Vendor COI requirements by property type / HOA and Condo Associations

Vendor COI requirements for hoa and condo associations

For community association managers and boards · Updated Nov 1, 2026

Associations hire vendors to maintain common elements: grounds, pools, roofs, elevators, gates, and amenities. The board has a duty to protect the association, and an uninsured vendor can leave the association's master policy, or individual owners, holding the claim.

Vendors you'll need certificates from

• Landscaping, tree work, and snow removal
• Pool and amenity maintenance
• Roofing, painting, and exterior restoration
• Gate, access control, and elevator service
• Janitorial and common-area cleaning

Where the risk comes from

• Owners and guests injured in common areas by vendor work.
• Damage to common elements that the association must repair.
• Large exterior projects (roofing, painting, concrete) with fall and property risk.
• Claims that raise the association's master policy premium or deductible assessments.

Coverage to require on vendor certificates

Who to name as additional insured

Commonly the association by its exact legal name, plus the management company. Some governing documents also require named board members or the master policy carrier's wording. Most agreements also call for a waiver of subrogation and primary and noncontributory wording. See additional insured vs certificate holder for the difference.

Red flags on vendor certificates

• The association listed by a nickname or community name instead of its legal corporate name.
• Tree service certificates excluding tree removal or crane work.
• A vendor with expired coverage still working on a multi-year maintenance contract.
• No completed operations coverage on a capital project.

Tip

Check the association's governing documents and master policy for vendor insurance requirements before you write your own. Boards often adopted requirements years ago that no one is enforcing.

Review checklist

1. Vendor name on the certificate matches the vendor on your service agreement.
2. Every required coverage is listed, with limits at or above your minimums.
3. The right entities are named as certificate holder and additional insured, by exact legal name.
4. No policy expires before the service agreement ends. Track each date separately.
5. ADDL INSD and SUBR WVD are marked, with endorsements on file.
6. The certificate is filed per property, so you can answer an owner's question in one look.

See the trade-by-trade detail in COI requirements by trade, compare an ACORD 25 against your rules with the free compliance checker, or read about done-for-you vendor COI tracking for property managers.

Common questions

What insurance should vendors carry at hoa and condo associations?

Common requirements include general liability, workers' compensation, commercial auto, umbrella / excess, and products-completed operations. Your management agreement, owner, and broker set the actual minimums.

Who should be the certificate holder for a property vendor?

Usually the management company or the owner entity, at the mailing address your contract specifies. Being certificate holder only means you receive the certificate; additional insured status is what extends the vendor's coverage to you.

Should I name the owner LLC or the management company as additional insured?

Many management agreements require both. Check your management agreement and the owner's insurance requirements, and use each entity's exact legal name.

How often should vendor certificates be updated?

At every renewal, which is usually yearly per policy. Each policy on a certificate can renew on a different date, so track each expiration separately.

Vendor COI requirements for other property types

Apartment CommunitiesCommercial Office BuildingsRetail and Shopping CentersIndustrial and Warehouse PropertiesSingle-Family RentalsSelf-Storage FacilitiesMedical Office Buildings