Unoccupied house insurance
- Furnished and unfurnished cover
- Holiday homes, empty houses, vacant on extended holiday, owner in care home and empty between tenants all covered.
- Underwritten by AXA Insurance.
- Average quote time is only 10 minutes.
More information
What is unoccupied house insurance?
Unoccupied home insurance is designed to protect a property that’s left empty for longer than your standard home insurance policy allows — typically more than 30 consecutive days.
At Homeprotect, we define a property as unoccupied if:
- It is noted as unoccupied in your policy document, or
- It is noted as occupied but has not been entered and internally inspected for more than 30 consecutive days
Evidence of inspection will be required at the point of claim.
We only offer 12-month policies, whether your property is unoccupied for the short or long term. We don’t offer short-term or monthly unoccupied policies.
Do i need unoccupied home insurance?
If your property will be empty for more than 30 consecutive days, unoccupied home insurance is likely to be required — especially if you want to remain protected against serious risks like fire or public liability.
You may need unoccupied home insurance if you’re:
- Undergoing home renovations that require you to vacate the property
- A landlord and you’re between tenants
- Leaving a property empty while you’re waiting for it to sell
- Managing a property during probate
- The owner of a second home or holiday home you don’t usually live in
- Travelling for a long time (e.g. a sabbatical or extended holiday )
- Receiving long-term treatment away from home
The cost depends on several factors, including:
– The property’s location and rebuild value
– Its current condition and level of maintenance
– What property security measures are in place
– Whether you qualify for basic or extended cover
You can get a get a quote for unoccupied home insurance today.
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What’s covered by UNOCCUPIED HOME insurance?
Your level of cover depends on whether the property is unoccupied for a short or long period.
Short term unoccupancy (31 – 180 days)
If your home is usually occupied but will be empty for more than 30 days — and less than 181 — it is classed as unoccupied, and some restrictions apply.
We continue to offer our standard cover, but we won’t cover the following unless the property is inspected at least once every 30 days:
❌ WE WON’T COVER:
- Escape of water claims occurring on or between 1 October and 1 April
- Jewellery and watches, unless stored in a locked safe with the keys removed
- Theft or attempted theft, unless all security features listed in your Statement of Fact are in good working order and actively used
- Money, under any circumstance
🔍 INSPECTIONS ARE ESSENTIAL
To keep your cover valid, your property must be entered and internally inspected at least once every 30 days. You’ll need to provide evidence at the point of claim — such as dated photos, utility records or smart lock logs.
Long-term or permanently Unoccupied (181+ days)
If your property is unoccupied for more than 180 consecutive days — or is permanently unoccupied — your policy is limited to FLEEA-only cover, unless extended by our underwriting team.
The following table compares what sort of insured events are covered:
| Insured loss | Basic cover (available online) | Extended cover (call for quote) |
| Fire, Lightning, Earthquake, Explosion, Aircraft or other flying devices (FLEEA) | ✔ | ✔ |
| Liability to the public | ✔ | ✔ |
| Escape of Water or oil | ✖ | ✖ |
| Accidental damage | ✖ | ✖ |
| Storm or flood | ✖ | ✔ |
| Subsidence or tree roots | ✖ | ✔ |
| Theft (including attempted theft) | ✖ | ✔ |
| Malicious damage | ✖ | ✔ |
| Collisions with wild animals or vehicles | ✖ | ✔ |
| Aerials & falling objects | ✖ | ✔ |
| Damage by emergency services | ✖ | ✔ |
Want extended protection?
Call our team on 0330 660 1000 to speak to our sales team about extended unoccupied cover.
If approved, we can include cover for additional risks — like storm, flood, malicious damage and theft — but the following restrictions will still apply while the property remains unoccupied:
❌ WE WON’T COVER
- Escape of water or oil
- Accidental damage
❌ WE ALSO WON’T COVER THE FOLLOWING CONTENTS:
- Electronic gadgets
- High risk items (e.g. jewellery, watches, artworks)
- Money
✔ TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR EXTENDED COVER:
- The property must have been lived in within the past two years
- No doors or windows should be boarded up
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*Survey data of 1,089 buying customers from 30th October – 12th November 2024
UNOCCUPIED HOME Insurance Cover Levels
The following cover levels apply for both short and long-term unoccupancy:
unoccupied covers levels with homeprotect
Buildings Cover
Up to £1 million (more cover available if needed)
Protects the main structure of your home, including attached garages and conservatories, and permanent outdoor features such as patios, driveways and boundary walls.
