Unoccupied home insurance

Some home insurers consider a house "unoccupied" after 60 days. After this, you'll need to update your home insurance policy to unoccupied, or select this option during the application process.

It's important that you let your home insurer know that the home will be unoccupied, otherwise you risk losing your cover.

When is a home unoccupied?

Home insurers have different limits when it comes to how long it takes for a house to be unoccupied. We did some research and found that this limit can vary between 60 days up to 120 days.

Brand	How many days until the property is unoccupied
	Property is unoccupied if vacant for more than 60 consecutive days.
	Property is unoccupied if vacant for more than 60 consecutive days.
	Property is unoccupied if vacant for more than 60 consecutive days.
	Property is unoccupied if vacant for more than 60 consecutive days.
	Property is unoccupied if vacant for more than 60 consecutive days.
	Property is unoccupied if vacant for more than 60 consecutive days.
	Property is unoccupied if vacant for more than 99 consecutive days.
	Property is unoccupied if vacant for more than 120 consecutive days.

Looking for unoccupied home insurance? Compare here.

Now you can compare benefits to make sure you choose a policy that's right for you.

Name	Product	Finder Rating
Budget Direct Home & Contents Insurance Budget Direct Home & Contents Insurance 4.5/5★★★★★ rating Finder AwardBonus	Storm Fire Theft Flood Accidental Damage (e.g TV falls) Impact to home (e.g falling trees) Escaped water (e.g burst pipe) Portable contents (e.g dropped laptop outside of home) + more insured events and other features Storm Fire Theft Flood Accidental Damage (e.g TV falls) Impact to home (e.g falling trees) Escaped water (e.g burst pipe) Portable contents (e.g dropped laptop outside of home) + more insured events and other features	4.5/5★★★★★ rating	Our verdict: The most popular insurer on Finder, Budget Direct prioritises low-cost cover and gives you up to 30% off your first year for new combined policies purchased online. This is a big reason it won this year’s Finder Award for value.	Get a quote View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Youi Building and Contents Insurance Youi Building and Contents Insurance 4.5/5★★★★★ rating Best Rated Brand	Storm Fire Theft Flood Accidental Damage (e.g TV falls) Impact to home (e.g falling trees) Escaped water (e.g burst pipe) Portable contents (e.g dropped laptop outside of home) + more insured events and other features Storm Fire Theft Flood Accidental Damage (e.g TV falls) Impact to home (e.g falling trees) Escaped water (e.g burst pipe) Portable contents (e.g dropped laptop outside of home) + more insured events and other features	4.5/5★★★★★ rating	Our verdict: Finder’s 2022 Insurer of the Year for Customer Satisfaction and our Top Pick for Fire Damage cover. It’s good if you want a tailored quote over the phone.	Get a quote View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
QBE Home & Contents Insurance QBE Home & Contents Insurance 3.5/5★★★★★ rating Green CompanyBonus	Storm Fire Theft Flood Accidental Damage (e.g TV falls) Impact to home (e.g falling trees) Escaped water (e.g burst pipe) Portable contents (e.g dropped laptop outside of home) + more insured events and other features Storm Fire Theft Flood Accidental Damage (e.g TV falls) Impact to home (e.g falling trees) Escaped water (e.g burst pipe) Portable contents (e.g dropped laptop outside of home) + more insured events and other features	3.5/5★★★★★ rating	Our verdict: Finder's Top Pick for Floods plus cover for other common claims such as fire and theft). Its discount is better than most – 20% off your first year with a combined policy.	Get a quote View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Honey Home & Contents Insurance Honey Home & Contents Insurance 4.5/5★★★★★ rating Finder AwardBonus	Storm Fire Theft Flood Accidental Damage (e.g TV falls) Impact to home (e.g falling trees) Escaped water (e.g burst pipe) Portable contents (e.g dropped laptop outside of home) + more insured events and other features Storm Fire Theft Flood Accidental Damage (e.g TV falls) Impact to home (e.g falling trees) Escaped water (e.g burst pipe) Portable contents (e.g dropped laptop outside of home) + more insured events and other features	4.5/5★★★★★ rating	Our verdict: Honey gives you $250 smart sensors to reduce accidents and estimates your rebuild costs for you. Honey was a finalist for the comprehensive category in this year’s Finder Awards.	Get a quote View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Seniors Top Home & Contents Insurance Seniors Top Home & Contents Insurance 3/5★★★★★ rating Bonus	Storm Fire Theft Flood Accidental Damage (e.g TV falls) Impact to home (e.g falling trees) Escaped water (e.g burst pipe) Portable contents (e.g dropped laptop outside of home) + more insured events and other features Storm Fire Theft Flood Accidental Damage (e.g TV falls) Impact to home (e.g falling trees) Escaped water (e.g burst pipe) Portable contents (e.g dropped laptop outside of home) + more insured events and other features	3/5★★★★★ rating	Our verdict: Get up to 20% off when you buy a combined home and contents policy. Terms, conditions, underwriting criteria and minimum premiums apply, which may reduce discount. Make sure your rebuild costs are accurate though – Australian Seniors don’t do underinsurance cover.	Get a quote View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Kogan Home & Contents Insurance Kogan Home & Contents Insurance 3/5★★★★★ rating Bonus	Storm Fire Theft Flood Accidental Damage (e.g TV falls) Impact to home (e.g falling trees) Escaped water (e.g burst pipe) Portable contents (e.g dropped laptop outside of home) + more insured events and other features Storm Fire Theft Flood Accidental Damage (e.g TV falls) Impact to home (e.g falling trees) Escaped water (e.g burst pipe) Portable contents (e.g dropped laptop outside of home) + more insured events and other features	3/5★★★★★ rating	Our verdict: Good comprehensive cover (issued by QBE). Also, get 22% off on your first year's premium when you purchase a new combined Home & Contents insurance policy online + $10 monthly credit. T&Cs apply.	Get a quote View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Qantas Home and Contents Insurance Qantas Home and Contents Insurance 4.5/5★★★★★ rating BonusFinder Award Finalist	Storm Fire Theft Flood Accidental Damage (e.g TV falls) Impact to home (e.g falling trees) Escaped water (e.g burst pipe) Portable contents (e.g dropped laptop outside of home) + more insured events and other features Storm Fire Theft Flood Accidental Damage (e.g TV falls) Impact to home (e.g falling trees) Escaped water (e.g burst pipe) Portable contents (e.g dropped laptop outside of home) + more insured events and other features	4.5/5★★★★★ rating	Our verdict: Earn up to 30,000 Qantas Points with every Qantas Home Insurance policy you take out by 7 February. T&Cs and exclusions apply.	Get a quote View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...

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Already have home insurance? Just let your insurer know that the house will be unoccupied. Make sure you do let them know, as if you leave the place unoccupied for over 60 days without telling them, you could void your policy.

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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