Unoccupied house insurance
- Probate, Holiday homes, empty houses, vacant on extended holiday and empty between tenants all covered.
- Any length of unoccupancy*.
- Underwritten by AXA Insurance.
- Average quote time is only 10 minutes.
More information
Unoccupied home insurance is taken out when your property is left empty for longer than your standard policy cover allows (which is typically for more than 30-60 days). At Homeprotect, we consider a property to be unoccupied if it is unfurnished or hasn’t been lived in by you or your guests for more than 30 consecutive days. By ‘lived in’ we mean that you or your guests regularly sleep there overnight and carry out day-to-day activities such as cooking and bathing in the property. Whilst some unoccupied home insurance policies can be bought on a short-term basis, at Homeprotect we only offer policies with a 12 month duration.
Do i need unoccupied home insurance?
If you plan on leaving your property unoccupied for more than 30 days, you should consider an unoccupied home insurance policy.
You may need unoccupied home insurance if you’re:
- Undergoing home renovations that require you to vacate the property
- A landlord and you’re between tenants
- Leaving a property empty while you’re waiting for it to sell
- Waiting to complete the probate process following the death of a loved one
- The owner of a second home or holiday home you don’t usually live in
- Going on an extended holiday or sabbatical
- Experiencing an illness requiring long term treatment away from home
Keep reading to learn about long term unoccupancy and what’s included when choosing our basic or extended cover.
How much is unoccupied home insurance?
The cost of unoccupied house insurance will vary depending on factors such as location, rebuild value, property security, property maintenance, and the level of cover you choose.
You can get a quote for unoccupied home insurance today.
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What’s covered by UNOCCUPIED HOME insurance?
Your level of cover depends on whether the property is unoccupied for a short or long period.
Short term unoccupancy (31 – 180 days)
If your home is usually occupied but will be empty for more than 30 days — and less than 181 — it is classed as unoccupied, and some restrictions apply.
We continue to offer our standard cover, but we won’t cover the following unless the property is inspected at least once every 30 days:
❌ We won’t cover:
- Escape of water claims occurring on or between 1 October and 1 April
- Theft or attempted theft, unless all security features listed in your Statement of Fact are in good working order and actively used
- Jewellery and watches, unless stored in a locked safe with the keys removed
- Money, under any circumstance
🔍 Inspections are essential
To keep your cover valid, your property must be entered and internally inspected at least once every 30 days. You’ll need to provide evidence at the point of claim — such as dated photos, utility records or smart lock logs.
Long-term or permanently Unoccupied (181+ days)
If your property is unoccupied for more than 180 consecutive days — or is permanently unoccupied — your policy is limited to FLEEA-only cover, unless extended by our underwriting team.
The following table compares what sort of insured events are covered:
| Insured loss | Basic cover (available online) | Extended cover (call for quote) |
| Fire, Lightning, Earthquake, Explosion, Aircraft or other flying devices (FLEEA) | ✔ | ✔ |
| Liability to the public | ✔ | ✔ |
| Escape of Water or oil | ✖ | ✖ |
| Accidental damage | ✖ | ✖ |
| Storm or flood | ✖ | ✔ |
| Subsidence or tree roots | ✖ | ✔ |
| Theft (including attempted theft) | ✖ | ✔ |
| Malicious damage | ✖ | ✔ |
| Collisions with wild animals or vehicles | ✖ | ✔ |
| Aerials & falling objects | ✖ | ✔ |
| Damage by emergency services | ✖ | ✔ |
Want extended protection?
Call our team on 0330 660 1000 to speak to our sales team about extended unoccupied cover.
If approved, we can include cover for additional risks — like storm, flood, malicious damage and theft — but the following restrictions will still apply while the property remains unoccupied:
❌ We won’t cover:
- Escape of water or oil
- Accidental damage
❌ We also won’t cover the following Contents:
- Electronic gadgets
- High risk items (e.g. jewellery, watches, artworks)
- Money
✔ To be eligible for extended cover:
- The property must have been lived in within the past two years
- No doors or windows should be boarded up
UNOCCUPIED HOME Insurance Cover Levels
The following cover levels apply for both short and long-term unoccupancy:
unoccupied covers levels with homeprotect
Buildings Cover
Up to £1 million (more cover available if needed)
Protects the main structure of your home, including attached garages and conservatories, and permanent outdoor features such as patios, driveways and boundary walls.
