Unoccupied Property Insurance

About unoccupied property insurance

• What is unoccupied property insurance?

  If your property is going to be vacant for a significant amount of time, the potential risk of an incident occurring can increase. A typical home insurance policy may not be sufficient enough to cover the costs of certain situations, as they may be higher than normal.

  For example, the likelihood of robberies and burglaries can go up if there’s nobody at home to prevent or deter a break-in. Additionally, structural issues can be a factor, as a burst pipe or a crack in the walls can go undiscovered for some time, making it more difficult and more costly to fix at a later date.

  When applying for property insurance, you’ll typically be asked whether the property will be vacant for 30 or more consecutive days at some point. If this will be the case, it can be useful to seek out a policy for unoccupied home insurance, which generally covers an empty property for several months. This can range from three or six month to a full year depending on the provider.

  The condition of the property and any valuable contents inside it will affect the insurance premium you can expect, that is if an insurer is willing to offer cover at all. Some may also have certain requirements to ensure that significant steps are taken to reduce potential damage or vandalism to the property. This can include having approved locks on doors and windows, or using timer-controlled heating to prevent water pipes freezing and bursting.

• What an unoccupied property insurance policy can cover

  A typical policy for an empty property may be able to cover certain aspects including:

  Natural disasters – If the property is damaged by natural events like a storm, earthquake or flood whilst it’s unoccupied, your insurer should be able to pay out for the necessary repairs. In some case, this may also include fire damage too.

  Burst pipes – With nobody around, it can be a while before a leak or burst pipe is detected. The longer it goes unnoticed, the more damage it can cause, therefore driving up the cost of repairs later on.

  Forced entry and theft – Even with the most advanced security in place and all entry points closed off, criminals and vandals could force their way into your property and steal or destroy your possessions. Recover the cost of losses or damages through your insurance.

  Legal expenses – There may be times when you may need to take legal action with regards to your property. This could involve the removal of unauthorised squatters or trespassers who remain in your property after breaking in.

  Public liability – If a part of your building causes damage to another person or their property without anyone around, you could still be liable to compensate them. For example, a broken tile from your roof may injure a nearby pedestrian or damage a parked car.

• Choosing Arkwright for your specialist insurance

  Arkwright Insurance Brokers have extensive knowledge when it comes to various types of property insurance. Through our wide-ranging panel of insurers, we’re dedicated to finding the cheapest possible quote that meets your specific requirements.

  Our team of highly experienced brokers can work with you to find out the exact cover you need for your unoccupied home or property. After sourcing a range of quotes from multiple insurers, we’ll present you with the lowest and allow you to make an informed decision about proceeding with this.

  Call Arkwright today on 01204 392 525 or click the “Get a quote” button to get started with finding the best insurance policy and quote for your vacant property.