Erie and Niagara Insurance Association
Carrier website links, underwriting access points, mapped product lines, and appetite notes in one place.
This appetite summary is only a guide. Confirm eligibility, submission requirements, restrictions, and binding authority directly with the carrier or underwriter before relying on it.
Carrier appetite summary
Scope / territory - New York-domiciled mutual insurer writing personal lines property programs for NY risks only (homes, tenants, seasonal, manufactured homes, small B&Bs, small landlord schedules, residential fire). - All programs are sold through appointed agencies using ENIA’s LaunchPoint/agent portals; underwriting is performed centrally after issue for certain personal lines per internal bulletins (Homeowner, Landlord, Manufactured Home). Preferred / target risks – Homeowners & variants - Standard owner-occupied 1–2 family dwellings in above-average condition, properly maintained, with no unusual loss history. - Homeowner program: owner-occupied primary residences, providing ML-1 (basic), ML-2 (broad), ML-3 and ML-5 (special/comprehensive) forms. Identity Theft Resolution Services included with options for Equipment Breakdown, Underground Utility Line, Identity Fraud, Ordinance & Law.([enia.com](https://www.enia.com/Home/Personal)) - Elite Homeowner / Elite Plus: preferred accounts seeking higher limits/expanded coverages on comprehensive (ML-5) form; optional Elite Plus endorsement bundles increased sublimits on valuables, business property on premises, mechanical breakdown, added water damage, ordinance and law, and higher liability/personal injury. Designed for better-quality risks that warrant broader coverage for an added premium.([enia.com](https://www.enia.com/Home/Personal)) - Country Homeowner: owner-occupied dwellings with limited farm exposure (small number of farm animals, modest roadside stand, limited farmed acreage or land leased for farming) that do not require full farmowner treatment; includes farm liability (ML-10F) with HO-style property coverage and options for barns, farm equipment and livestock. Target is hobby/part‑time farm activity, not income-producing commercial farms.([enia.com](https://www.enia.com/Home/Personal)) - Tenant Homeowner: renters needing personal property and personal liability only; standard HO perils (fire, wind, theft, etc.) on contents.([enia.com](https://www.enia.com/Home/Personal)) - Seasonal Homeowner: secondary seasonal residences (insured’s non‑primary home) for dwelling, contents and premises liability; best pricing when ENIA also writes the primary Homeowner or Manufactured Home on the same insured. Targets established ENIA households adding a seasonal.([enia.com](https://www.enia.com/Home/Personal)) - Manufactured Home: owner‑occupied manufactured homes in good condition, written on a dedicated MH form for dwelling, personal property and personal liability.([enia.com](https://www.enia.com/Home/Personal)) - Bed & Breakfast Program: owner‑occupied and owner‑operated B&Bs with up to 9 guest rooms, breakfast service only (no restaurant/full food operations). Provides dwelling, personal property and personal liability; targets small, personal B&Bs run out of the owner’s residence.([enia.com](https://www.enia.com/Home/Personal)) - Landlord Package: 1–4 family non‑owner occupied and 3–4 family owner‑occupied dwellings of dwelling‑type construction in above‑average condition; covers building, limited owner’s contents and premises liability. Intended for small habitational schedules where properties are well‑maintained.([enia.com](https://www.enia.com/Home/Personal)) - Residential Fire: used for risks that do not qualify for other ENIA programs (e.g., certain owner or tenant occupied dwellings/mobile homes, seasonal properties, vacant or unoccupied dwellings, for‑sale properties); provides flexible basic property and liability where standard HO forms are not appropriate.([enia.com](https://www.enia.com/Home/Personal)) Key underwriting themes (operational) - Condition/occupancy: Factsheets emphasize "above average condition" for Landlord and similar HO-style forms; underwriters expect well-maintained, standard construction dwellings with stable occupancy (owner-occupied where required, or typical residential tenants). Vacant or for-sale properties are generally steered to Residential Fire rather than standard HO or Landlord forms.([enia.com](https://www.enia.com/Home/Personal)) - Exposure fit: - Country Home targeted to limited farm exposures; full commercial farm operations, large livestock herds or significant farm income should be placed in ENIA Farmowners rather than Country Home.