Insurance Certificates
Insurance requirements define what coverage each unit must carry. Propty helps you request certificates from residents, track submissions, and monitor expiration dates to ensure your community stays compliant.
- A property set up in Propty
- Familiarity with your HOA's insurance requirements (e.g., HO-6 policies, minimum coverage amounts)
- Access to the Insurance section in your property dashboard
California Civil Code § 5805 requires associations to disclose homeowner insurance requirements in writing. Make sure your insurance requirements are clearly documented in your CC&Rs and architectural guidelines.
Setting Up Insurance Requirements
Before requesting certificates, your property should have insurance requirements configured. This is typically done during property setup by defining what coverage each unit must carry.
Work with your insurance broker or attorney to define appropriate insurance requirements for your property. Factors to consider include:
- Type of policy (HO-6 for condos, standard homeowner for single-family, etc.)
- Minimum coverage amounts
- Required policy holders and endorsements
Requesting a Certificate
1. Go to the Insurance page
From your property dashboard, click Compliance in the left sidebar, then click the Insurance card.
2. View your units and insurance status
The Insurance page lists all units at your property. Each unit shows its insurance status:
- Requested — You've asked for a certificate; awaiting submission
- Submitted — Resident uploaded a certificate; awaiting your review
- Approved — Certificate reviewed and accepted
- Expired — Certificate has passed its expiration date
3. Click on a unit
Click the unit row to open the unit's insurance detail page.
4. Click "Request Certificate"
Click the Request Certificate button. A confirmation dialog will appear.
5. Review and send
Propty will send an email to the resident asking them to upload their insurance certificate. The email includes:
- A description of what certificate is needed
- Your HOA's insurance requirements
- A direct link to upload the certificate
Resident Experience: Uploading a Certificate
When a resident receives the request email, they can upload their certificate through the resident portal.
What the resident sees
- Notification in portal — A notification appears in their portal dashboard indicating that insurance documentation is requested.
- Direct link — The email contains a direct link to the upload page.
- Upload form — A simple form asking them to upload their insurance certificate as a PDF.
- Confirmation — After uploading, the resident sees a confirmation message that their certificate was received.
The resident should upload:
- A copy of the entire insurance certificate (usually a 1-page PDF from their insurance company)
- Or a declarations page showing coverage details
Reviewing Submitted Certificates
1. Go to the Insurance page
When a resident uploads a certificate, the unit status changes to Submitted.
2. Click on the unit
Click the unit row to open the insurance detail.
3. Review the document
The uploaded certificate appears in a preview area. You can:
- View the PDF directly in the browser
- Download it to your computer
- Check the coverage details (policy number, coverage amounts, policyholder name, expiration date)
4. Approve or reject
After reviewing:
- Click "Approve" if the certificate meets your requirements. The unit status updates to Approved and the resident receives a confirmation email.
- Click "Reject" if the certificate does not meet requirements. You must provide a reason (for example, "Coverage amount is below $100,000" or "Policy does not include loss assessment coverage"). The resident receives an email explaining the issue and is invited to resubmit.
Certificate Statuses
| Status | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Requested | You've sent a request; awaiting resident submission |
| Submitted | Resident uploaded a certificate; awaiting your review |
| Approved | Certificate meets requirements and is accepted |
| Expired | Certificate expiration date has passed |
Tracking Expiration Dates
Propty automatically tracks certificate expiration dates and alerts you when renewal is approaching.
Expiration monitoring
- Near Expiration — Certificates expiring within 30 days are highlighted on the Insurance page.
- Expired — Certificates past their expiration date show an Expired status.
- Renewal reminder — Propty automatically sends an email to the resident 30 days before expiration, asking them to renew and resubmit their certificate.
Responding to expiration
When you see that a certificate is about to expire or has expired:
- Click the unit to open its detail.
- Click "Request Certificate" again to ask for a renewal.
- The resident receives an email notifying them to submit an updated certificate.
Best Practices
- Set clear insurance requirements. Make sure every resident knows exactly what coverage is required. Include this in welcome packets and lease agreements.
- Request certificates early. Don't wait until a certificate expires to request renewal. Request new certificates 60 days before expiration.
- Document everything. Keep approved certificates on file for at least 3 years in case of disputes or claims.
- Communicate with residents. If a resident's certificate is rejected, explain clearly why and what they need to fix.
- Review annually. Even if residents have submitted certificates, review them periodically to ensure coverage amounts remain adequate.
Troubleshooting
A resident says they submitted a certificate but I don't see it
- Ask the resident to check their email for a confirmation message.
- Have them visit their portal and check the Insurance section — they may see an "Upload" button still available if the submission didn't complete.
- If multiple attempts fail, consider accepting a manual upload: ask the resident to email you the certificate PDF, which you can review and manually update in the system.
I need to request a certificate for a unit with no active resident
- The Insurance page shows all units, including vacant ones.
- For vacant units, you can skip the certificate requirement or mark it as "Waived" (depending on your HOA policy).
- When a new resident moves in, request their certificate immediately.
A resident disputes the insurance requirements
- Refer them to your CC&Rs, architectural guidelines, or recent board decision.
- If your requirements are unreasonable or not properly disclosed, work with your board and attorney to review and update them.
The certificate PDF won't preview
- The file may be corrupted or not in PDF format.
- Ask the resident to request a new copy from their insurance company and resubmit.
I see a unit with "Expired" status but the resident just submitted a new certificate
- Refresh the page or clear your browser cache.
- The status should update within minutes of the resident's upload.