Hurricane Isaias set off the hurricane deductible across Florida, and that includes condo and HOA master policies in South Florida. The question for every board is which kind its master policy carries: a deductible that applies once a year, or one that applies to each hurricane.
That choice decides what a second storm would cost the association this season. It also belongs in the 2027 budget most boards are adopting now.
Below: what Florida law says, who pays, and what to ask your insurance agent this week. This article reports what the rules say. It is not legal or insurance advice for your building.
What happened: Isaias and the hurricane deductible window
Isaias made landfall in Okaloosa County near Destin on Friday, October 9, as a Category 2 hurricane with 105 mph winds. That is according to the Florida Public Radio Emergency Network's summary on WLRN, which called it the first hurricane to strike Florida in two years.
Florida law sets the window in which the hurricane deductible applies. Section 627.4025(2)(c), Florida Statutes, says a hurricane's duration starts when the National Hurricane Center issues a hurricane warning for any part of Florida. It ends 72 hours after the last hurricane watch or hurricane warning for any part of Florida ends.
"Any part of Florida" is why the window is statewide. A warning on the Panhandle opens it for a building in Broward or Miami-Dade too.
Here is how the dates read in the National Hurricane Center's public advisories for Isaias:
- Start: the advisory issued at 10 p.m. Central time on Wednesday, October 7 (11 p.m. Eastern) put a hurricane warning from Ocean Springs, Mississippi, to the Bay/Gulf County line in Florida.
- Last warning ended: the advisory issued at 1 a.m. Central on Saturday, October 10 (2 a.m. Eastern) changed the last Florida hurricane warning to a tropical storm warning. It listed no hurricane watch or warning anywhere.
- End of the window: 72 hours later, which by our reading of those advisories is about 2 a.m. Eastern on Tuesday, October 13.
Your insurer applies the policy, so confirm those times with your agent before you rely on them.
A loss inside the window counts as a hurricane loss only when the hurricane caused it. The statute defines hurricane coverage as loss from windstorm during a hurricane. It defines windstorm as wind, wind gusts, hail, rain, tornadoes or cyclones "caused by or resulting from a hurricane." Rain damage inside a building counts too, when the wind first opens the building.
One more Isaias effect hit associations insured by Citizens Property Insurance Corporation. Citizens suspended binding statewide at 11:05 a.m. on October 7, so agents could not bind new coverage or coverage increases. Citizens lifted the suspension at 5 a.m. on October 10. If a Citizens renewal or coverage change stalled that week, ask your agent where it stands.
The condo master policy hurricane deductible: once a year or each storm
Florida splits residential insurance into two groups. Section 627.4025(1) calls the first personal lines: homeowner, condominium unit owner and similar policies, such as an owner's HO-6.
The second group is commercial lines residential. It covers condominium association, cooperative association and apartment building policies, "including policies covering the common elements of a homeowners association." That is the master policy.
The two groups follow different hurricane deductible rules.
Owners' own policies. Section 627.701(5)(a) covers a personal lines policy. Its hurricane deductible applies "on an annual basis to all covered hurricane losses that occur during the calendar year." After an earlier hurricane loss, the insurer may apply the greater of two amounts to a later hurricane. One is what remains of the hurricane deductible. The other is the policy's regular deductible for other perils.
Master policies. Section 627.701(5)(b) does not set one rule. For commercial residential policies issued or renewed on or after January 1, 2006, the insurer "must offer the policyholder" two alternatives:
- A hurricane deductible that applies on an annual basis, the same way it works on owners' policies.
- A hurricane deductible "that applies to each hurricane."
The statute makes the insurer offer both. It does not tell you which one your association picked, and the choice may date from an earlier board's renewal. The answer is in the policy documents, and your agent can point to the exact page.
What the difference costs: an example
Take an invented building with a $300,000 hurricane deductible and $90,000 of covered Isaias damage to its roof and common areas. These numbers are for illustration only.
