Use dotted terms for definitions. You can also browse the glossary.
Before you decide
- Read the governing documents and master policy together.
- An owner-occupied HO-6 description does not prove rental eligibility.
- Assessments and master deductibles need explicit review.
Collect the association evidence
Request current governing documents, insurance requirements, the master policy summary and relevant coverage wording. Identify original finishes, owner improvements, common elements and responsibility for deductibles. Descriptions such as “walls in” are useful prompts, not a complete legal boundary.
Washington’s insurance regulator explains that association and unit policies protect different parts of a condominium and that governing documents affect the allocation. Confirm the applicable documents and law for your building rather than importing Washington rules.
Build a responsibility matrix
| Item | Evidence | Question |
|---|---|---|
| Original interior finishes | Declaration and master wording | Association or unit owner responsibility? |
| Renovated kitchen | Improvement invoices | Does unit coverage include betterments? |
| Owner furniture | Inventory and rental plan | Accepted rental contents and valuation? |
| Master deductible assessment | Association terms and unit endorsement | Covered cause, amount and special restrictions? |
| Lost rent | Lease and unit policy | Does the form address landlord income? |
Worked scenario: upgraded unit
An investor buys a unit with an upgraded kitchen installed by a prior owner. The sale price does not show which improvements the association would replace. Obtain the association boundary and estimate the owner-responsible work. Ask the partner how it is insured while the unit is rented.
If the association later increases its deductible, review the unit policy rather than assume the loss-assessment limit automatically follows it. Ask about assessments caused by flood or earthquake separately.
Confirm the actual rental use
Disclose long-term leases, guest stays, vacancy and planned work. A consumer description of resident additional living expense is not evidence of an owner’s lost-rent benefit. Tenant possessions remain a separate interest.
Recheck the association renewal and any governing-document change annually. Save the responsible person’s written clarification for uncertain items; a certificate alone may not explain the full boundary.
Sources & scope
- Washington Office of the Insurance Commissioner: How condo insurance works
Washington consumer context for master policies, unit responsibilities and loss assessments. Governing documents and rental eligibility control the particular inquiry.
Sources checked October 24, 2026. General descriptions do not replace the policy, endorsements, declarations or an insurer’s coverage determination. Examples are hypothetical unless explicitly identified otherwise.
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