's insurance limits, the association may levy a special assessment against all unit owners to cover the shortfall. A major event — a fire in the common areas, a significant liability claim against the association — can result in an assessment of thousands of dollars per unit. Loss assessment coverage addresses this exposure.
Interior Improvements Are a Real Investment
Many condo owners invest significantly in upgrading their unit — hardwood floors, custom cabinetry, upgraded appliances, and other improvements. Depending on your association's master policy, these improvements may be your responsibility to insure. Underinsuring your unit's interior means a covered loss could leave you with a significant out-of-pocket cost to restore your unit to its current condition.
The Harborstone Approach
We believe condo insurance should start with a clear understanding of what your association's master policy actually covers — and then fill the gaps that remain. At Harborstone, our goal is to help Michigan condo owners evaluate HO-6 coverage that addresses their real unit-owner responsibilities without paying for protection the association already provides.
Let's Find the Right Protection for You.
Condo insurance starts with understanding what your association covers. Let's figure out what you actually need.