Landlord insurance and an empty property meet each other routinely, because every let property is empty sometimes. That is why landlord policies carry a longer unoccupancy allowance than household ones, and why the allowance is one of the most useful things to compare between quotes. A void inside the allowance needs nothing; a void beyond it needs a decision.
What the allowance usually is
Landlord wordings commonly allow thirty, forty five, sixty or ninety consecutive days of the property being empty before cover narrows. The range is wide and it is rarely the thing buyers look at, which is a pity because a landlord whose properties turn over often will use it every year. Ninety days covers almost any ordinary void; thirty does not cover a refurbishment between tenancies.
What happens when the void runs past it
The same narrowing as on any property policy: escape of water, theft, malicious damage and accidental damage fall away and a short list of catastrophe perils remains. The insurer should be told, and many will extend for a further period on conditions. Where the property is being refurbished rather than simply relet, that is a different conversation and often a different policy.
Refurbishment between tenancies, which is the common trap
A property taken back, stripped and rewired between tenants is not merely unoccupied, it is undergoing works, and most landlord policies restrict cover during structural or major works regardless of the unoccupancy allowance. Redecoration is usually fine. New kitchens, rewiring, structural alteration and anything involving scaffolding usually are not, and telling the insurer before the work starts is the whole of getting it right.
Practical steps for any void
Keep the heating on a low setting or drain the system in winter. Visit or have somebody visit, and note the date. Clear the post. Keep the garden tidy so the property does not look abandoned. Tell the insurer if the void is going to be long. None of these costs anything and together they answer most of what an insurer would ask for.
Questions people ask about landlord insurance empty property
How long can a let property be empty?
Commonly thirty to ninety consecutive days on a landlord policy, and the allowance varies a lot between insurers. It is one of the most useful terms to compare at renewal.
Do I have to tell the insurer about a normal void?
Not if it is inside the allowance. Beyond it, yes, and before it expires rather than after.
Can I refurbish the property while it is empty?
Redecoration usually yes. Rewiring, new kitchens, structural work and anything with scaffolding usually need the insurer's agreement first, whatever the unoccupancy allowance says.
Is the property still covered for liability while empty?
Property owners liability usually continues, because the duty to people lawfully on or near the property does not stop when the tenant leaves.