House insurance for an unoccupied property has three possible answers and most owners only ever hear about one. The existing insurer may extend. A specialist unoccupied insurer will quote. And where the house is between tenancies rather than genuinely out of use, a landlord policy with a generous void allowance may cover the gap without a separate product at all. Which is right depends on how long the house will be empty and why.
Route one: an extension from the insurer you already have
Quickest where it works. Ask what they will allow, for how long, at what premium and on what conditions, and get the answer in writing on the schedule rather than in a call note. This route suits absences of a few months where the property is otherwise unchanged. It fails where the insurer has no appetite, which is common on properties empty for probate or renovation.
Route two: a specialist unoccupied policy
Written for the state the building is in, in three, six or twelve month terms with a defined peril list and a set of inspection and heating conditions. This is the right answer for probate, for a stalled sale, for a house whose owner has gone into care, and for anything where the emptiness has no fixed end date. It costs more than occupied cover and removes the argument entirely.
Route three: a landlord policy that expects voids
Where the house is a let property between tenancies, a landlord policy with a longer unoccupancy allowance may carry the gap without any change at all. Allowances differ sharply between landlord insurers, from thirty days to ninety, and the allowance is worth comparing at renewal precisely because every let property is empty sometimes.
Choosing between them
Under a month and let: usually route three, if the allowance covers it. One to three months and otherwise normal: try route one first. Longer, or empty for probate, renovation or care: route two. In every case the decision should be made before the existing policy's unoccupancy period expires, because the cheapest route stops being available once the cover has already narrowed.
Questions people ask about house insurance for unoccupied property
Which is cheaper, an extension or a specialist policy?
An extension usually, where the insurer offers one. A specialist policy is more expensive and covers the actual situation, which is worth the difference for a long or open ended void.
How long will an insurer extend cover for?
Commonly a further thirty to ninety days, sometimes renewable. Appetite varies a great deal between insurers.
Does a landlord policy cover the gap between tenants?
Within its unoccupancy allowance, which varies from around thirty to ninety days. Compare that allowance at renewal, because every let property is empty sometimes.
What if I do nothing?
Cover narrows to a short peril list on the date the wording states. Nothing is cancelled and no letter arrives, which is why this catches people.