Contents cover
from £25,000
Protects your household contents — including furniture, clothing, appliances, gadgets and valuables — against insured events. Cover is provided on a new for old basis.
Home emergency
up to £500
Covers sudden, unexpected emergencies — like an uncontrollable leak — that require immediate action to prevent damage or make your home secure. Two levels of cover are available, for different types of insured loss.
Liability cover
up to £5 million
Covers your legal liability for accidental death, injury or illness to someone else, or damage to their property.
Outbuildings cover
from £20,000
Covers detached garages, greenhouses, sheds, summerhouses and other outbuildings within your boundary or any communal area you’re legally responsible for.
Family legal protection
up to £25,000
Covers legal costs for certain insured events. There must be a reasonable chance of success, and the incident must happen during your policy term. Two levels of cover are available, for different types of insured loss.
protect your home with unoccupied property insurance
If you’re planning to be away from your property for over 30 days – or if you’ve unexpectedly left your property vacant and don’t know when you’ll be back, get a quote with Homeprotect and protect your unoccupied property. Unoccupied property insurance provides the protection you need.
You can read more about why unoccupied homes are riskier in our guide.
what are the restrictions of unoccupied home insurance?
At Homeprotect, we offer policies with a 12-month duration. The extent of cover varies depending on whether the unoccupancy is only for a short period (between 31 and 180 days) or a longer period (more than 180 days).
Most unoccupied policies we sell are for long-term unoccupancy. Our standard cover for long-term unoccupancy (available online) is restricted to those insured events which could result in a total loss, were they to occur – Fire, Lightning, Earthquake, Explosion, Aircraft impact (typically abbreviated to ‘FLEEA’ cover). Whilst FLEEA cover is limited, in comparison to a standard policy it is also typically much cheaper.
We can potentially extend the policy coverage, beyond FLEEA, to cover circumstances such as theft, malicious damage, storm, and flood. To obtain this extended cover, our underwriters will need to review your circumstances. Please note, however, that we do not offer cover against escape of water/oil or accidental damage for unoccupied properties.
The restrictions in cover are because unoccupied properties are typically much more susceptible to damage, because there are no occupants to prevent damage or limit the extent of the damage.
What our expert says…
“Our unoccupied property cover is very popular and we currently insure over 20,000 unoccupied properties. Due to the heightened risk of damage to unoccupied properties, our cover is restricted, in comparison to our standard property cover, but it is also much cheaper.
Just make sure you take all the necessary precautions to limit the risk of something happening to your property which is not covered – for example, turn off water at the mains, to reduce the risk of an escape of water incident.
If your property does become occupied then make sure you tell us, so we can adjust your cover accordingly.”
Home Insurance Expert
New Customer?
If you’re deciding on whether to buy home insurance with us, you can use our latest policy booklets as a guide.
Existing Customer?
Find answers to some of your questions here. Your latest policy documents are also available to view and download.
Your Questions Answered
You will need to prove you have an ‘insurable interest’ in the property for Homeprotect to provide cover. Once confirmed, the probate home insurance policy will usually be issued in the name of the executor with any beneficiaries named as additional policyholders.
There are no regulations around how long a homeowner can leave their property unoccupied. However, when it comes to purchasing vacant property insurance with Homeprotect, your home must have been unoccupied for more than 30 days.
If you’re planning to leave your home empty for an extended period, there are a few safety and security considerations. Firstly, after 30 days unoccupied, most home insurance policies are void – so, the homeowner would need an empty home insurance policy to protect against theft or damage. Many empty home insurance policies will also expect the home to be inspected regularly, water and electricity to be switched off and more.
Additional considerations include installing a home security system and using smart devices such as leak detection technology.
If you own the freehold of your flat, you should take out buildings insurance. If you live in a leasehold flat, or are a tenant, your landlord has responsibility for sourcing buildings insurance.
Yes, Homeprotect is pleased to offer unoccupied home insurance policies for long periods. If your holiday home will be left vacant during the off-season or between guests for more than 30 days, we can still offer cover. Please read more about our unoccupied home insurance to understand what restrictions apply.
Empty properties carry greater risks in terms of burglary, vandalism or even squatting, and also the amount of damage caused by unnoticed issues like burst pipes.
Homeprotect needs to know if your property is unoccupied for more than 30 consecutive days or more so that they can factor these increased risks into your policy terms.
Prefer to SPEAK WITH us?
Our insurance experts are on hand if you have any questions.