By Brad Henderson, Network Insurance Services

It usually starts with an email no property manager wants to open:

“Loss Control Recommendations – Response Required.”

Inside is a report outlining items the association must address—often within 20–30 days. Grills need to be removed from balconies. Trees must be trimmed back. Concrete is cracked and considered a trip hazard. Electrical panels may require evaluation.

For many communities, this feels less like a routine inspection and more like an unexpected project list—with real cost, coordination, and urgency.

And the stakes are high. Failure to respond to recommendations may jeopardize coverage or even trigger a midterm cancellation.

Why Carriers Conduct Inspections

While these inspections can feel disruptive, they are rooted in a shared goal: preventing claims before they happen.

Carriers use inspections to identify conditions that commonly lead to losses—fire hazards, trip-and-fall exposures, deferred maintenance, and aging building systems. For communities, fewer claims mean fewer disruptions, safer properties, and more stable insurance costs.

Common Pain Points

Unexpected Costs

Inspections often uncover items that weren’t budgeted—tree trimming, siding repairs, or concrete work—that can quickly add up.
Carriers typically require a response within 20–30 days.
Key insight: they are not expecting everything to be completed within that timeframe—they are expecting a clear action plan outlining what will be done and when. For many items, completion is typically expected before the next renewal.
Some carriers now require managers or board members to complete inspections via mobile apps, shifting responsibility onto the community.
A common point of friction occurs when the loss control representative requests access to a unit to photograph items like electrical panels or plumbing. This can create logistical challenges and resident pushback. While certain components may be the unit owner’s responsibility, failures in these systems can lead to losses impacting the association.
Failure to respond—or demonstrate progress—can result in cancellation or non-renewal.

• Which items are required versus suggested 

• What must be completed versus planned 

• Whether exceptions can be granted 

Identify common issues in advance—trip hazards, vegetation touching buildings, balcony risks, and drainage concerns.
Acknowledge each recommendation, provide a timeline, and include documentation where possible.
Focus first on fire hazards, electrical concerns, and trip-and-fall exposures.

The 30-Day Deadline

Self-Inspections

Unit Access During the Inspection

Risk of Midterm Cancellation

Who Is Actually Making the Decisions

The loss control representative identifies issues and provides recommendations, but they do not have final authority over coverage.

That authority sits with the underwriter, who ultimately determines:

This distinction matters. While reports can feel definitive, there is often room for discussion. When provided with context and a reasonable plan, underwriters can and do modify requirements.

How to Prepare and Respond

Conduct a Pre-Inspection Walkthrough

Respond with a Clear Action Plan

For communities with deferred maintenance, a current reserve study can be a valuable tool. It demonstrates awareness, planning, and funding—helping shift the narrative from unaddressed risk to managed improvements.

Prioritize Life Safety Items

The Role of Your Insurance Broker

Proactive communication before the inspection can help reduce surprises. The community’s broker can provide context to the carrier around common exposures and community-specific realities.

Without that context, the inspection may be the first time the carrier identifies an issue, often resulting in stricter recommendations.

Turning Inspections into an Advantage

Loss control inspections don’t have to be viewed as a burden. They provide a third-party evaluation of risk by a trained loss control professional—focused on identifying and reducing exposures before they become claims.

At the end of the day, both the carrier and the community should be working toward the same goal: preventing losses before they happen.

Communities that take a proactive approach—preparing for inspections, communicating effectively, and demonstrating a clear plan to address risks—tend to experience smoother inspections, fewer surprises, and more favorable long-term outcomes.

The best loss control inspections don’t create surprises—they confirm a plan that’s already in place.

Brad Henderson is a Partner and Executive Vice President at Network Insurance Services, focused on serving community associations. He works alongside property managers and HOA boards to simplify the insurance process, reduce surprises, and help communities make more informed decisions around risk and coverage.