{"id":8587,"date":"2015-02-27T06:23:00","date_gmt":"2015-02-27T06:23:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/301webdemo.com\/oegema\/?p=8587"},"modified":"2026-02-06T05:12:25","modified_gmt":"2026-02-06T05:12:25","slug":"condo-insurance-ottawa-eastern-ontario","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ona.ca\/blog\/condo-insurance-ottawa-eastern-ontario\/","title":{"rendered":"Everything You Need to Know About Condo Insurance in Ottawa"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Condominium life has its benefits, and moving into a condo is an appealing option for people at many different stages in their lives. From young professionals to downsizing boomers, there\u2019s been a surge in interest in condos over the last few decades \u2013 particularly in urban centres such as Ottawa. After all, there\u2019s no shoveling of snow, and no worries about lawn upkeep\u2026 for reasons like that, many people find it to be more convenient than owning a home. But before they make the leap, people who are moving into a condo unit should be aware that there are some differences between condo insurance<\/a> and typical homeowner\u2019s insurance. For the purposes of this article, we\u2019ll be referring generally to lowrise or highrise apartment-style condo units, but the same principles can apply to any format of ownership with shared walls, such as a townhouse.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Here\u2019s a look at some of the basics:<\/p>

Insuring Your Space<\/h2>

The biggest difference with insuring a condominium is that, unlike insuring a home, you\u2019re obviously not responsible for ensuring the\u00a0entire<\/i>\u00a0property of your building. Many condo owners have some degree of coverage under their condominium association but in most cases, that covers only the exterior and common areas of the building \u2013 hallways, elevators, the condo exterior and the like. So most likely, you\u2019ll just be worrying about insuring everything inside the walls of your condo.<\/p>

Liability<\/h2>

Like home ownership, you can be held liable if someone is injured or something happens in your condo. But as compared to home ownership, one of the unique concerns of condo ownership is that damage to your unit, such as fire or flooding, could potentially spread to another unit, leaving you on the hook for damages. That\u2019s why, just like when you\u2019re a tenant in an apartment building, liability coverage is a smart thing to have.<\/p>

What You\u2019re Covered For<\/h2>

Your condo insurance can be broken down into two main parts. Your\u00a0contents\u00a0<\/b>are anything that\u2019s your personal property. The\u00a0structure<\/b>\u00a0is essentially anything that\u2019s nailed down in the condo and was standard to the unit at the time of construction. If any of these \u2018structure\u2019 items were upgraded ( i.e. carpeting to hardwood, laminate countertop to granite) you are responsible to insure them; the corporation policy will not. Here\u2019s a handy\u00a0breakdown of examples:<\/a><\/p>

Examples of content:<\/strong><\/p><\/td>

Examples of structure:<\/strong><\/p><\/td><\/tr>

  • Furniture and Appliances<\/li>
  • Area rugs<\/li>
  • Electronics<\/li>
  • Jewelry<\/li>
  • Valuable artwork\/collectibles<\/li><\/ul><\/td>