Contents cover
from £25,000
Protects your household contents — including furniture, clothing, appliances, gadgets and valuables — against insured events. Cover is provided on a new for old basis.
Home emergency
up to £500
Covers sudden, unexpected emergencies — like an uncontrollable leak — that require immediate action to prevent damage or make your home secure. Two levels of cover are available, for different types of insured loss.
Liability cover
up to £5 million
Covers your legal liability for accidental death, injury or illness to someone else, or damage to their property.
Outbuildings cover
from £20,000
Covers detached garages, greenhouses, sheds, summerhouses and other outbuildings within your boundary or any communal area you’re legally responsible for.
Family legal protection
up to £25,000
Covers legal costs for certain insured events. There must be a reasonable chance of success, and the incident must happen during your policy term. Two levels of cover are available, for different types of insured loss.
Empty homes face greater risks because:
Leaks, faults and fire hazards can go unnoticed
There’s no one there to respond or limit damage
They’re more vulnerable to vandalism, theft or weather-related damage
That’s why cover is more limited — and why regular inspections are so important. You can read more about why unoccupied homes are riskier in our guide.
What our expert says…
“Unoccupied properties face higher risks because issues like leaks or electrical faults can go unnoticed, and they’re more exposed to fire, vandalism, and weather damage.
Homeprotect insures over 30,000 unoccupied properties, offering specialist cover for homes that are temporarily or long-term empty. Fire is the primary insured risk, along with explosions, lightning, earthquakes, and public liability. Risks like escape of water, storm, accidental damage, and theft are not covered.
To help protect your property, turn off water at the mains and secure all entry points. When it becomes occupied again, just let us know—we’ll update your cover.”
Home Insurance Expert
Why it’s essential to let your home insurer know if your property is empty
Leaving your property unoccupied leads to additional risks, and it’s essential that you let your home insurer know if your property will be left empty for more than 30 days. When buying, renewing or updating a Homeprotect home insurance policy, you must tell us:
- How the property is used (e.g. main home, holiday home, let)
- How long it will be left unoccupied
If your Statement of Fact shows 30 days’ unoccupancy but it’s left longer without telling us, your claim could be declined due to non-disclosure.
If you’ve declared longer unoccupancy (e.g. 31–90 days or more), restrictions still apply — especially if the property hasn’t been inspected as required.
New Customer?
If you’re deciding on whether to buy home insurance with us, you can use our latest policy booklets as a guide.
Existing Customer?
Find answers to some of your questions here. Your latest policy documents are also available to view and download.
Your Questions Answered
Because it affects your level of cover. Not telling us may invalidate your policy — and lead to declined claims.
Yes, we cover any duration — but cover restrictions apply. See above the full details in the main body of this page.
To make a claim with unoccupied home insurance, you will need to:
- Have your Policy Document to hand
- Have proof of ownership and a valuation (e.g. receipts or bank statements)
- Provide proof of loss along with a full description of what happened
When you’re ready, log in to submit your claim online or call our claims hotline.
If it’s empty for 31 to 180 days, your cover is largely standard but with exclusions. Beyond 180 days, long-term unoccupied rules apply.
Yes you can insure a property that’ s up for sale — if it’s been left empty for more than 30 days, you’ll need unoccupied cover.
Please get in touch with our team so we can update your policy to reflect the fact that your property is now unoccupied.
Yes, if the property is empty for more than 30 days. Landlord insurance with unoccupied protection is available.
Just let us know. We’ll update your policy and adjust your cover accordingly.
Homeprotect defines an ‘unoccupied home’ as a property that is unfurnished or hasn’t been visited for more than 30 consecutive days.
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Our insurance experts are on hand if you have any questions.