Citizens Insurance Florida: What Homeowners Really Experience in 2024

Citizens Property Insurance is the "insurer of last resort" in Florida. If no private insurer wants you, you end up at Citizens.

But what does that mean in practice? This is what homeowners in Miami-Dade report.

What Is Citizens Insurance?

Citizens is not a normal insurance company. It is a non-profit created by the state of Florida for people who cannot get private insurance.

In 2024, Citizens has more than 1.4 million policies. That is a record. And it is still growing.

How Do You End Up At Citizens?

You must prove that you cannot get private insurance, or that private options are more than 20% more expensive than Citizens.

The process:

1. Your agent requests quotes from private insurers
2. No offer or too expensive? — Citizens application
3. Citizens checks your home (inspection required)
4. Approval or rejection

What Homeowners Say About Premiums

Citizens premiums have gone up. Significantly.

What we hear from Miami-Dade:

• Premiums are no longer cheap compared to 2-3 years ago
• Annual increases of 10-15% are common
• Assessments (extra charges after major storms) are a risk

Citizens has a cap on how much they can raise premiums per year. But that cap was recently raised to 14.5% per year.

What Homeowners Say About Claims

Mixed experiences:

Positive:

• Structured process
• Clear communication about status

Negative:

• Slow processing (months)
• Disputes about damage amounts
• Lots of documentation required

We do not have statistics on average claim times or approval rates. This is based on what homeowners tell us.

Depopulation: Are You Being Moved?

Citizens actively tries to transfer policies to private insurers. This is called "depopulation."

How it works:

1. A private insurer offers to take over your policy
2. You receive a letter with the offer
3. You have limited time to refuse
4. If you do nothing, you are automatically transferred

Some homeowners are happy with the switch. Others complain about higher premiums or worse terms at the new insurer.

Citizens Roof Requirements

This is where many homeowners get stuck.

Citizens requirements for roofs in Miami-Dade:

• Roof younger than 15 years: usually no problem
• Roof 15-20 years: inspection required, may be accepted or rejected
• Roof older than 20 years: almost always rejected (unless certain materials)

Metal roofs and tile roofs sometimes have longer life expectancies.

Is Citizens A Good Option?

That depends on your alternatives.

Citizens is often the only option for:

• Older homes
• Homes in high-risk zones
• Homes with claims history

If you do have private options, compare:

• Premium (including potential Citizens assessments)
• Coverage
• Claims reputation
• Financial stability