UNOCCUPIED HOUSE INSURANCE
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What is unoccupied house insurance?
Unoccupied home insurance is taken out when your property is left empty for longer than your standard policy cover allows (which is typically for more than 30-60 days). At Homeprotect, we consider a property to be unoccupied if it is unfurnished or hasn’t been visited for more than 30 consecutive days. Whilst some unoccupied home insurance policies can be bought on a short-term basis (typically 3, 6, 9 or 12 month duration), at Homeprotect we only offer policies with a 12 month duration.
Do i need unoccupied home insurance?
If you plan on leaving your property unoccupied for more than 30 days, you should consider an unoccupied home insurance policy.
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
- Waiting to complete the probate process following the death of a loved one
- The owner of a second home or holiday home you don’t usually live in
- Going on an extended holiday or sabbatical
- Experiencing an illness requiring long term treatment away from home
Keep reading to learn about long term unoccupancy and what’s included when choosing our basic or extended cover.
Unoccupied House Insurance Reviews
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What’s covered by UNOCCUPIED HOME insurance?
Unoccupied home insurance cover varies depending on whether the property is empty on a short term of long term basis.
Short term unoccupancy
If the property is usually occupied but is left unoccupied for between 31 and 180 days, then you typically get all the cover of our standard policy terms, but with exception of certain exclusions, see what is and isn’t covered below:
What’s included?
Quick home emergency response times
Have a home emergency, such as electricity failure, faulty locks or vermin infestation? With the 24/7 Home Emergency cover, which we provide as standard, you can typically get an engineer at your home within four hours. And if you’re worried about an uncontrollable leak in your home, we aim to have an emergency plumber to you within two hours.
Extreme weather conditions may extend response time. Policy terms and claim limits apply.
5 star rated buildings cover
Our building insurance has been given the highest rating by independent financial research companies, Defaqto and Moneyfacts.
Repair guarantee
Any buildings work we undertake is guaranteed for 24 months following a claim and any contents repair work we undertake is guaranteed for 12 months.
New for old
Where we replace an item, we will do our best to meet the original specification on a ‘new for old’ basis. If we can’t find an exact replacement, we’ll offer you a suitable alternative, or a full cash settlement.
Legal advice
We provide Legal Protection cover as standard, giving you access to telephone legal advice on any personal legal issue, under the laws of the UK, any European Union country, the Isle of Man, Channel Islands, Switzerland and Norway.
What isn’t included?
Escape of water incidents during the period: 1 October – 1 April (inclusive).
Theft incidents, unless all security features (e.g. locks and alarms) included in your property are maintained in good working order and in full operation.
Claims involving money and high risk items (e.g. jewellery).
Damage cause gradually, or by wear and tear, or by failure to fix a known issue.
Faulty design or poor workmanship.
Damage caused by pets.
The cost of repairing or replacing items following a mechanical or electrical fault.
Lost items.
Long term unoccupancy
If the property is not usually occupied, or is left unoccupied for more than 180 days, there are two levels of cover. Basic cover is available online. Extended cover is available over the phone, via referral to 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 | ✖ | ✔ |
Looking for more cover? Give us a call on 0330 660 1000 to talk to our team about extended cover.
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UNOCCUPIED HOME Insurance Cover Levels
The following cover levels apply for both short and long-term unoccupancy:
Buildings cover
Covers the main structure of your home if you need to rebuild or repair it.
up to £1 million
(eligibility criteria applies)
Contents cover
Covering the value of all your possessions in the home, on a new for old basis.
from £25,000
Home emergency
Covers emergencies that occur in your home like uncontrollable water leaks, electricity failure, faulty locks and vermin infestation. Two levels of cover are available.
up to £500
Family legal protection
Provides a 24/7 legal advice helpline and up to £25,000 cover for claims involving contract disputes and property damage. For a claim to be successful, there must be reasonable prospects (more than a 50% chance) of winning the legal case. Two levels of cover are available.
up to £25,000
Outbuildings cover
Covers rebuild or repair of your outbuildings (such as detached garages, greenhouses, sheds and summerhouses).
from £20,000
Liability cover
Liability cover involving accidental death, bodily injury or illness or property damage that you are legally liable to pay.
up to £5 million
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.
Additional Cover Options
Accidental Damage
The Homeprotect policy includes the option of Basic Accidental Damage, which covers electrical home entertainment equipment (such as desktop computers and monitors, DVD and Blu-Ray players, gaming consoles, home cinema systems, sound systems and TVs) up to £1,500 per claim. An upgrade …
Legal expenses cover
The insurance policy includes Basic Legal Expenses cover which provides up to £25,000 for legal fees you may face for disputes associated with your home; such as ownership of the insured property; and the sale or purchase of the insured property. You can upgrade to Full Legal Expenses cover.
Home emergency cover
The insurance policy includes Basic Home Emergency cover which provides cover for common home emergencies including burst pipes; failure of the domestic power supply (gas or electricity); and removal of pests or vermin. You can upgrade to Full Home Emergency to include cover for roof …
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