Unoccupied house insurance for a property standing empty. Cover from 90 days through to five years or more, for void periods, probate, sales and homes waiting to be let again.
An empty property loses the thing that protects it most: someone living in it. This policy is written for that gap, keeping real buildings and contents cover in place rather than the stripped-back terms a standard policy falls back to.
Full reinstatement cover for the structure, including professional fees and debris removal, kept in place for the whole time the property stands empty rather than lapsing after a few weeks.
e.g. An empty probate house where a first-floor pipe fails in January and runs undetected for a fortnight.
Replacement-value cover for the items still in the house. Carpets, curtains, white goods, fitted kitchens and any furniture left behind while the property is between uses.
e.g. A furnished let standing empty between tenants, stripped of appliances in a break-in.
Fire, theft, escape of water, storm, flood and subsidence, plus malicious damage and vandalism, which are precisely the risks a standard policy pulls back on once a property is empty.
e.g. A vacant terrace targeted for lead and copper while it waits for a buyer.
Your liability as owner while the property is empty. An unoccupied building still faces the public, and you remain responsible for it whether anyone is living there or not.
e.g. A slate slipping from an empty property and damaging a car parked below.
Most empty property is not empty by choice. These are the cases we place cover for most often.
Void between tenants
A let sitting empty longer than the standard policy allows.
Probate and inherited property
A home standing empty while an estate is settled.
Light refurbishment
Cosmetic work before reletting, short of structural alteration.
Awaiting sale
A property on the market with nobody living in it.
Owner in long-term care
A home kept but unoccupied while the owner is in care or hospital.
Owner working away
An extended posting or long stay abroad leaving the property empty.
Property developers
Stock held empty between purchase, works and resale.
Small portfolios
Up to 20 unoccupied properties quoted online on one schedule.
Properties need to be secure, weatherproof and structurally sound, of brick, stone, concrete or timber-frame with masonry exterior construction, with a standard heating system and no history of subsidence or underpinning. Properties undergoing structural alteration or major renovation, and anything used as a second home, holiday let or commercial premises, need a different policy. Tell us what the property is actually doing and we will match it to the right one.
Most empty property claims arrive in winter, and most are refused for a condition the owner did not know about. Buy the right cover online, or call and we will talk the conditions through with you.
The questions we hear most often about unoccupied property.
Insurers generally treat a property as unoccupied once nobody has lived in it for a continuous period, commonly 30 to 45 days, or where it is not furnished and lived in as a home. It is the continuous absence that matters, not whether you visit. Popping in to collect post or check the heating does not reset the clock.
Cannot see your question? Speak to our team on 01782 739099.
Why use a broker
FCA regulated
Authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.
Experienced team
Decades of combined commercial broking experience behind the firm.
Named broker
A direct line to the same person at quote, renewal and claim.
Independent
No tie-ins. We use the market that fits the property.
● Cover that often sits alongside this
Ready when you are
Keep proper cover in place for as long as the property stands empty. Buy online now, or talk the unoccupancy conditions through with a broker first.
