Florida homeowners say insurance overhaul helped insurers, not them, as premiums keep rising

Homeowners across Florida say the state's insurance troubles are far from over. Despite years of assurances that reforms would calm the market, many residents say they are still paying more, getting less coverage, and worrying that their policies could be canceled.

Here's what to know

In a survey conducted by the South Florida Sun Sentinel, the Orlando Sentinel and the University of North Florida's Public Opinion Research Lab, 55% of 1,511 Florida property insurance policyholders believe there is no sign that the market is improving, while 26% said conditions are getting worse. Most respondents — across party lines — said the 2022-23 overhaul mostly helped insurance companies, not customers.

Nearly half of respondents said their premiums have risen 50% or more over the past five years, and almost three-quarters said their rates continued climbing. By comparison, a 2025 Consumer Reports survey found that only 2% of homeowners nationwide reported increases that steep over the same period.

For many homeowners, switching insurers was not a choice. In the survey, 47% of Floridians who switched companies in the last five years said they did so only because they were dropped, either by a private insurer or by state-backed Citizens Property Insurance Corp. Sean Freeder, a University of North Florida political science associate professor, described the gap between that figure and the national rate as "absolutely insane."

More background

Many respondents said their experience did not match Gov. Ron DeSantis's January claim that "Premiums are lowering because we've enacted real reforms and withstood the pressure to reverse course."

Just 22% of Florida homeowners said they were strongly satisfied with their insurer, compared with 54% nationally in the Consumer Reports data. Florida respondents also reported far lower satisfaction with claims handling.

Fort Myers Shores homeowner Brandon Reich described what happened after Hurricane Ian flooded his home and damaged the roof. 

"Insurance companies, by and large, their first line of thinking is, 'Reject your claim,' and hope you go away," he said. 

Reich said his insurer paid only $30,000 for roof damage, leaving him and his husband to cover major repairs themselves and take on about $130,000 in credit card debt.

What can be done?

The survey also pointed to coverage gaps — especially flood damage, which standard property insurance often excludes. Those gaps can leave homeowners with much larger out-of-pocket repair bills after a storm.

Location and housing type can also make a major difference. Lake County resident Brian Hodson said rising insurance costs pushed him and his wife out of Fort Myers Beach, where they expected to pay a combined $10,000 to $12,000 a year for property and flood insurance. After moving to Mount Dora, they now pay less than $2,000 a year for property insurance, including flood coverage.

Tampa homeowner Ashley Lee said after storm damage left her with thousands of dollars in repair costs and just $2,000 from her insurer: "If they're not actually trying to help you, then I don't understand why they're taking your money in the first place."

Where can I learn more?

Florida's insurance turmoil is part of a broader fight over rising premiums, shrinking coverage, and how states should respond. Related coverage looks at policy cancellations in Florida, rate disputes in North Carolina, premium spikes in Louisiana, and the growing role of hurricane risk.

• Across Florida, insurers drop hundreds of thousands of policies as homeowners face rising costs.

• In North Carolina, regulators approved a step in the right direction on home insurance rates.

• In Louisiana, companies pull back coverage while angry homeowners keep paying higher premiums.

• Annual storms are driving up insurance costs as more communities confront hurricane risk.

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