([enia.com](https://www.enia.com/Content/factsheets/Country%20Homeowner%20Sell%20Sheet.pdf)) - B&B program is restricted to up to 9 guest rooms with breakfast service only; exposures beyond that (restaurants, events, non-owner‑occupied inns) are outside the advertised appetite. - Coverage form selection: Underwriters expect proper matching of form to occupancy/use (HO vs Country vs Tenant vs Seasonal vs Manufactured vs Landlord vs Residential Fire). Agents should avoid forcing non‑standard occupancies into standard HO forms; use Residential Fire or Country/landlord when appropriate. Restricted / declined characteristics (inferred from product design) - Properties not in above‑average condition or with significant deferred maintenance (especially for Landlord and HO) are likely to be declined or re‑routed to Residential Fire if at all eligible.([enia.com](https://www.enia.com/Home/Personal)) - Dwellings with substantial commercial farm income, large agricultural operations or extensive outbuildings should not be written on Country Home; these belong in Farmowner or commercial programs. - Hospitality risks exceeding B&B program parameters (more than nine rooms, non‑owner‑occupied, food service beyond breakfast) fall outside the advertised B&B appetite. - Properties that do not meet ENIA’s program definitions (e.g., unusual occupancies, long‑term vacancy, or properties in poor condition) are generally pushed into Residential Fire with restricted coverage or declined if they cannot meet that form’s requirements.([enia.com](https://www.enia.com/Home/Personal)) Geographic notes - ENIA is a New York State mutual insurer focused on NY property risks; filings and NY DFS exam classifications show it operating as a cooperative property/casualty insurer in New York. Agents should treat appetite as New-York-centric and confirm territorial eligibility in LaunchPoint rating.([dfs.ny.gov](https://www.dfs.ny.gov/reports_and_publications/exam_reports/property_insurance?utm_source=openai)) Submission / processing expectations - Distribution is through appointed independent agents, using ENIA’s agency portals (LaunchPoint and New Agent Portal). Existing agents can request electronic access by providing Erie and Niagara agency codes via online signup.([enia.com](https://www.enia.com/Home/Personal)) - Personal Lines shift to an "Issue then Underwrite" workflow for Homeowner, Landlord and Manufactured Home: new business is issued first, then underwritten within an expected 2–4 week window. Agents should be prepared for post‑issue underwriting review and possible follow‑up or changes if risks fall outside guidelines. (Detail based on ENIA underwriting update bulletin; access requires agency login, so treat timing and specifics as internal and confirm in LaunchPoint.)([launchpoint.enia.com](https://launchpoint.enia.com/Launchpoint/updates.htm?utm_source=openai)) - Standard agency expectations (from portals/bulletins): accurate occupancy and usage disclosure (primary vs seasonal vs tenant vs landlord, degree of farm exposure, number of B&B rooms, etc.), matching of product to risk type, and providing any required inspections/photos or documentation requested post‑issue. Broker / producer notes - Appetite and procedural details are primarily delivered through agency-only resources (LaunchPoint updates and Agent Bulletins). Retail producers should always confirm current program specifics (e.g., moratoria, eligibility tweaks, farm exposure thresholds) within LaunchPoint before binding.([launchpoint.enia.com](https://launchpoint.enia.com/Launchpoint/updates.htm?utm_source=openai)) - ENIA positions itself as a relationship carrier for New York independent agents with broad HO-based offerings and competitive pricing; agents are expected to place standard, well‑maintained residential and small hobby‑farm risks here and move non‑standard dwellings or elevated exposures into Residential Fire or Farmowner as indicated by the product menu and bulletins. Operational takeaway - Treat ENIA as a New York regional HO market with multiple tailored forms. Place clean, well‑maintained owner‑occupied homes, small hobby‑farms, manufactured homes, small B&Bs, and small landlord risks into the corresponding program. Use Residential Fire for edge cases (vacant/for‑sale or otherwise non‑standard). Expect post‑issue underwriting review for HO, Landlord, and MH and consult LaunchPoint bulletins for any temporary restrictions or rate movements before quoting or binding.