CAI releases insurance guide for HOAs, condos and co-ops

By AI, Created 4:29 PM UTC, May 18, 2026, /AGP/ – Community Associations Institute has published a new guide to help boards, homeowners and managers understand insurance responsibilities in community associations. The release comes as premiums rise, coverage gaps widen and more communities face higher assessments tied to insurance costs.

Why it matters: - More than 78 million Americans live in homeowners associations, condominiums, housing cooperatives and other planned communities, so confusion over insurance coverage can affect a huge number of households. - Misunderstanding who covers what can leave owners exposed to interior damage, personal property losses, liability claims and loss-of-use expenses. - Rising insurance costs are already feeding into higher monthly assessments and special assessments for many community association residents.

What happened: - Community Associations Institute released Insurance in Community Associations: Who Covers What? on May 14, 2026, in Falls Church, Virginia. - The guide is designed for association boards, homeowners and community managers. - The digital version is free for CAI members, and the guide is also available in print.

The details: - The guide covers foundational policies including property, general liability, directors & officers and fidelity/crime insurance. - It also addresses optional or situation-specific coverage such as workers’ compensation, umbrella liability, cyber liability and environmental insurance. - The publication explains bare walls and all-in condominium master policy structures and what each means for unit owners. - The guide outlines common coverage gaps and what association policies typically do not cover. - It includes guidance on homeowner policies, including HO-6 policies for condominium owners, HO-3 policies for single-family homes and renters insurance. - The guide also covers insurance program reviews and long-term risk management strategies. - Community associations have faced a hardening insurance market with rising premiums, reduced coverage availability, higher deductibles and some insurer withdrawals from high-risk areas. - Severe weather, higher reconstruction costs, aging infrastructure concerns and fewer carriers have added pressure to the market.

Between the lines: - The timing of the release reflects a broader stress point for community associations, where insurance has become both a budgeting issue and a governance issue. - CAI is positioning education and planning as tools to reduce financial surprises and avoid disputes over master policy versus owner responsibility. - The guide also signals that boards may need to review coverage more frequently as lender requirements and insurer standards keep changing.

What’s next: - Community associations may use the guide to reassess their insurance programs, clarify owner obligations and compare master policy structures. - Boards and managers are likely to face more pressure to explain premium increases and justify assessment changes. - Communities in higher-risk areas may need to expand risk management planning beyond insurance alone.

The bottom line: - CAI’s new guide aims to make insurance responsibilities clearer at a time when the cost and complexity of covering community associations keep rising.