- Annual option: the association pays the $90,000 itself, and it counts toward the deductible. If another hurricane hits in 2026, the insurer may apply the greater of the $210,000 left or the policy's regular deductible.
- Per-hurricane option: the association pays the $90,000 itself. A second hurricane in 2026 starts over with a new $300,000 deductible.
Same building, same damage, very different exposure for the rest of the year. That gap is what the treasurer needs to know before the budget vote.
Record the damage even when no claim will pay
Losses under the deductible still matter on the annual option. Section 627.701(5)(a)3 lets insurers require policyholders to report hurricane losses that fall below the deductible, or to keep receipts and records of them. Those records are how a smaller Isaias loss gets counted against a later 2026 storm.
If your master policy is on the annual option, ask the agent how the carrier wants Isaias losses reported. Then keep the photos, invoices and repair records in the association's files.
Who pays the hurricane deductible in a Florida condominium
For condominiums, s. 718.111(11)(j) answers it directly. All property insurance deductibles under the association's policies, and damages beyond that coverage, "are a common expense of the condominium."
The statute then lists exceptions:
- A unit owner pays for repairs insurance does not cover when the damage comes from intentional conduct, negligence, or a failure to follow the declaration or rules. That covers the owner, family members, occupants, tenants, guests and invitees.
- The association does not have to pay, as a common expense, for losses an owner knew or should have known about. This applies when the owner did not report them until after the association's claim was settled, or after it was denied because it was filed late.
Outside those exceptions, and unless the association has opted out (see below), the master policy deductible is a common expense.
Three more parts of s. 718.111(11) matter here.
The board sets the deductible. Paragraph (c) says policies "may include deductibles as determined by the board." The deductibles must be consistent with industry standards for communities of similar size, age, construction and location. They "may be based upon available funds, including reserve accounts, or predetermined assessment authority at the time the insurance is obtained." The board sets the amount at a meeting held the way s. 718.112(2)(e) requires.
An opt-out exists. Paragraph (k) lets an association opt out of paragraph (j) with the approval of a majority of the total voting interests. It then allocates repair costs the way its declaration provides. If your association ever took that vote, have counsel read the declaration with the board.
Unit interiors are the owner's. Paragraph (f) says the master policy must exclude personal property in the unit. It must also exclude certain items that sit inside the unit and serve only that unit. The statute lists floor, wall and ceiling coverings, electrical fixtures, appliances, water heaters and water filters. It also lists built-in cabinets, countertops and window treatments. Those sit with the owner's HO-6, which follows the once-a-year hurricane deductible rule for personal lines.
HOA hurricane deductible: same insurance rule, different chapter
Section 627.4025(1) puts "policies covering the common elements of a homeowners association" in the commercial lines residential group. So the choice in s. 627.701(5)(b), annual or per hurricane, applies to an HOA's common area policy too.
Chapter 720, the law for homeowners' associations, has no deductible rule like s. 718.111(11)(j). It does list "all of the association's insurance policies or a copy thereof" among the official records in s. 720.303(4). Who pays a deductible in an HOA turns on the declaration and bylaws, so that question goes to association counsel.
What it means for reserves and the 2027 budget
Most associations are adopting 2027 budgets this fall. For condos, s. 718.112(2)(e) requires that owners get notice of the budget meeting and the proposed budget at least 14 days before it.
The deductible option and what Isaias used should be in front of the board before that vote. Keep in mind that reserve money comes with rules:
- Section 718.112(2)(f) says reserve funds "may be used only for authorized reserve expenditures" unless a majority of all the total voting interests approve another use in advance.
- For budgets adopted on or after December 31, 2024, the same section limits associations that must obtain a structural integrity reserve study. Their members may not vote to use reserve funds for anything other than replacement or deferred maintenance of the components the law lists.
So if a board has been counting on reserves to cover a hurricane deductible, it should ask counsel whether that is allowed for its building. That is a question about the association's own documents and reserve schedule, not one this article can answer.
Questions the treasurer can bring to the budget workshop:
- What is our hurricane deductible in dollars, and which option is it?
