Hawaii • Insurance non-renewal or spike
Your Hawaii condo insurance was non-renewed after the Maui fires — what now?
Hawaii's condo-insurance market changed after Lahaina. On top of hurricane and lava risk, wildfire losses pushed carriers to retreat, and replacing lost coverage is now hard and expensive — especially through unregulated surplus lines.
The short answer
Hawaii is in an acute hard market after the 2023 Maui wildfires: few admitted insurers will write condos — often covering only 20–30% of hurricane exposure — and named-storm/earthquake deductibles run 2–5%. Associations increasingly use costly surplus lines. CondoSignal reads your master policy and HO-6 against the Hawaii market. Free.Hawaii at a glance
Admitted carriers
Few
Often only 20–30% of hurricane exposure.
Storm/quake deductible
2–5%
Of insured value.
Fallback
Surplus lines
Costly and unregulated.
Liability floor
$1M
Plus property coverage (HRS 514B-143).
A thin admitted market
The Hawaii Insurance Division has reported that only a handful of admitted insurers will underwrite condos, often covering just 20–30% of a building's hurricane exposure. The rest is placed with surplus-lines carriers that aren't state-regulated and cost more. A building relying on surplus lines is a signal the standard market couldn't fully cover it.
Big deductibles, big assessments
Named-storm (hurricane) and earthquake deductibles commonly run 2–5% of insured value — large numbers on a Hawaii building. When a loss hits, the association often can't absorb that deductible from reserves, so it becomes an owner special assessment. Your HO-6 loss-assessment coverage is what's meant to absorb it.
What's required and the gaps
Associations must carry property and at least $1M liability (HRS 514B-143), but wind can be sublimited or excluded, and flood and lava are separate. Reading the master policy for what's actually covered — and at what deductible — against your HO-6 is the only way to see your true exposure.
Your rights in Hawaii
Hawaii associations must carry property and at least $1M liability insurance (HRS 514B-143); document copies are capped at $1/page. None of this is legal advice — confirm against HRS 514B and a Hawaii-licensed broker.
What to check
- Establish whether the master policy or your HO-6 changed.
- Confirm whether wind is fully covered or sublimited/excluded.
- Find the named-storm and earthquake deductibles.
- Check whether the building relies on surplus-lines coverage.
- Confirm your HO-6 loss-assessment limit against the deductible.
- Confirm flood and (Big Island) lava coverage separately.
Sources
- HRS § 514B-143 — insurance requirements(High)
- Hawaii Insurance Division — Condo Insurance FAQ (2026)(High)
Educational only — not legal, financial, or engineering advice. Confirm against the current statute and, where it matters, a Hawaii-licensed professional.
Related guide
Hawaii insurance risk — the full guide →This page answers what to do right now. For how insurance risk works in Hawaii — the law, the process, and what to check before you buy or sell — read the full state guide.
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