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.
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 99 consecutive days. |
 | Property is unoccupied if vacant for more than 120 consecutive days. |
Now you can compare benefits to make sure you choose a policy that's right for you.
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.
| Response | |
|---|---|
| I never compare or switch | 27.39% |
| Once a year | 26.96% |
| Once every 3+ yrs | 26.09% |
| Every 2 yrs | 18.7% |
| More than once a year | 0.87% |
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.
You may be required to make sure your home is kept in a lived-in state by:
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.
Here are some common scenarios where you might leave your home unoccupied for long enough that it could affect your insurance.
If you're away from home, it might be worth getting a house sitter or arrange for someone to check in regularly. Ask them to take a look inside at least once a week to make sure everything is alright, as well as take care of any tell-tale signs of a vacant home, such as uncollected mail or unmown lawn. Arrange for a friend or a professional garden service to stay on top of lawn and garden maintenance while you're away. Before you leave, thoroughly inspect how secure your home is. Check all locks on windows and doors, and consider installing a back-to-base burglar alarm for added security.
Start comparing home insurance
We talk you through how to get home office insurance.
If you're a tenant with a fragile home aquarium, here's how renters insurance can help protect it.
Find out how home insurance can cover you for cyclones.
Find out how home insurance can cover water damage and how to avoid some of the pitfalls.
What’s the difference between total replacement home insurance and sum insured home insurance? Find out here.
Discover what impacts the cost of home insurance and how to get the right protection with this handy guide.
South Australia is unique. Protect your home from a range of unexpected circumstances with home and contents insurance. This guide will teach you what to look for in a policy in South Australia.
Motor burnout covers those big appliances in your home in the event that they let you down. This article will show you what it is, why it's important and how much it can cost you.
Compare mobile phone insurance policies in Australia and choose the right plan for you.
Guide to understanding building insurance and what it covers.
