Unoccupied house insurance is a special policy intended for an empty home for a long time. The majority of standard home insurance policies cease to provide the full protection if a house is left unoccupied for over 30 to 60 days. This is because insurers consider empty homes at greater risk — damage can go undetected, and there’s a higher risk of break-ins or malicious damage.
Whether the house is awaiting sale, being renovated, in probate, or simply not in use, unoccupied home insurance provides cover while no one is living there.
Why It’s Needed
Leaving a house vacant for any period can lead to issues. A tiny leak can become extensive water damage, or a smashed window can provide easy entry for a potential intruder. If no one is present to catch these early on, the damage can be worse — and costlier to repair.
Most standard home insurance policies have an extension on how long a property can be left empty. After that period ends, certain cover might no longer be valid. That’s when a specialist unoccupied home policy intervenes — to continue protecting the property even when it’s not occupied.
What It Typically Covers
Most empty home insurance policies offer buildings cover, which insures the building of the home against hazards such as fire, flood, storm damage and vandalism. Some offer limited contents cover, depending on whether anything valuable is being left in the property.
The amount of cover will depend on how long the property is left vacant, what state it’s in, and whether things like water or heating remain connected. Some insurers request that certain checks be completed — for example, routine property checks or draining the water system during winter.
If the property is being renovated or is having building work done, this may impact upon the cover, and may necessitate a more specialist policy.
Who May Require It?
There are a great many different reasons why a house may be left empty. It may be:
- A holiday home that’s occupied only for part of the year
- A probate property waiting to be sold or inherited
- A property in the process of being renovated or repaired prior to occupation
- A residence in which the owners are absent for work, travel, or hospitalization
Landlords may also require unoccupied cover if there is a period of long emptiness between tenancies. In all of these situations, standard insurance may not be sufficient, and a correct unoccupied house policy can prevent surprises.
What to Consider When Buying
Before purchasing vacant home insurance, consider how long the property is likely to remain empty and how often it will be visited. Some policies will insist that the house is visited every 7 to 14 days. Others may request additional security measures, such as alarms or locks approved by the insurer.
It’s also crucial to be truthful with the insurer. If you do not inform them that the home is unoccupied, and something goes wrong, they may deny the claim. Make it known whether or not the property is furnished, if it has power or water connected, or being worked on.
Unoccupied house insurance is there to safeguard when the normal rules don’t hold. If the home is left empty for months or weeks, it can provide reassurance — knowing that if something does go amiss, you won’t be left to face the bill alone. COntact Insuristic for more information.
