Strata Tip | Earthquake Insurance and Calculating the Earthquake Deductible

strata corporations are not required to obtain earthquake insurance. That being said, purchasing a unit in a strata corporation that does not have earthquake insurance can pose significant risks, so it’s important to advise consumers accordingly.   It’s also important for your clients to be aware of how much they may be on the hook for, were an earthquake to happen and cause significant damage. By doing so, your clients will be able to make an informed decision on whether, or not, to obtain additional homeowner insurance, to mitigate their risks.   To calculate a strata lot’s earthquake deductible:   1. You need the following info: The strata’s current insurance policy, and from there: The Insured Value of the strata corporation, and The Earthquake Deductible, shown as a percentage (e.g. 15%). The strata lot’s Unit Entitlement. To calculate this, you’ll need: Schedule of Unit Entitlement (filed with the Land Title Office and known as a Form V, or if the strata was built pre-2000, this will be part of the Strata Plan). 2. You use the following formula: HINT: When using the formula, the earthquake deductible percentage should be expressed as a decimal (e.g. 15% should be entered as 0.15)     Disclaimer: The information provided is for general purposes only. It is not intended to provide legal advice or opinions of any kind. No one should act, or refrain from acting, based solely upon the materials provided, any hypertext links or other general information without first seeking appropriate legal or other professional advice.  

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