When your home stands empty: what the law and the ombudsman say about insurance

Standard UK home insurance usually restricts cover once a home has stood empty for a while. The Financial Ombudsman Service states that this period is «usually 30 or 60 days». The exact figure is in your policy.

What stops being covered

According to the ombudsman, once a home has been unoccupied beyond that period most policies will not cover theft and attempted theft, malicious damage (vandalism) and escape of water (burst pipes). The ombudsman notes that policies usually do not even define «unoccupied»; if a property is visited reasonably often, it may still be treated as occupied.

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The law: do not mislead your insurer

Under the Consumer Insurance (Disclosure and Representations) Act 2012, a consumer has a duty «to take reasonable care not to make a misrepresentation to the insurer». Failing to confirm or correct information given earlier can also count as a misrepresentation. The practical point: if a home will stand empty (travel, hospital, inheritance, renovation), tell your insurer — otherwise a claim may be refused.

What the ombudsman says about claims

The ombudsman stresses that an insurer «must not reject your claim unreasonably». If damage happens in the first 30 days, the ombudsman usually says it should be settled — even if nobody lived in or visited the property. But you are unlikely to get support if you misrepresented the situation, abandoned the property, or let it fall into neglect.

The bottom line: before a long absence, find the unoccupied-property clause in your policy and its time limit, and tell your insurer in advance.