The association billed me the master policy deductible. Can it?
Who pays, usually: That depends on your state and declaration; some rules make the deductible a shared expense, some let the board charge the unit where the damage began, and some look at fault.
Filed under Not clear yet
Sometimes yes: whether a condo master policy deductible assessment can land on one owner depends on state law, your declaration and where the water started, so ask which rule the association used before you pay.
From the Whose Pipe Is It? desk. Sources last checked November 3, 2026. .
There is no national rule, and the same bill can be right in one state and wrong in another. What usually decides it: your state's statute, if it has one, the insurance article of your declaration, where the damage began, and whether anyone was at fault.
Start with the question the letter may have skipped: under what provision is this charged? A good answer names a section.
| State | What the text says about the deductible | The catch |
|---|---|---|
| Florida, 718.111(11)(j) | A common expense of the condominium | An owner can be charged the uninsured part for intentional conduct, negligence or breaking the declaration or rules; associations can opt out by vote |
| Illinois, 765 ILCS 605/12(c) | Board may treat it as a common expense, charge the owners who caused it or where it started, or charge affected owners | Charging the cause needs notice and a chance for a hearing; archived copy, check the current text |
| Maryland, as described by its regulator | Common expense if it began in common elements or outside the units | If it began in a unit, that owner is responsible up to $10,000 |
| Washington, as described by its regulator | You may be responsible for the deductible on damage to your unit | RCW 64.90.470 doesn't allocate deductibles; older communities may sit outside that chapter, which wasn't checked |
What should the bill itself show?
Questions worth asking about the charge:
- The provision. The declaration section or statute it rests on.
- The origin. What evidence shows the water began in your unit, such as a plumber's report or photos. A common-pipe failure and your washer hose may be treated very differently.
- The claim. Whether one was filed and what the insurer paid. Ask for the loss summary.
- The amount. Whether you are charged the whole deductible or a share, and how other affected owners were treated.
- The process. Whether you were owed notice or a hearing first, as Illinois requires for one of its options.
- Fault. Whether fault is required at all. "The unit it started in" and "the owner who was negligent" are different tests, and a leak from your unit doesn't automatically mean the second one.
Could your own insurance pay it?
Possibly, through loss assessment cover, so make this your first call. It varies a great deal:
- In Florida, unit policies must include at least $2,000 of loss assessment cover with a deductible of no more than $250, under 627.714, for loss of a type the policy covers.
- In Maryland, the regulator says loss assessment is an optional add-on, and it may cover the portion of the deductible you owe.
- In Washington, the regulator says loss assessment cover follows whether your unit policy covers the cause.
Elsewhere, read your HO-6 policy. Washington's regulator also notes that an HO-6 often pays your unit's damage up to the master deductible, leaving you your own deductible. Flood differs: the NFIP Dwelling Form pays some loss assessments, but not one that results from a deductible under the association's own insurance.
What to do with the letter, in order
- Note the due date, and don't sit on it. Late charges may start running while you think.
- Send the bill to your insurance agent and ask whether your policy responds, including any deadline for notice.
- Ask the association in writing for the provision, the origin evidence, the loss summary and the math.
- If you disagree, say why in writing before the due date and request any hearing your documents allow.
- If the amount makes it worth it, talk to a lawyer licensed in your state before paying or withholding.
If you own
The association may look to you, even if your tenant or guest was the one who overflowed the tub. Florida's chargeback, for one, reaches acts of family, occupants, tenants, guests and invitees. Keep your agent in the loop from the first letter.
If you rent
The association's bill goes to your landlord, who may then look at your lease if you caused the damage. Ask to see the bill and the lease clause before paying anything. If a leak reached your things, your own renters policy is separate from this dispute.
The short of it
Yes in some places and on some facts. Get the provision and the evidence in writing, send the bill to your agent, and don't let the due date pass in silence.
Asked next
Can they charge me if the leak started in a common pipe?
It would be worth a hard look. Maryland's regulator describes a common-origin deductible as a common expense, and Florida's default treats deductibles as common expenses too. Elsewhere your declaration and state law decide, so ask how the association knows where the water began.
Why is the deductible on the master policy so large?
Maryland's regulator notes that the association chooses its deductibles, and there may be separate ones for different causes of loss. Your Certificate of Insurance should show the figure. Knowing it before a leak lets you ask your agent whether your cover would match it.
Does Florida's rule mean an owner never pays a deductible there?
No. Florida's default makes it a common expense, but the owner can be charged the uninsured part for intentional conduct, negligence or breaking the declaration or rules. Associations may also opt out by a vote of the owners and record a notice. Read your association's records before relying on the default.
Read it yourself
- Florida Statutes 718.111: deductibles as common expense, chargeback, opt-out, Florida only, read Nov 3, 2026.
- Florida Statutes 627.714: loss assessment minimum, Florida only, read Nov 3, 2026.
- Illinois 765 ILCS 605/12: the board's three deductible options, Illinois only, archived copy of the official page, captured May 22, 2025, read Nov 3, 2026.
- Maryland Insurance Administration, condo FAQs: origin rule, $10,000 limit, add-on cover, Maryland only, archived copy of the official page, captured June 8, 2026, read Nov 3, 2026.
- Washington Office of the Insurance Commissioner, filing a condo claim: master deductible and HO-6, read Nov 3, 2026.
- Washington Office of the Insurance Commissioner, how condo insurance works: loss assessment and the certificate, read Nov 3, 2026.
- RCW 64.90.470: association insurance in Washington, Washington only, read Nov 3, 2026.
- NFIP Dwelling Form: loss assessments and the association's deductible, read Nov 3, 2026.