New York: your insurer cannot mid-cycle nonrenew you over one hail or wind claim

What the statute does

N.Y. Ins. Law §3425 governs cancellation and nonrenewal of "covered policies" including personal-lines homeowners insurance. The load-bearing provisions:

• 3-year required policy period. A personal-lines homeowners policy in force for at least 3 years may only be canceled or nonrenewed for grounds that would justify cancellation under subsection (c)(2). Filing a weather claim is not one of those grounds.
• Listed grounds only. During the required policy period the permitted reasons for cancellation or nonrenewal are, in substance: nonpayment of premium; criminal conviction for acts that increase the hazard; fraud or material misrepresentation; willful or reckless acts increasing the hazard; physical changes to the property that make it uninsurable under the insurer's objective, uniformly-applied underwriting standards; or a determination by the Superintendent that continuing coverage would violate state insurance law.
• Notice period. The insurer must give at least 45 but not more than 60 days advance notice of nonrenewal or conditional renewal (subsection (d)(1)). No mid-cycle "sudden goodbye" letters.

What §3425 does NOT do

• It does not bar rate increases. A NY insurer can still raise your renewal premium after a weather claim. §3425 addresses the nonrenewal decision, not rating.
• It does not bar nonrenewal after the 3-year required period ends. Once your policy passes 3 years, the insurer regains broader nonrenewal discretion (subject to conditional-renewal notice requirements).
• It does not automatically apply to all commercial or non-personal-lines property policies. The 3-year required period is a personal-lines protection; commercial property has different notice rules.
• It does not force the insurer to pay any specific claim. Coverage disputes and denials are governed by other provisions of the Insurance Law and by your policy.

What this means when you're deciding to file

The NY protection takes the worst-case outcome (mid-cycle nonrenewal after a single weather claim) off the table for the required policy period. It does not take the softer costs off the table:

1. Your premium can still rise at renewal.
2. Your claims-free discount can still reset.
3. The claim still sits on your CLUE report for 5 to 7 years, and once your 3-year required period ends, that record affects underwriting.

So the decision to file in New York is still driven by:

1. Your percentage deductible versus the roofer's estimate. Calculate your real deductible.
2. Your roof's age against your carrier's payment schedule. Old roofs get paid actual cash value, which shrinks the check.
3. How close you are to the end of the 3-year required period. §3425's shield weakens as you approach renewal outside the period.

Run the specifics through the roof claim calculator.

How New York compares

The 3-year required policy period is a stronger structural protection than the Texas rule (which bars nonrenewal solely because of natural-cause claims — see the Texas spoke) in one respect: NY's protection is not tied to the peril type. A claim of any kind (weather, theft, fire, liability) that does not fall under one of §3425's listed grounds cannot support nonrenewal during the required period. Texas's protection is peril-specific but does not have the same required-period floor.

Sources

• N.Y. Ins. Law §3425 (Cancellation and Nonrenewal of Personal Lines Insurance Policies). Official statute site: nysenate.gov/legislation/laws/ISC/3425. Verified 2026-09-08.
• New York State Department of Financial Services: dfs.ny.gov. Publishes circular letters and consumer guidance on cancellation and nonrenewal practice.

Educational information, not legal or insurance advice. §3425 has been amended over its history and its exact grounds list, notice periods, and required-period rules are set by the statute text as amended. Verify the current text at the official source before relying on specific provisions in a dispute with your insurer.