Unoccupied home insurance

Want to get insurance for a home no one is living in? All you have to do is select "Unoccupied" while completing a quote or contact your current insurer. If you don't, your policy might be voided. A home is generally considered unoccupied after 60 days, but this differs from insurer to insurer, so it's best to check.

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What does unoccupied mean for home insurance?

If you leave your home for an extended period of time, it will be considered unoccupied by your home insurer. When a home is considered unoccupied, the insurer will generally do one of two things: impose an additional excess on any claims that arise while your home is unoccupied or cancel your policy. To prevent this, you need to contact them directly.

Generally, a home is not considered unoccupied if it's vacant for less than 30 days, but this differs from insurer to insurer, so it's worth looking into. If you exceed the time limit, your home will be considered unoccupied, and you may not be covered if you need to make a claim.

If you know that your house will be unoccupied for an extended period of time, make sure you let your insurer know so they can either update your existing policy or issue a new one.

How to keep an unoccupied house in Australia

You may be required to make sure your home is kept in a lived-in state by:

Making sure all windows and doors are locked

Keeping the lawns mowed

Stopping the mail, newspaper and other regular deliveries

Getting someone such as a friend, relative or neighbour to check on your house (inside and outside once a week)

These conditions vary between insurers and in accordance with your personal circumstances, but failing to abide by them could cause any claims during this period to be refused.

When will I need unoccupied home insurance?

Here are some common scenarios where you might leave your home unoccupied for long enough that it could affect your insurance.

• Leaving your home empty while travelling. If you're planning an extended holiday, there's probably a high likelihood that you'll exceed your insurer's maximum unoccupied limit. For cover to continue, make sure you contact your insurer and notify them of your plans before you depart.
• Leaving your home empty while you renovate. Living in your house while it's being renovated can be stressful and far from practical, so moving out for a few months while work is completed may be the best solution. Not only will your home insurance cover be cancelled if you're away for an extended period, but keep in mind that home insurance commonly won't cover claims that arise because of the renovations.
• Leaving a house vacant while trying to sell it or rent it out. If you plan to leave the property vacant while you either look to sell it or try to find new tenants to rent it out, check with your insurer to find out how this will affect your policy. While many insurers will cover unoccupied homes for up to 60 or 90 days, there are some landlord insurance policies that require you to notify the insurer each time your home is left vacant due to a change of tenant.

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More questions about unoccupied home insurance

• Why does it matter if my home is unoccupied?

  Insurance is all about risk. By agreeing to cover your home against a wide range of events, the insurer takes on a certain level of risk. But if you leave your home unoccupied for a long period, that level of risk will increase.

  Think about it. When your home is unoccupied it's a prime target for burglars, thieves and vandals, and you also can't protect it against fire, storm or other weather-related perils. Events that may only cause minimal damage if you're there to look after your property can cause much more serious damage if there's no-one at home. Even something as simple as a burst pipe can cause a whole lot of expensive damage to an unoccupied home if you're not there to call an emergency plumber or turn off the mains water supply.

  So, to minimise their exposure to this increased level of risk, insurers impose terms and conditions on leaving your home unoccupied.

• Is unoccupied home insurance expensive?

  Depending on how long your house is unoccupied, there may actually be no difference in the price of your home insurance. Of course, you'll have to get a quote for your home to check.

  Generally speaking, if your house is going to be unoccupied for more than 60 days, you'll have to contact the insurer directly to see if they can offer you cover for the extended period.

• Can I get insurance for a vacant block of land?

  Yes, this is called vacant land insurance. This provides public liability cover to protect you if your ownership of the land results in someone else suffering an injury or property damage. It's also possible to get cover for any structures that may be on the land, such as sheds, outbuildings and the like.

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