Property managers and HOA boards often require vendors to name the association or management company as additional insured on general liability policies. This is not the same as listing someone as certificate holder — confusing the two is a common compliance mistake.
Certificate holder vs additional insured
- Certificate holder — receives copies of the COI and cancellation notices; does not automatically receive coverage
- Additional insured — extends certain liability protections to your organization under the vendor’s policy for covered claims arising from the vendor’s work
Your contract may require both: you as certificate holder on the form, plus an additional insured endorsement attached or referenced in the Description of Operations box.
What the endorsement should cover
- Your legal entity name matches the contract exactly (HOA inc., management company LLC, etc.)
- Coverage applies to ongoing operations and completed operations where required
- Primary and non-contributory language if specified in your agreement
- Waiver of subrogation if your lease or governing documents require it
How to verify on the COI
Check the Description of Operations / Locations / Vehicles section for language like “[Your org] is included as additional insured.” A separate endorsement page may be required for audit proof. If the box is blank and your contract requires additional insured, request the endorsement from the vendor’s broker before work starts.
HOA-specific considerations
Boards often require additional insured status for any vendor touching common elements — landscaping, snow removal, pool service, structural repairs. Document requirements in your vendor policy and verify annually. See HOA vendor insurance requirements for a full board checklist.
Track additional insured automatically
CertGuard extracts additional insured indicators from COI PDFs and lets you require them in compliance rules. Try free — 5 vendors, 14-day Pro trial, no sales call.