Are you planning an extended holiday away from home? Perhaps you need to move out while the builders are in? Perhaps there’s a longer than usual interval between tenants moving out of your let property before new ones move in?
If your property is going to be empty for longer than a month or two, how do you leave it?
Insurance implications
One of the most important considerations is home insurance. Did you know that after a property has been unoccupied for typically 45 to 60 consecutive days, most insurers will significantly curtail the extent of buildings and contents cover – or even regard the home insurance policy as having lapsed altogether?
To restore the protection that your home and its contents continue to need while you are away, you may need to arrange standalone unoccupied property insurance.
To find out more about unoccupied property insurance, why it is needed and what it covers etc., please read our Guide to Unoccupied Property.
What to do when you leave your unoccupied property
Even with unoccupied property insurance safely in place, your insurers are entitled to expect you to take all reasonable precautions to mitigate any loss or damage.
There are various measures commonly taken to help safeguard an unoccupied property while the homeowners, tenants or landlords are away:
Secure the empty property
- security is a clear essential – an unoccupied property may attract all manner of undesirable attention from intruders, squatters, vandals, and arsonists;
- you have an array of choices but start with ensuring that all doors and windows, the garage, and any garden sheds and gates are securely locked;
- the popularity of video doorbells speaks volumes for the ability to monitor your property remotely while conventional burglar alarms and motion-detecting floodlights add extra security;
- don’t advertise your prolonged absence on social media and, before you go, consider informing the local police and your Neighbourhood Watch scheme;
Make sure your home looks lived-in
- if you plan to be away during the summer months, arrange for regular grass-mowing and maintenance of the garden;
- redirect (or cancel) post and other deliveries;
- set a few lights on timer switches to give the impression that someone’s at home in the evenings; and
- ask a friendly neighbour to put your bins out on collection days and use their own car to park on your driveway every once in a while;
- if you’re away during the winter months, the same security precautions apply, and you may need to give special attention to basic home maintenance;
- your insurer will require you to meet certain terms and conditions under the terms of your cover – for example, to avert the risk of frozen pipes the need to keep the heating on to maintain a low-level ambient temperature – or draining down the water system entirely if you plan to be away for an especially long time. Check your empty property insurance policy for what you need to do, or please contact us for clarification;
- consider investing in a leak detection device; and
- double-check that all exposed pipework and outdoor fittings are thoroughly insulated and fix any dripping taps;
Fire safety first
- fire is a potentially lethal threat to any home – risks of a serious outbreak are multiplied in an unoccupied home where there is no one to raise the alarm;
- according to loss adjustors Morgan Clark on the 18th of December, fire brigades attend more than 34,000 house fires a year in the UK – an average of 93 a day or one every 15 minutes;
- even with unoccupied property insurance in place, therefore, you must continue to take all reasonable precautions by removing any flammable materials, installing smoke detectors, considering a fire alarm system connected to your local emergency services, and – in the warmer summer months – turning off gas and electricity supplies.
Peace of mind as you leave your unoccupied property
Although your property is undoubtedly more vulnerable if you need to leave it vacant for longer than a month or two, unoccupied property insurance is designed to maintain the financial protection you need.
Together with the precautions outlined above, you may leave your unoccupied property with a certain peace of mind.
