The apartment-insurance renewal folder to build before the deadline

Save the current policy, declarations pages, endorsements, schedules, invoices, and every renewal or non-renewal notice. Put the policy expiration date, lender deadline, premium-finance dates, and internal decision date on one cover sheet.

Write down what you want reviewed: property, general liability, equipment breakdown, ordinance or law, umbrella or excess liability, earthquake, flood, cyber, workers' compensation, or other exposures. The list should reflect the actual operation and lender requirements.

Ask the broker which policy years and lines of coverage the target markets require. A reviewer may request several years of currently valued loss runs, including years with no losses. Request them early enough to correct missing periods or stale claim values.

For a material claim, prepare a short factual status: what happened, whether repairs are complete, what changed afterward, and whether the claim remains open. Do not minimize or speculate; support the explanation with available records.

Create a consistent property schedule with address, year built, construction, units, stories, square footage, occupancy, valuation, roof details, fire protection, and major electrical, plumbing, heating, or structural updates. Include dates and supporting records where available.

Add recent inspections, open recommendations, permits, invoices, contracts, photographs, and repair completion evidence. Separate planned work from completed work so the submission remains accurate.

Compare each proposal using the same checklist: covered locations, limits, valuation, coinsurance, deductibles, sublimits, exclusions, protective safeguards, carrier, taxes and fees, total cost, minimum-earned premium, and required subjectivities.

Keep an owner, due date, and status beside every open item. This turns renewal preparation into a visible process and reduces avoidable back-and-forth when the carrier's deadline is close.