Sep 16, 2026 · by BalayHub Admin · 6 min read

Condo Insurance Philippines: Owners, Landlords and Renters

Condo insurance Philippines guide: what the master policy leaves to you, contents and liability cover, earthquake from 0.10% a year, landlords and tenants.

Condo Insurance Philippines: Owners, Landlords and Renters

Condo insurance Philippines buyers rarely think about until the unit upstairs floods theirs is a simpler subject than house insurance, because someone else already insures the building. What is left for the unit owner, the landlord and the tenant to cover is the inside of the unit, the things in it and the damage they might cause to a neighbor, and those three are cheap to insure and expensive to ignore. This guide explains who insures what in a Philippine condominium, what a unit policy covers, what it costs at the Insurance Commission's minimum rates, and what landlords and renters should each carry.

Two policies, one building

The first policy belongs to the condominium corporation. The Condominium Act, Republic Act 4726, lets a project's declaration of restrictions provide for "maintenance of insurance policies, insuring condominium owners against loss by fire, casualty, liability, workmen's compensation and other insurable risks", and in practice every managed building carries a master policy on the structure and the common areas, paid from the association dues.

How far that master policy reaches into your unit varies from building to building. Some cover the bare structure and stop at your walls. Others include the fixtures the developer delivered. Almost none cover what you added after turnover, and none cover your belongings. The second policy, the one you buy, fills that gap. So the first step is a question to the property management office: what does the master policy cover inside the units, which perils does it include, and what is the deductible. It belongs on the same list as the dues and the reserve fund in our guide to condo association dues.

The deductible matters because of how condominiums pay for losses. If an earthquake or a fire damages the building and the insurance falls short, the corporation covers the difference with a special assessment on every owner. The Act even contemplates the worst case: when damage has left half or more of the units untenantable and owners holding more than 30% of the common areas oppose rebuilding, the project can be partitioned by sale. An underinsured building is every owner's problem.

What a unit owner's policy covers

Condo policies sold by Philippine non life insurers follow a common pattern. The property section covers the unit's improvements, meaning partitions, flooring, built in cabinets and fixtures, and its contents: furniture, appliances, clothing, computers and, in some plans, the parking slot. The basic perils are fire and lightning, usually extended to smoke, explosion, vehicle impact, riot and malicious damage, water damage from burst pipes, and robbery or burglary. Earthquake, typhoon, flood and volcanic eruption are optional natural catastrophe covers that have to be added and named on the schedule.

Around that core come the extensions that matter most in a tower. Personal liability pays when something in your unit damages someone else's: the classic case is a leaking pipe or an overflowing washing machine that ruins the ceiling and the furniture of the unit below. Alternative accommodation or loss of rent pays for a place to stay, or for the rent you are not collecting, while the unit is uninhabitable. Some plans add cover for a share of a special loss assessment by the corporation, personal accident for the family, and cover for household staff.

Two things are not covered: the structure, because the master policy has it, and wear, gradual leaks and poor maintenance, which no policy pays for. Report water damage the day you find it.

What it costs

Unit policies are among the cheapest insurance products in the country because the sum insured is small. For the natural disaster part, the Insurance Commission's minimum rates are 0.05% of the sum insured per year for typhoon and flood and 0.10% for earthquake, figures reported by the Daily Tribune. On improvements and contents worth ₱1 million (about $15,900 / €13,900), that is about ₱500 (about $8 / €6.9) a year for typhoon and flood and ₱1,000 (about $16 / €14) for earthquake, on top of the fire and extended perils premium, before taxes. Typhoon and flood claims carry a mandatory deductible of 2% of the property's actual cash value.

Set the sum insured at what it would cost to refit and refurnish the unit today, not at what you paid for the unit. A ₱6 million (about $95,500 / €83,400) one bedroom may have ₱600,000 (about $9,550 / €8,340) of improvements and ₱400,000 (about $6,370 / €5,560) of contents, and that is the figure to insure. The general principles, including the average clause that cuts claims on underinsured property, are in our home insurance guide.

