Apartment Insurance Market Flips: What Multifamily Owners Need to Know [07/10/26]
July 10, 2026
Gregory Frick

Apartment Insurance Market Flips: What Multifamily Owners Need to Know [07/10/26]

After nearly four years of relentless premium increases, deductible hikes, and carrier exits, the multifamily insurance market has quietly turned. In this episode of Multifamily Marketwatch, HFO partner Greg Frick welcomes back Chris Page of JD Fulwiler for an 18-month update. They discuss what’s driving the shift, where the real risks still sit, and what owners should expect heading into 2027.

Chris walks through the return of new carriers, expanded vintage acceptance, and the sudden reappearance of competition in the property market. He also flags a growing problem that isn’t getting the same attention. Specifically, umbrella coverage is a concern. As nuclear jury verdicts push liability exposure higher, umbrella carriers are pulling limits. They are also tightening capacity and pricing on crime-score data down to the cross-street level.

KEY TOPICS COVERED:

• The property market’s turn in December 2025 to January 2026
• New carriers entering multifamily and older vintages back in play
• Deductibles: what’s standard now and what banks will accept
• Habitability exclusions and other coverage nuances to watch
• The umbrella coverage crunch and why $25M limits are gone
• How crime scores now drive liability underwriting in Portland zip codes
• Which property vintages are the current problem child (spoiler: 1960 to 1975)
• Galvanized pipes, polybutylene, and other insurable material red flags
• Why insurance inspections are now annual and how to prepare
• The 2027 outlook: modest decreases or a wash against rising replacement values

If you own multifamily property in the Pacific Northwest and have a renewal coming up, this conversation gives you the specifics your insurance broker isn’t always volunteering.

HFO Investment Real Estate is Oregon’s and SW Washington’s leading multifamily investment brokerage by transaction volume. We specialize in apartment investment sales. Looking for someone to sell your apartment building? Call us at (503) 241-5541.

 

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