Home insurance is required for most homeowners with a mortgage, but a few scenarios can lead to policy non-renewal or cancellation. Non-renewal means that your insurance company won’t renew your policy at the end of the term, often through no fault of your own. Cancellation can happen at any time during the policy period and is often caused by non-payment of premiums or insurance fraud.
Every state has unique laws that protect consumers from home insurance non-renewals and cancellations. These laws typically require home insurance companies to give advance notice to policyholders facing non-renewal or cancellation due to specific circumstances.
Here are some tips for handling cancellation or non-renewal of your home insurance and how your state affects your policy.
Find Cheap Home Insurance
Check quotes from 120+ top insurance companies
Home insurance cancellation laws by state
If you have homeowners insurance, it’s beneficial to understand the unique cancellation laws where you live. In the following table, you can see home insurance cancellation laws by state.
State | Home Insurance Cancellation Laws |
|---|---|
| Alabama | Insurers must give 30 days’ notice before cancellation. For cancellations due to non-payment, insurers must give 10 days’ notice. |
| Alaska | For policies that have been in effect for less than 60 days, insurers can cancel for almost any reason. For policies that have been in effect for more than 60 days, insurers can only cancel for limited reasons. |
| Arizona | Insurers must give 5 days’ notice before cancellation. For non-renewals, insurers must give 30 days’ notice. |
| Arkansas | For policies that have been in effect for more than 60 days, insurers can only cancel for a limited number of reasons. Cancellation for non-payment only requires a 10-day notice. |
| California | Policies that have been in force for more than 60 days can only be canceled for qualifying reasons. Insurers must give 20 days’ notice prior to the date of cancellation and 10 days’ notice for non-payment. |
| Colorado | Insurers can only cancel policies after 30 days for limited reasons. Companies must give 30 days’ notice for cancellation due to qualifying reasons and 10 days’ notice for non-payment. |
| Connecticut | Insurers must give 30 days’ notice prior to cancellation for qualifying reasons and 10 days’ notice for non-payment. |
| Delaware | Insurance companies must provide 30 days’ notice for cancellation and 15 days for cancellation due to non-payment. |
| Florida | Insurers are required to provide 120 days’ notice prior to cancellation. For non-payment cancellations, insurers must give 10 days’ notice. |
| Georgia | Insurers are required to provide 30 days’ notice before cancellation and return any unused premiums to the policyholder. |
| Hawaii | Insurance companies must give 10 days’ notice for cancellation and 30 days’ notice for non-renewal. |
| Idaho | Insurance companies must give at least 30 days’ notice before cancellation. For non-payment, only 10 days’ notice is required. Insurers must notify policyholders 45 days before non-renewal. |
| Illinois | Insurers must give 30 days’ notice prior to cancellation for qualifying reasons and 10 days’ notice for non-payment. |
| Indiana | Insurance companies must provide at least 20 days’ notice when canceling policies that have been in effect for more than 60 days. Only 10 days’ notice is required for cancellation due to non-payment. For non-renewals, policyholders must be notified within 20 days before the policy terminates. |
| Iowa | Insurers must give 30 days’ notice prior to cancellation and 10 days’ notice for non-payment. |
| Kansas | Insurance companies must give 30 days’ notice before cancellation and 10 days’ notice for cancellation due to non-payment. Unused premiums must be returned to the policyholder. |
| Kentucky | Insurers must give 14 days’ notice prior to canceling policies in effect for less than 60 days. For policies in effect for more than 60 days, the cancellation notice must be provided within 75 days. |
| Louisiana | Insurance companies must give 30 days’ notice prior to cancellation. For cancellation due to non-payment, 10 days’ notice is required. |
| Maine | Insurers are required to give 30 days’ notice prior to cancellation and 10 days’ notice for non-payment. |
| Maryland | Insurance companies must provide 45 days’ notice before cancellation. Only 10 days’ notice is required for cancellation due to non-payment. |
| Massachusetts | Insurers are required to give at least 5 days’ notice to the policyholder before cancellation and 10 days for non-payment. The insurer has 20 days to notify the insured’s mortgage company prior to cancellation. |