If you rent the unit out

A landlord needs three things. The improvements and whatever furniture and appliances you provide should be insured in your name, since the tenant's policy, if there is one, covers only the tenant's belongings. Liability cover should stay in place, because the corporation and the neighbor will come to the owner of the unit that leaked, whoever was living in it. And loss of rent cover keeps the amortization paid while a damaged unit is being repaired. If the unit is mortgaged, the lender's fire policy protects the loan balance and rarely anything else; ask for a copy and fill the gaps.

Write the insurance into the lease: who insures what, that the tenant is responsible for damage caused by negligence, and that the tenant must report leaks at once. Our landlord's guide to renting out a condo and the lease agreement template show where those clauses go. For investors, the premium is a rounding error against the yield figures in our piece on condo investment for foreigners.

If you are the tenant

Your landlord's policy does not cover your laptop, your clothes or your liability if your unit floods the one below. A tenant's policy for contents and personal liability costs little and travels with you when you move. Check the lease for what you are liable for, photograph the unit at move in, and keep the turnover inspection checklist approach in mind: the record you make on day one settles most disputes about the deposit later.

Height, location and the fine print

The taller the building and the softer the ground, the more the earthquake extension earns its premium, for the reasons in our comparison of high rise and mid rise condos. Units on low floors near creeks and the bay should name flood on the schedule. Get quotes from at least three insurers licensed by the Insurance Commission, compare the schedules line by line, and keep an inventory with photos and receipts stored online. When you compare condos to buy, ask each building's management the master policy questions above; the answers say a great deal about how the corporation is run. Current choices are on the condo listings.

This article is general information, not insurance advice. Coverage, exclusions and premiums vary by insurer and by building; read the policy schedule and consult a licensed insurance agent or broker before you buy.

Dollar and euro figures are approximate conversions at ₱62.8 per US dollar and ₱72.0 per euro (ECB reference rates, 2026-09-18).

Frequently asked questions

Do I need insurance if the condo building is already insured?

Yes, for what the building's policy leaves out. The condominium corporation's master policy, paid from the dues, covers the structure and common areas. Your own improvements, furniture, appliances and your liability for damage to neighbouring units, such as a leak, are generally not included. Ask the management office exactly what the master policy covers inside the units and what its deductible is.

What does condo insurance cover in the Philippines?

A unit owner's policy typically covers improvements such as partitions, flooring and built in cabinets, plus contents, against fire, lightning, smoke, explosion, water damage from burst pipes and burglary, with earthquake, typhoon and flood as optional add ons. Common extensions are personal liability to neighbours, alternative accommodation or loss of rent, a share of special assessments and family personal accident cover.

How much does condo insurance cost?

Little, because the sum insured is only the improvements and contents. At the Insurance Commission's minimum rates, typhoon and flood cover costs 0.05% of the sum insured a year and earthquake 0.10%, so about ₱500 and ₱1,000 (about $8 to $16 / €6.9 to €14) on ₱1 million (about $15,900 / €13,900), on top of the fire and extended perils premium and before taxes. Typhoon and flood claims carry a 2% deductible.

Who pays if a leak from my unit damages the unit below?

The owner of the unit where the leak started is normally the one the neighbour and the corporation pursue, whether the owner or a tenant was living there. Personal liability cover in a unit policy pays for that damage. Without it the repair of someone else's ceiling, flooring and furniture comes out of your pocket, which is the most common uninsured loss in a tower.

Should a tenant insure a rented condo?

A tenant should insure his or her own belongings and personal liability, since the landlord's policy covers neither. The landlord should insure the improvements, any furniture and appliances provided, liability, and loss of rent. Put the split in the lease, along with the tenant's duty to report leaks immediately, so there is no argument after a loss.

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