Can I buy homeowners insurance without hurricane coverage in Florida?

It is possible to buy homeowners insurance in Florida without hurricane insurance coverage. The full answer is more complex depending on your mortgage status, the location of the property, and other factors.

Florida homeowners can buy insurance for their homes that doesn’t include hurricane coverage. In fact, state law says insurers have to make this option, sometimes called an x-wind policy, available.

How to get Florida home insurance without windstorm coverage

Hurricanes are a major risk in Florida, but if you’re in an area where you feel safe from the threat or confident that you can cover repair costs, then you can choose to get home insurance that excludes windstorm coverage. 

The first step is to notify the insurance company that you don’t want hurricane coverage. The insurer is then required to get a handwritten statement from the policyholder indicating the policyholder’s intention to forgo windstorm coverage. 

How this works depends on whether a person or some other entity, like a trust, business, or estate, is the policyholder.

If the policyholder is:

• An individual, then that person asks the insurance company for a copy of its windstorm rejection form. This form typically includes an explanation of what it means to reject windstorm coverage and space for the policyholder to write this exact statement:

"I do not want the insurance on my (home/condominium unit) to pay for damage from windstorms. I will pay those costs. My insurance will not."

The form must be signed by every named insured on the policy and dated. 

• An entity other than a person, then the policyholder’s authorized representative requests the insurer’s windstorm rejection form. In this case, the representative provides the following statement on the policyholder’s letterhead:

“(Name of entity) does not want the insurance on its (type of structure) to pay for damage from windstorms. (Name of entity) will be responsible for these costs. (Name of entity’s) insurance will not.”

The statement must be signed by the policyholder’s authorized representative and dated.

If the home has a mortgage or a lien, then the policyholder or authorized representative must also get a written statement from the lender or lienholder saying it approves to the policyholder choosing to exclude windstorm coverage from the insurance policy.

Finally, the insurer must notify the lender or lienholder that the policyholder has opted to get coverage that doesn’t cover wind damage.

What is a wind-only policy?

Even if your mortgage lender or lienholder approves of you getting home insurance without hurricane coverage, it may still need to protect its interest in your property. This is where a wind-only policy comes in.

Wind-only policies are what they sound like: insurance that only covers damage caused by wind and hail. These policies are only available in certain areas of the state, and then only when all eligibility requirements are met.  

What you should know about hurricane insurance in Florida

While hurricane coverage is not generally required in the Sunshine State, it can provide valuable protection that may make it worthwhile – and we may be able to help! We’re dedicated to helping homeowners find affordable homeowners insurance in Florida and other catastrophe-prone states.  

Connect with us today for a no-obligation price quote. We make the home insurance process easy.