Yes, you do. Buildings insurance is essential when a house is left unoccupied for more than 30 days. Standard home insurance policies usually reduce or withdraw cover after this point, leaving your property vulnerable to major risks such as fire, flood, escape of water, theft, or malicious damage.
Once a home is empty, insurers see it as higher risk. Many will only offer basic FLEEA cover, which includes:
This limited protection excludes some of the most common causes of claims, such as water damage, subsidence, or theft. If you rely on standard insurance, your policy could be invalidated and your claims rejected.
You’ll need specialist cover if the property is unoccupied due to:
Even if not legally required, buildings insurance is crucial to protect the structure and comply with any mortgage lender’s requirements.
Insuristic offers flexible protection options based on your needs:
Yes, buildings insurance is vital for any property left unoccupied for over 30 days. Standard policies often strip back cover or impose strict conditions. With Insuristic’s specialist policies, you get tailored protection, expert guidance, and peace of mind that your property is safeguarded.
Click to go back to our empty house insurance FAQ page.
Rob Faulkner is a leading expert in executor insurance risk and probate insurance, with nearly 30 years’ experience in the UK insurance market. He is the founder of Insuristic, a specialist provider of probate-related insurance solutions and educational content for executors.
Rob is an ACII Chartered Insurance Broker, a Chartered Manager, and a Member of the Chartered Institute of Marketing. His background spans insurers, brokers, and Insurtechs, always focused on innovation, transparency, simplicity, and fair value.
He’s passionate about helping everyday people, executors, beneficiaries, and law firms choose the right probate property insurance or unoccupied home insurance, without jargon, inflated fees, or hidden commissions.
Rob is especially passionate about product development and improving insurance education through marketing, helping people understand what they are buying. These values sit at the heart of everything we do at Insuristic.
Want to learn more? Visit my author page or follow me on LinkedIn.
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