| Michigan | Insurance companies are required to provide 30 days’ notice before canceling a policy. |
| Minnesota | Insurers are required to give 60 days’ notice before cancellation or non-renewal. Unused premiums must be returned to the policyholder before the date of termination. |
| Mississippi | Insurance companies must give 30 days’ notice before cancellation for specific reasons and 10 days’ notice for non-payment. |
| Missouri | For cancellation or non-renewal, insurance companies must give 60 days’ notice. |
| Montana | Insurance companies must give 45 days’ notice prior to cancellation or non-renewal. For cancellation due to non-payment, 20 days’ notice is required. |
| Nebraska | For cancellation and non-renewal, insurers must give at least 60 days’ notice and 10 days’ notice for non-payment. |
| Nevada | Insurance companies must give 30 days’ notice prior to cancellation or non-renewal. For cancellation due to non-payment, 10 days’ notice is required. |
| New Hampshire | Insurance companies must give 60 days’ notice prior to cancellation and 10 days’ notice for non-payment. |
| New Jersey | Insurers are required to provide 30 days’ notice before cancellation for qualifying reasons and 10 days’ notice for non-payment. |
| New Mexico | Insurance companies are required to provide at least 10 days’ notice prior to cancellation. |
| New York | Policies that have been in effect for less than 60 days can be canceled for specific reasons. Policies that have been in effect for more than 60 days can’t be non-renewed or canceled for three years, except in certain circumstances. Cancellation for non-payment is allowed and requires 10 days’ notice. |
| North Carolina | Insurers must give 15 days’ notice prior to cancellation. For non-renewals, insurers must give 45 days’ notice. |
| North Dakota | Insurance companies must give 30 days’ notice before cancellation. For non-payment, at least 10 days’ notice is required. |
| Ohio | Insurers must give 30 days’ notice prior to cancellation. |
| Oklahoma | Insurance companies are required to provide 30 days’ notice prior to cancellation or non-renewal. |
| Oregon | Insurance companies must provide 30 days’ notice before cancellation due to qualifying reasons and 10 days’ notice for cancellation due to non-payment. |
| Pennsylvania | Insurance companies must give 30 days’ notice prior to cancellation for any qualifying reason. |
| Rhode Island | For policies that have been in effect for more than 60 days, insurers must give 30 days’ notice prior to cancellation. For non-payment, only 10 days’ notice is required. |
| South Carolina | Insurance companies must give 30 days’ notice for cancellation and 60 days’ notice for non-renewals. |
| South Dakota | Insurance companies must give 20 days’ notice prior to cancellation and 60 days’ notice prior to non-renewal. |
| Tennessee | Insurers are required to give 20 days’ notice prior to cancellation except for non-payment, which requires 10 days’ notice. |
| Texas | Insurance companies are required to notify policyholders at least 10 days before cancellation. |
| Utah | Insurance companies must give 30 days’ notice before cancellation. For cancellation due to non-payment, only 10 days’ notice is required. |
| Vermont | Insurers must give 45 days’ notice before cancellation. For non-payment, 15 days’ notice is required. |
| Virginia | Insurance companies must give 30 days’ notice prior to cancellation and 10 days for non-payment. |
| Washington | Insurance companies must give 45 days’ notice prior to cancellation or non-renewal and 10 days’ notice for non-payment. |
| Washington, D.C. | Insurers must give 30 days’ notice before canceling a policy. |
| West Virginia | Insurance companies must give 30 days’ notice prior to cancellation. |
| Wisconsin | Insurers must give 60 days’ notice prior to canceling a policy. |
| Wyoming | Insurance companies are required to provide 45 days’ notice before cancellation. For non-payment, insurers must give 10 days’ notice. |
Why home insurance companies might cancel or not renew a policy
Home insurance companies are allowed to cancel or not renew policies for the following reasons:[1] [2]
Non-payment
If you stop paying your home insurance premium, your insurance company may cancel your policy at any time during the policy term. In most states, insurers are only required to provide 10 days’ notice before canceling a policy due to non-payment.
Increased risk
It’s possible that your policy might be canceled or not renewed if your property is riskier to insure now than when you first purchased the policy. For example, if you install a pool or adopt a dog on the insurer’s restricted breed list, your policy may be terminated.