- How much of it did Isaias use, if any?
- If a second hurricane hits before year end, how much would we owe?
- Where would that money come from: the operating budget, a special assessment, or reserves the law lets us use?
- At renewal, what would the other option cost in premium?
Florida's insurance market has also shifted this year, which we covered in Florida condo insurance costs are finally falling. A renewal quote is a good time to ask for both deductible options side by side.
What to ask your agent this week
Send these in writing, so the answers land in the association's records:
- Is our master policy's hurricane deductible on the annual option or the per-hurricane option? Please point to the page.
- What is the deductible in dollars? If it is written as a percentage, of what value?
- Did the carrier treat October 7 to 13 as the Isaias hurricane window, and with what start and end times?
- How should we report Isaias damage that falls below the deductible?
- If we are on the annual option, how much of the 2026 hurricane deductible remains?
Then take the answers to the board, the association's accountant and association counsel before the budget vote. For storm planning beyond insurance, see our Florida HOA hurricane preparedness guide.
How Royale helps
Royale Management Services works with condominium and homeowners' association boards across South Florida. Our insurance team can review what your master policy says about hurricane deductibles before a renewal. Our accounting team builds the answer into the budget and reserve plan the board adopts.
If your board does not know which hurricane deductible it carries, ask us for a coverage review.
Frequently asked questions
Did Hurricane Isaias trigger the hurricane deductible in South Florida?
Yes, the window is statewide. Section 627.4025(2)(c), Florida Statutes, starts it when the National Hurricane Center issues a hurricane warning for any part of Florida. A South Florida loss counts as a hurricane loss when the hurricane's wind or wind-driven rain caused it.
Is a condo master policy hurricane deductible once a year?
Only if the association chose that option. Section 627.701(5)(b) requires insurers to offer commercial residential policies, including condo master policies, both an annual deductible and one that applies to each hurricane.
Who pays the hurricane deductible in a Florida condo?
Under s. 718.111(11)(j), property insurance deductibles on the association's policies are a common expense. Exceptions cover damage from an owner's intentional conduct, negligence or rule violations, and losses an owner reported too late.
Does an HOA hurricane deductible work the same way?
The insurance rule is the same: s. 627.4025(1) puts HOA common area policies in the commercial residential group, so both options must be offered. Chapter 720 has no rule on who pays the deductible, so the declaration controls.
When did the Isaias hurricane deductible window end?
By our reading of the National Hurricane Center's advisories, the last Florida hurricane warning ended at 2 a.m. Eastern on October 10. The window ends 72 hours later, about 2 a.m. Eastern on October 13. Confirm with your agent.
Sources
- Florida Statutes, Section 627.4025 (2026), Residential coverage and hurricane coverage defined, flsenate.gov.
- Florida Statutes, Section 627.701 (2026), the deductibles statute, subsection (5) on hurricane deductibles, flsenate.gov.
- Florida Statutes, Section 718.111 (2026), The association, subsection (11), paragraphs (c), (f), (j) and (k), flsenate.gov.
- Florida Statutes, Section 718.112 (2026), Bylaws, subsection (2), paragraphs (e) and (f), flsenate.gov.
- Florida Statutes, Section 720.303 (2026), association powers and duties, official records and budgets, flsenate.gov.
- National Hurricane Center, Hurricane Isaias advisory archive, 2026, nhc.noaa.gov. Public Advisory 6, issued 10 p.m. CDT October 7, nhc.noaa.gov. Intermediate Advisory 14A, issued 1 a.m. CDT October 10, nhc.noaa.gov.
- Andrew Wulfeck, Florida Public Radio Emergency Network, "Hurricane Isaias by the numbers," WLRN, October 12, 2026, wlrn.org.
- Citizens Property Insurance Corporation, "Citizens Is Under Binding Suspension," October 7, 2026, citizensfla.com.
- Citizens Property Insurance Corporation, "Citizens Binding Suspension Has Been Lifted," October 10, 2026, citizensfla.com.
