# Florida Homeowners Reject Insurance Crisis Claims Amid Rising Costs
- Medio: Civic Coast News (https://civiccoastnews.com)
- URL: https://civiccoastnews.com/noticia/florida-homeowners-reject-insurance-crisis-claims-amid-rising-costs
- Sección: Economy
- Autor: Civic Coast News Staff
- Publicado: 2026-09-26T07:08:53.770Z
> A landmark Sun Sentinel poll reveals 55% of Florida homeowners see no improvement in the property insurance market, contradicting state leaders' claims that reforms have stabilized costs and availability for policyholders.

## Las claves

- State leaders claim Florida's insurance crisis is resolved, but a new survey shows widespread homeowner dissatisfaction
- Survey conducted by Sun Sentinel and UNF found 55% of residents see no signs the market is improving
- Premiums have surged while claims handling satisfaction lags significantly behind national averages

State leaders insist they have resolved Florida’s property insurance crisis, but a new statewide survey indicates that homeowners are not buying into this narrative. According to findings released on September 25, 2026, by the South Florida Sun Sentinel and Orlando Sentinel in partnership with the University of North Florida (UNF), residents report surging premiums, frequent policy cancellations, and deep dissatisfaction with their coverage. The poll reveals a significant disconnect between official statements from Governor Ron DeSantis’s administration and the financial reality faced by Floridians.

### Survey Results Highlight Market Skepticism

The landmark survey of 1,511 Florida property insurance policyholders found that 55% see no signs that the insurance market is improving. Furthermore, 26% contend that the situation is getting worse. The data suggests that most homeowners, including both Democrats and Republicans, believe the state’s 2022-23 property insurance overhaul has primarily benefited insurance companies rather than consumers who were promised relief.

Nearly half of the respondents reported premium increases totaling 50% or more over the past five years. Nearly three-quarters stated that these increases continued into the last year, despite promises from state leaders that rates would decline. Among policyholders who changed insurers in the last five years, 47% said they were forced to switch because their previous insurer dropped them. This contrasts sharply with a national average where only 9% of homeowners reported being dropped by an insurer.

### Personal Stories and Financial Strain

The survey highlights the human cost of these market dynamics through interviews with affected residents. Brandon Reich, a homeowner in Fort Myers Shores, has paid for most repairs to his home damaged by Hurricane Ian in 2022 after his insurer blamed flood damage on water exposure that was not covered. "Insurance companies, by and large, their first line of thinking is, 'Reject your claim,' and hope you go away," Reich said, a story we covered in [Florida Homeowners Remain Pessimistic About Insurance Market Stability](/noticia/florida-homeowners-remain-pessimistic-about-insurance-market-stability).

Similarly, Dan Caudill, a homeowner in Royal Palm Beach, reported an annual premium increase of $1,300 to reach $5,700 this year. He also paid $10,000 out of pocket to replace his roof because his insurer did not cover the full cost. Patrick Shea, a St. Augustine resident who was dropped by his private insurer and moved to state-owned Citizens Property Insurance Corp., stated that the reforms have helped insurance companies but failed to improve availability or prices for homeowners, as this newspaper reported in [Florida Leads US New Home Market As Out](/noticia/florida-leads-us-new-home-market-as-out-of-town-buyers-surge).

### State Narrative vs. Consumer Reality

The state’s narrative is not entirely baseless; nearly 90% of property insurance companies operating in Florida were profitable last year, and litigation reforms have slashed claims-based lawsuits by over 30%. Additionally, 20 new insurers have joined the market to increase competition. However, skepticism remains deep among policyholders, according to [USA Today](https://usatoday.com).

While state leaders are shifting focus toward property tax reform with a measure on the November ballot, survey respondents said insurance remains the bigger problem by a margin of 63% to 36%. Satisfaction levels in Florida lag behind national averages: only 22% of Florida homeowners reported being strongly satisfied with their insurer, compared to 54% nationwide. Furthermore, just 32% were highly satisfied with how insurers handled recent claims, half the rate seen in other U.S. states.
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Fuente original: https://civiccoastnews.com/noticia/florida-homeowners-reject-insurance-crisis-claims-amid-rising-costs