Condo claim guide (Québec only)
We are here to help you recover and avoid disruption to your everyday life by supporting you every step of the way in the event of an incident involving your home or property.
Making an insurance claim on a condo unit can be complex because there are multiple parties involved:
- The owners of the other units and their insurer
- The condo corporation and its insurer
Each party may have their own policy, most likely with a different insurer and with different policy coverages. This guide provides a general overview of what you can expect. As every condo claim is unique, your claims adjuster will guide and support you through the process of resolving your claim.
The first steps
When you report an incident (also referred to as a loss), our top priority is to help you recover and avoid disruption to your everyday life. To begin, your claims adjuster will need to know whether:
- your unit is affected and if the loss originated within your unit;
- other units or common properties were affected;
- damaged property was part of the original construction of the unit (see Original Construction under “Terms to Know”);
- your condominium property manager is aware of the incident and has filed an insurance claim against the co-owners, with the latter acting as primary insurer.
In most cases, copies of your condominium bylaws and the Declaration page of the corporation’s insurance policy are also required. It is important we explore every insurance policy available for coverage in relation to the reported incident.
Policy considerations
Your Condominium Unit Owner Policy provides coverage for damage to your unit improvements and personal property, as well as additional living expenses and rental income losses you may incur. Depending on the loss location, you may be entitled to additional coverages. Your claims adjuster can provide advice on any relevant limitations or exceptions.
The following coverages are particularly important in processing your claim. Please refer to your policy for exact details and address any questions with your claims adjuster.
- Condo Deductible Assessment Coverage
- Condo Unit Owner Improvements
- Condo Unit Owners Loss Assessment Coverage
- Condo Additional Coverage
Terms to know
These terms are often used in condominium policies and claims.
Common property
Property and/or space shared by all members of the corporation, such as the lobby, elevators, common hallways and exterior of the building. The Provincial Legislation requires the corporation to maintain insurance on common property, common assets and buildings shown on the original plan, and may include fixtures built or installed as part of the original construction.
Original construction
Fixtures that were installed at the time the condominium was built would be considered original to the building, such as wall coverings and flooring, plumbing and electrical.
Unit owner improvements
Improvements to the unit made by you or acquired by you at your expense, subject to the policy limitations and conditions. For example, if you or the previous owner have upgraded the flooring or the kitchen cabinets since the building was constructed, the upgraded value would be considered an improvement.
Deductibles
The insurance policy carried by the condominium corporation will have a deductible that applies to their policy. Water damage often has a separate deductible. You may be assessed in a situation where you are not negligent or legally liable for the damages.
FAQ
A pipe burst in my unit and caused water damage to the unit below. Who will pay for the damages?
If this is a covered loss, damage to your personal property and/or improvements will be covered under your policy. Damages caused to the original facilities shall be covered by the corporation and/or its insurer. Damage to the unit below should be covered by the condominium policy. Damage to contents and improvements in the unit below and their additional living expense costs are usually covered by the unit owner’s policy. You may be assessed the condominium’s deductible which is covered under your policy. Ask your claims adjuster what your policy says.
My washing machine hose came loose, and I had no damage in my unit, but the unit below was damaged. The condominium corporation wants me to arrange repairs. Am I obligated to do this?
No. You must let your condo corporation take over the repairs, according to the bylaws. The corporation may then claim from you the amounts incurred to repair the damage, up to the deductible applicable in its own insurance policy and based on the actual value on the day of the loss. You will then be covered by the thirdparty liability coverage of your policy.
I accidentally left the water running and the bathtub overflowed causing water damage to the unit beneath mine. What does my policy cover?
In this case, you would likely be held legally responsible for the damage.
- Your policy may include coverage for the contents of your unit, improvements to the unit and additional living expenses, if necessary.
- It may also cover a portion of the condominium corporation’s deductible under the civil liability coverage. As you are a member of the condominium corporation, the corporation can only assess you up to the amount of the deductible if permitted under the condominium bylaws.
- Under your liability coverage, in the event of damage to personal property or improvements to a condominium unit, a co-owner would have the right to claim directly from you for the value of the damage at the date of loss or their deductible, or to submit a claim to their own insurer, but in such a case, their insurer cannot claim from you for the amounts they paid to their client.
Customer service standards
Your claims adjuster is available to assist you and provide guidance regarding your claim and policy coverage, so please reach out should you have any questions.
We aim to provide excellent customer service and support to all of our policyholders. Our goal is to respond to you as soon as possible throughout your claim experience. Claim volumes do vary significantly with severe weather, affecting our response times. In these cases, your patience is appreciated.