Lying on your application
If the insurance company finds out that you lied on your application, an insurer can cancel your policy. Lying on your application is considered insurance fraud.
Too many insurance claims
If you’ve filed multiple home insurance claims within a short period of time, your insurance company might decide that you’re too risky to insure and won’t renew or cancel your homeowners policy.
What to do if your home insurance company drops you
If your insurance company doesn’t renew your policy or cancels your coverage altogether, here are a few things you can do:[3]
Dispute the decision. If you don’t believe that the cancellation or non-renewal was justified, you can dispute the decision by notifying your insurance company or your state’s department of insurance.
Improve the condition of your home. If your policy was terminated because your home is in poor condition, consider making relevant improvements, like replacing the roof or upgrading major systems, like electrical and plumbing.
Start shopping for a new policy. It’s a good idea to start shopping for a new home insurance policy as soon as you receive a notice of cancellation or non-renewal. That way, you have plenty of time to research insurers, compare rates, and avoid a lapse in coverage.
Consider a FAIR Plan. If your policy was canceled because your home is deemed too risky to insure, look into your state’s Fair Access to Insurance Requirements (FAIR) Plan. These plans cover high-risk homeowners who struggle to get approval for policies on the voluntary home insurance market.
Compare Home Insurance Quotes Instantly
Insurify partners with top insurers for real-time quotes
How to prevent your home insurance policy from being canceled
You can’t always control whether your home insurance policy gets renewed. But you can take steps to reduce the risk of cancellation:
Always pay your home insurance premium on time.
Make improvements to your home and repair known issues.
Avoid filing excessive home insurance claims.
Install safety devices, like fire alarms, to reduce risk.
Understand how certain dog breeds can affect home insurance.
Be truthful when reporting information or claims to your insurance company.
Home insurance cancellation laws FAQs
It’s important for homeowners to understand cancellation laws in their state. Here’s additional information about home insurance cancellation and when it can happen.
What happens when your homeowners insurance is canceled?
When your homeowners insurance coverage gets canceled, you’ll receive a written cancellation notice within a certain time frame before your coverage ends. You won’t have coverage if you don’t have a new policy in place before the old policy’s expiration date. Once you receive a written notice of cancellation or non-renewal, you should start shopping for a new policy right away.
Is it hard to get homeowners insurance after being dropped?
It can be more difficult to get homeowners insurance if your policy has been canceled in the past, especially if you failed to pay the premiums or lied on your application. If you’re unable to find a new home insurance policy, your mortgage lender may be able to find one for you. But the premium will likely be much more expensive than you were previously paying.
Under what circumstances can an insurance company cancel your home insurance?
Home insurance companies can only cancel your policy in certain situations. Once your policy has been in effect for more than 60 days, the insurer can usually only cancel it if you stop paying the premiums or commit insurance fraud. But if your policy has been in effect for less than 60 days, insurers can cancel your policy for almost any reason.
What are the three types of home insurance cancellation?
The three types of home insurance cancellations are flat, pro-rata, and short-rate. Flat cancellations occur when the policyholder hasn’t started paying premiums, so no refund is required. Pro-rata cancellation means that you receive a refund for unused premiums only. With a short-rate cancellation, the insurance company charges a penalty on the unused premiums, which is meant to prevent policyholders from canceling their coverage in the middle of the term.
Sources
Methodology
Insurify data scientists analyzed rates from more than 180 home insurance companies sourced directly from Insurify’s partner companies and Quadrant Information Services. Rates span all 50 states and Washington, D.C., and quote averages represent the mean price for a given coverage level and geographic area. To ensure data reliability, only insurers meeting minimum quote thresholds were included in the analysis.
Unless otherwise specified, quoted rates reflect the average cost for homeowners with no prior claims and good credit with a home construction year of 1980. The default coverage assumptions include:
Default Coverage Assumptions
- Dwelling coverage: $300,000
- Deductible: $1,000
- Personal property limit: $25,000
- Liability limit: $300,000
Additional data points beyond these default values are sourced from Insurify’s proprietary database. Rates are updated monthly.
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)