A condo owner in California usually needs an HO-6 policy because the HOA master policy stops where your unit begins. Civil Code §4775 makes the association responsible for the common area and the owner responsible for the separate interest, unless the declaration (CC&Rs) says otherwise. The HO-6 fills that gap: the interior you own, your belongings, your liability inside the unit, the cost of living elsewhere after a covered loss, and your share of an HOA assessment. State law does not require it. A lender or the CC&Rs usually do.
Quote a condo HO-6 policy
A licensed agent compares carriers and calls back with the options a carrier actually offers.
Via Rapida Services quotes condo policies by phone anywhere in California and at the counters in Stockton (956 W Robinhood Dr), San Jose (25 N 14th St #125), and San Rafael (9 Vivian St). Call (209) 670-1556. For a house rather than a condo, start with homeowners insurance in California.
Start with the CC&Rs, not the policy. Civil Code §4775(a) sets a default split: the association repairs, replaces, and maintains the common area; each owner repairs, replaces, and maintains the separate interest; and for exclusive-use common area (a balcony or a parking space assigned to you) the owner maintains it while the association repairs and replaces it. The same section says the association handles repairs to restore gas, heat, water, or electric service that begins in the common area, even if the problem reaches into a unit. The declaration can change every one of those defaults, which is why two buildings on the same street can need very different HO-6 limits.
Master policies are usually described one of three ways. The labels are industry shorthand, not legal terms, so read the actual wording:
| Master policy style | What the HOA policy usually covers | What your HO-6 Coverage A has to pick up |
|---|---|---|
| Bare walls ("walls-out") | Structure, roof, exterior, common area | Drywall, flooring, cabinets, fixtures, built-ins, and upgrades inside the unit |
| Single entity / original specs | Structure plus the interior as originally built | Upgrades and improvements made after the original build (new kitchen, flooring, lighting) |
| All-in | Structure, original interior, and owner improvements | Often only the master deductible share, belongings, and liability |
Earthquake and flood are excluded from a standard HO-6, as on a house policy.
You do not have to guess. Civil Code §5300(b)(9) requires the annual budget report to include a summary of the association's property, general liability, earthquake, flood, and fidelity policies, with the insurer, the policy limit, and the deductible for each. The association may send the declarations page instead. The required notice in that summary says the association's policies "may not cover your property, including personal property or real property improvements to or around your dwelling," and that you may still owe all or part of a deductible. Any member can ask to review the full policies.
Three numbers from that summary drive an HO-6 quote: the master property deductible, whether the HOA carries earthquake coverage at all, and the interior scope (bare walls, original specs, or all-in). Bring the summary and the CC&Rs section on maintenance when you call.
When a covered loss costs less than the master deductible, or more than the master limit, the association can assess the owners. Loss assessment coverage on the HO-6 pays your share of a covered assessment up to the limit you choose. A practical way to pick the limit: divide the master property deductible by the number of units, then compare that with the HOA's assessment rules. A building with a high per-occurrence deductible and few units can leave each owner with a larger bill than the default limit on many HO-6 forms. We price several limits side by side so you can see the difference before you choose.
Not on the HO-6 itself. The California Department of Insurance notes that an HOA may have coverage for common areas and the exterior but that it may not cover earthquake damage, and the association may assess owners to share repair costs or the deductible. The California Earthquake Authority condo-unit policy offers optional building property limits of $25,000 to $100,000, personal property of $5,000 or $25,000 (bought with loss of use), loss of use from $1,500 to $100,000 with no deductible, and loss assessment of $25,000 to $100,000. CEA deductibles are 5% to 25% of each coverage limit. Those are coverage limits set by the CEA, not prices. If the HOA has no earthquake policy, the loss assessment piece is the one most owners ask about.
No state law requires an owner to buy an HO-6. A lender with a mortgage on the unit almost always requires it, and many CC&Rs require owners to carry a minimum policy. If you own the unit outright and the CC&Rs are silent, it is your choice, but the liability and loss assessment pieces still apply to you.
An HO-6 is written for an owner who lives in the unit. A condo rented to a long-term tenant usually needs a unit-owner form written for rental use, and a short-term rental needs its own review. Tell us the occupancy when you call. Landlords with several doors can also read the Insurance City landlord guide.
Each home and condo quote is run across the three home insurance markets we work with, and we show you the two strongest options next to your current policy. ITIN and passport ID are accepted.
An HO-6 is the homeowners form for a condo or townhome unit owner. It covers the parts of the unit the CC&Rs make the owner's responsibility, personal property, loss of use, personal liability, medical payments, and usually a loss assessment amount. The HOA master policy covers the common area.
It depends on the CC&Rs and the master policy. Civil Code §4775 makes the association responsible for the common area and the owner responsible for the separate interest unless the declaration says otherwise. Ask for the insurance summary that Civil Code §5300 requires in the annual budget report.
State law does not require it. A mortgage lender almost always does, and many CC&Rs require owners to carry a minimum policy.
It pays your share of a covered assessment the HOA bills to owners, for example when a covered loss falls under the master policy deductible. You choose the limit. Compare it with the master deductible divided by the number of units.
No. Earthquake is excluded from a standard HO-6. A separate earthquake policy, such as the California Earthquake Authority condo-unit policy, can add building property, personal property, loss of use, and loss assessment limits, with deductibles of 5% to 25% of each limit, per the CEA coverage table.
No broker fees on standard policies (Stockton and San Jose offices). Any specialty or wholesaler fee is disclosed in writing before you commit.
Reviewed by Santo Militello, California-licensed Property & Casualty agent (CA License #1737723) and owner of Via Rapida Services. Insurance City Agency, LLC · CA License #6003045. Our licensed team brings more than 70 years of combined insurance experience. Call (209) 670-1556. Last reviewed 2026-10-07.
La guía del seguro de condominio HO-6 en California está escrita en español.
We read the master policy scope and deductible, then size Coverage A and loss assessment to match. Stockton, San Jose, San Rafael, and by phone statewide.