Your policy was cancelled or non-renewed
You are entitled to 45 days† written notice, and the notice must state the reason for non-renewal†. If the insurer gave you less than that, cover stays in force until 45 days after the notice is actually given, or until replacement cover starts† — so read the date on the letter before you do anything else.
This is the single most useful thing on this page and it is almost never published. A short notice does not shorten your cover. If the letter arrived fewer than 45 days† before the stated end date, your policy legally continues past that date — until 45 days after the notice was actually given, or until replacement cover begins. That can be the difference between a gap in cover and no gap at all.
Cancellation and non-renewal are not the same thing
| Non-renewal | Cancellation | |
|---|---|---|
| When | At the end of the policy term | Mid-term |
| Why | The insurer chooses not to continue | Narrower grounds — non-payment, fraud, material change in risk |
| How common in Florida | Very | Much less |
| What it usually means about you | Often nothing personal — a book-wide decision | Usually something specific |
That distinction matters when you apply elsewhere. A non-renewal driven by a carrier withdrawing from a region or tightening roof-age rules says something about the insurer, not about you, and it is worth saying so plainly on the next application.
Why it happened, in rough order of likelihood
- Roof age. Far and away the leading cause — but an insurer may not refuse or non-renew solely because of roof age under 15 years†, and past that an inspector certifying five years of remaining useful life† blocks a roof-age non-renewal.
- Claims history — often two or more claims in a short period, regardless of fault or size.
- A specific defect found at inspection — an obsolete electrical panel, failing plumbing, polybutylene.
- The carrier reducing exposure in your county or statewide. Nothing to do with your house.
- An unrepaired open claim or work never completed after a previous loss.
What to do, in order
- Read the reason on the notice. It is required to be there, and it determines everything below. A roof-age reason and a claims-history reason lead to completely different next steps.
- Check the date arithmetic against the 45 days† requirement. Short notice buys you time you may not realise you have.
- Do not let cover lapse. A gap is worse than a bad premium. It can breach your mortgage, and the next insurer will price the lapse itself.
- Get a wind mitigation report if you do not have a current one. It is worth around 20–30% of the total premium† and it makes you a better risk on paper to the next carrier, not just cheaper.
- Fix the stated reason if it is fixable — and get documentation. A replaced panel with a permit and a final inspection is a different application from a promise.
- Shop the private market before Citizens. Citizens has its own eligibility test and is not simply the cheap fallback people assume.
Lender-placed insurance is expensive and protects the lender rather than you — it typically covers the structure only, at a premium well above market, with no contents and no liability. It is a stopgap while you find a real policy, never a destination. Tell your servicer as soon as you have replacement cover so it can be removed.
If you think the decision was wrong
- Ask the insurer in writing for the specific underwriting basis. “Underwriting guidelines” is not a reason; the statute requires the reason to be stated.
- If the stated reason is factually wrong — the roof age is misrecorded, a claim was not yours, a defect was already remedied — correct it in writing with evidence and ask for reconsideration.
- You can complain to the Florida Department of Financial Services. That is more useful for a procedural failure, such as short notice, than for a pure underwriting judgement.
Related
Common questions
How much notice must a Florida insurer give before non-renewing?
45 days written notice, and the notice must state the reason. If the insurer gives less, cover remains in force until 45 days after the notice is actually given or until replacement cover starts.
What is the difference between cancellation and non-renewal?
Non-renewal happens at the end of the policy term and is the insurer choosing not to continue. Cancellation is mid-term and rests on narrower grounds such as non-payment, fraud or a material change in risk.
Why was my Florida homeowners insurance non-renewed?
Most often roof age, then claims history, then a specific defect found at inspection such as an obsolete panel or failing plumbing. Carriers also non-renew in bulk when reducing exposure in a region, which says nothing about your house.
Should I just go to Citizens if I am non-renewed?
Shop the private market first. Citizens has its own eligibility test — you generally qualify only if private quotes exceed it by more than 20% — and it is the insurer of last resort rather than the cheap option.
What is lender-placed insurance?
Cover your mortgage servicer buys when yours lapses. It protects the lender, typically covers the structure only with no contents or liability, and costs well above market. Treat it as a stopgap and remove it once you have a real policy.
Notice requirements are set by Florida Statutes §627.4133. Underwriting guidelines themselves are the insurer’s and are not public. Confirm your own dates against the notice you received.