PREMIUMHIKERates, notices, and the statute
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Educational notes for homeowners. Not an insurer, not an agent, and not advice about your policy.

NOTICE

What to do after a homeowners non-renewal

A non-renewal is the insurer’s decision not to offer the next term. It is not the same letter as a mid-term cancellation or a renewal that only raises the price. The state page has the day count. This page is the order of work.

Read the letter before you shop

Find three dates: the date the notice was mailed, the date the policy expires, and the date the company says coverage ends. Then read the reason. “Underwriting reasons,” with nothing under it, is not an explanation you can appeal or fix. [27]

Company-initiated nonrenewals are a measured market event, not a rumor. Insurers reported 2,019,799 of them in 2024, and the rate per 1,000 policies rose between 96% and 216% by NAIC zone from 2018 to 2024. Your letter is still governed by your state’s statute, not by that national count. [19]

Do not create a gap

Needs verificationKeep paying the current policy until a new one is bound. If a mortgage company is on the policy, tell them you are replacing coverage before the old policy ends. What a lender may buy in a gap, and whose interest that policy protects, needs verification against the mortgage clause. Do not assume the replacement covers your belongings. [27]

Compare deductibles before you accept a lower premium. A percentage hurricane or wind deductible is a share of the dwelling limit. A residual-market policy, including a FAIR plan or Citizens, is often narrower than the policy you had. [28][24]

Use the state rule, then the department

Open the state page and count the days on your envelope against the statute we re-read. Where the day count still says needs verification, do not invent one from a forum. If the notice looks late or states no real reason, complain to the state insurance department and keep the mailing record. [27]

In order

  1. Find three dates: the date the notice was mailed, the date the policy expires, and the date the company says coverage ends.
  2. Read the reason. “Underwriting reasons,” with nothing under it, is not an explanation you can appeal or fix.
  3. Decide which letter you have. A nonrenewal, a mid-term cancellation, and a renewal that cuts coverage or raises the price are different notices, and states time them differently.
  4. Keep paying the current policy until a new one is bound. A gap can put a mortgage into force-placed insurance, which protects the lender first.
  5. Ask the company, in writing, for the declarations page, the replacement-cost estimate, and which rating factors changed.
  6. If a mortgage company is on the policy, tell them you are replacing coverage before the old policy ends.
  7. Shop admitted insurers. If you cannot find one, use the residual-market note on your state page. A FAIR plan or Citizens policy is often narrower than the policy you had.
  8. Compare deductibles before you accept a lower premium. A percentage hurricane or wind deductible is a share of the dwelling limit, not a flat $1,000.
  9. If the notice looks late or states no real reason, complain to the state insurance department and keep the envelope or the electronic-delivery record.
  10. Ask about a mitigation credit only where the company will put the discount in writing: a new roof, opening protection, or defensible space, depending on the peril.

Open the state-by-state notice guide

Questions people type

Is a big price increase the same as a non-renewal?

No. A non-renewal ends the offer to continue. A renewal that costs more is still a renewal. Some states also time a notice when coverage is cut or the price jumps. Use the statute that matches the letter you received. [27]

Where do I see the day count for my state?

On the state page, and in the non-renewal guide that switches the cited rule by state. A verified headline is a statute we read. Needs verification means we did not. [27]

Sources reviewed 2026-10-14

Open the document. The sentence above is only as current as that reading.

  1. [19] Examining Homeowner Property Insurance Market Dynamics, 2018–2024 (31 July 2026). NAIC Center for Insurance Policy and Research. Reviewed 2026-10-14. https://content.naic.org/sites/default/files/mcas-homeowners-property-insurance-market-dynamics-report.pdf
  2. [24] Citizens’ 2026 multiperil rates to drop statewide (4 March 2026). Citizens Property Insurance Corporation. Reviewed 2026-10-14. https://www.citizensfla.com/-/20260304-citizens-2026-multiperil-rates-to-drop-statewide
  3. [27] State insurance department directory. National Association of Insurance Commissioners. Reviewed 2026-10-14. https://content.naic.org/state-insurance-departments
  4. [28] Insurance topics: FAIR plans. National Association of Insurance Commissioners. Reviewed 2026-10-14. https://content.naic.org/insurance-topics/fair-access-to-insurance-requirements-plans