Will Citizens Make You Buy Flood Insurance?

There’s a “Flood” of changes coming to Citizens Property Insurance in April.

Here’s what you need to know.

The Special Session in 2022 was called to solve a major problem for Florida

A special session of the Legislature was called by Governor DeSantis to deal with Florida’s Property Insurance crisis in 2022.

Private Insurers were going out of business, cancelling policies and refusing to write new business.

The Legislature made some major changes that most people agree will take a few years before we see the private market return.

Meanwhile, where could Consumers turn to find Insurance for their Properties?

For most of them, the answer is Citizens Property Insurance.

As a result, Citizen’s policy count has doubled to more than a million policies.

How do you shrink Citizens Policy Count?

Citizens is supposed to be the market of last resort.

So you want to increase policies in the private market, while decreasing the policies in Citizens.

How do you accomplish this?

By keeping policies out of Citizens and by taking policies out of Citizens.

The changes in law should accomplish both.

One more way to shrink Citizens is to make it harder to get in.

Why not make it more expensive too?

One way to do this is to require Flood insurance for all properties insured by Citizens.

Which would have the added benefit to keep Flood claims from being claimed on a Citizen policy.

And beginning April 1 for new business, and July 1 for renewals, they are going to do just that.

How Will These Changes Affect Citizen’s Policyholders?

If you are in Citizens now, or if you are writing a new policy after April 1, you will be affected by these new requirements.

Eventually, all Citizens policies will require Flood insurance.

Citizens will start with Special Flood zones A and V.

And each year that will expand to the Non-Flood zones of B,C, and X.

As of now, that includes both Houses and Condominiums.

So here we go: here’s the questions we are getting at Cronin Insurance.

We hope they help inform you whether you need to buy Flood insurance for your Florida home.

Here’s our FAQs About Citizens Flood Insurance Requirements

Citizen’s Flood Requirements become more strict.

Notice the last paragraph of the Affirmation Document.

Citizens will only insure home with less than $700,000 in Dwelling Coverage.

Starting in January 2024, they will require all homes over $600,000 in coverage to carry Flood insurance.

That includes the Non-Flood zones B, C, and X.

And that requirement gets more stringent each year thereafter.

The Message from Citizens is Clear

Over 1 million policyholders puts Citizens’ solvency at risk if another Hurricane Ian strikes Florida.

They are going to shrink the policyholder count in Citizens by making it more expensive.

Citizens is required by Florida Law to require a “glidepath” to higher rates.

They can’t raise rates by more than 12% – but they will raise every year until they are actuarily sound.

By requiring flood, they are making it even more expensive to write homeowners with them.

They are going to do whatever they can to keep new policies out of Citizens.

Lets hope that the new Florida Law encourages existing companies to write new business.

And new companies to enter the Florida market.

Until then, we can only cross our fingers and pray for good weather.

Still Confused?

Contact Cronin Insurance and we’ll help you.

Cronin Insurance, low rates, choice of companies and personal advice from local agents.

Cronin Insurance is the Wise Choice.