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Unoccupied home insurance

Unoccupied home insurance covers your property if it's left empty for more than 30 days.

We don’t compare specialist unoccupied home insurance policies which offer long-term cover for empty properties.

But, a standard home insurance policy usually offers some level of cover if your home is unoccupied for a short time.

How long you can leave your home unoccupied varies between standard home insurance policies, so check the details carefully when comparing quotes. Dedicated policies for unoccupied homes can cover your property for up to:

  • 3 months
  • 6 months
  • 9 months
  • 1 year
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When do I need unoccupied home insurance?

Most standard home insurance policies cover properties on an annual basis but state that it must not be unoccupied for 30 days or more. Some policies set the limit at 60 days, but there are insurers who offer cover for even longer.

If you have a property that's going to be unoccupied for over 30 days it's worth considering a specialist unoccupied home insurance policy. You might need this type of policy for a number of reasons including:

Inheritance

You've inherited a house after someone has died and you're waiting for probate

Care

You're going into long-term care and the house will be left empty

Moving house

You've bought a new house and you're waiting to sell the old one

Selling

You want to insure an unoccupied house that’s currently for sale

Moving out

You’ve moved in with a partner and haven’t sold or rented your house

Holiday

You're going on a long holiday or you're spending some time abroad

Holiday home

You own a holiday home and it's empty during the off-season

If you're a landlord and you’re between tenants, landlord insurance should be able to cover an empty property for up to 3 months. Depending on your insurer, you may need to add empty property insurance as an extra to your policy. So, it's worth checking this before assuming you're already covered.

What does unoccupied house insurance cover?

Unoccupied home insurance usually covers your home against damage from:

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What’s covered

Fire

Your policy should cover any damage caused by fire

Storms and flooding

Your cover should help cover the cost of storm and flood damage

Theft

Your policy should cover losses from theft including damage to the house

Burst pipes

Unoccupied insurance should cover damage cause by escape of water

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Some policies also cover:

Legal expenses

Legal cover could be useful if you have to start legal proceedings to evict squatters

Public liability

This covers you if a tree branch falls from your property and damages a car in the street below, for example

What does unoccupied house insurance not cover?

Home insurance policies tend to exclude cover for:

Cross

Some policies don't cover:

Unforced entry or burglary

If the windows or doors aren't secure, any theft or damage claims might be turned down

Damage caused by poor maintenance

If your roof leaks because it hasn’t been maintained properly, your provider might turn you down

Damage caused by contractors

Contractors should have their own insurance to cover any damage caused

Damage from renovations

If you haven't told your insurer renovation work is happening, they may not cover any claims

How much does unoccupied house insurance cost?

The average cost of home insurance for an unoccupied property is:

Length of time property will be unoccupied Average annual cost of home insurance*
Up to 30 days
£209
30-60 days £233
60+ days £297

The cost of home insurance for unoccupied properties depends on the following factors:

  • The length of time your house is empty for
  • The date when someone will be living in the house again: This is important for getting an accurate quote. If you don’t know exactly when the house will be occupied, you might be better off with specialist unoccupied home insurance.
  • Your address
  • The value and condition of your house
  • The level of home security at the unoccupied home
  • The level of cover you’ve chosen: The more comprehensive the policy the more expensive it could be.
  • Your claims history

*Based on Confused.com data. January - March 2024.

How long can a house be unoccupied for?

How long a house can be unoccupied depends on the type of insurance you have and the exact terms of your policy.

When you get a quote you can select the amount of days your home will be unoccupied for. Most insurers offer cover for unoccupied homes between 30 - 60 days. If you want cover for more than 60 days, you'll find fewer insurers who are willing to cover you. You can still find cover, but your options are more limited.

You might be able to extend your cover if you're unexpectedly away from your empty house for longer than the time stated in your policy. Speak to your insurer to find out if this is possible.

It's best to try and accurately calculate how long you may be away from the home, so you can get the cover you need rather than under- or over-insuring your property.

What our home insurance expert says:

"It’s important to be as accurate as you can when getting a quote for unoccupied home insurance. The length of time the property will be unoccupied for can affect your costs, as does the date the property will be occupied from.

If you’re unsure about any of this, don’t guess. Your quote won’t be accurate and you may not have the cover you need for your unoccupied home. Instead, you may need to get quotes from providers who can offer dedicated unoccupied house insurance."

Matthew Harwood, Home & lifestyle insurance expert at Confused.com
Home & lifestyle insurance expert Confused.com logo

What if I fail to tell my insurance provider that my house is empty?

You may invalidate your cover if you keep your standard home insurance in place but your property is empty for longer than the policy allows.

This means if you need to make a claim, you may be rejected because you've broken the terms of the policy. For this reason, you should always let your insurer know if your house will be unoccupied for longer than the amount of time set out in the policy details.

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