Can an executor insure a house?

Yes, an executor or administrator (if there is no Will) can and definitely should insure a house within the estate.

All executors are responsible for the estate's property and have a duty to protect it. While standard home insurance may appear to be an option, it often lacks the necessary cover for unoccupied probate properties and may not sufficiently safeguard your liability as an executor.

If you fail in this duty of care, all the executors can be held personally liable for the losses incurred in reinstating or repairing the property in their care.

It is easy to purchase the wrong cover online when relying on a standard unoccupied home insurance policy. 

Common mistakes made by executors when insuring an empty house include:

1. Extending the existing insurance arranged by the deceased without careful review: Assuming the deceased's policy is adequate without considering potential new policy conditions, underinsurance, or excluded cover. (This is often the first thought for executors as it seems the easiest option.)
2. The potential for new policy conditions imposed by the existing insurer when extending the deceased's policy is not considered. (This is a direct consequence of the first point and worth highlighting separately.)
3. Inheriting the deceased's underinsurance liability by continuing their existing cover. (Another key risk associated with extending the existing policy).
4. Purchasing insurance from a non-specialist solely based on price can lead to overlooking essential coverage options such as burst pipes, flooding, subsidence, theft, or vandalism- significant risks for unoccupied properties. (This is likely the next consideration for someone seeking a solution.)
5. Assuming standard unoccupied home insurance is sufficient often leads to misunderstanding: many of these policies may not be designed to cover the specific liabilities of an executor. (This addresses a common misconception).
6. Failing to understand their personal liability: They do not realise they have a duty of care to protect the property and could be held personally responsible for uninsured losses. This is a fundamental point that underpins the need for the right insurance.
7. Underinsuring the property: Failing to ensure that the insured value accurately reflects the total cost of rebuilding, which may lead to inadequate payouts in the event of a claim. (This presents a significant financial risk).
8. Not considering the risks associated with unoccupied property: Underestimating the increased likelihood of certain types of claims (e.g., burst pipes, vandalism) in vacant homes. (This reinforces why specialist cover is important.)
9. Choosing an insurer with slow or complicated claims processes can delay estate distribution and create pressure from beneficiaries. This addresses a practical concern about the claims process.

Therefore, it's essential to do this correctly and minimise this risk by considering insurance with a specialist like Insuristic.

As an executor, you will likely be faced with insuring empty property or property occupied by dependents or future beneficiaries moving in.

Both scenarios can be problematic when insuring online whilst adequately protecting your liabilities.

Insuristic has covered how to insure in these situations thoroughly on the following pages, which go into greater detail:

• Insuring an empty house in probate: This is explicitly developed with broad cover levels, easy-to-understand questions, and policy conditions that won’t catch you out. Insure for 3, 6, 9 or 12 months with no cancellation fees and pro-rata refunds (provided there are no claims).
• Insuring an occupied house in probate: This includes houses occupied by dependents, beneficiaries, or even paid tenants. We can help you arrange this cover offline after a short conversation with our underwriters at SJL Insurance. It isn’t a standard policy, but we have developed a solution to help you insure this risk correctly.

In addition, our page: Your liability for insuring property as an executor explains what we have said on this page in a little more detail.

Lastly, it is also worth considering the other areas you should insure when you can eventually distribute the estate.

As an expert in probate insurance, Insuristic provides a range of legal indemnity insurance policies which should be considered when you have the Grant of Probate (if there is a Will) or Letters of Administration (if there is now Will).

 You can buy a policy in isolation or combine them into one policy. You can click on the links for each to find out more:

• Early Distribution Insurance: Distribute the estate within the 6-month statutory waiting period so the beneficiaries can get their money earlier whilst protecting you against claims that fall under the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975.
• Section 27 Insurance: Insurance against claims from unknown creditors without the need for costly Section 27 notices in the Gazette or local newspaper death notifications. Arrange a free deceased credit and liability report from Experian or Equifax, then arrange the Section 27 insurance.
• Missing Will Insurance: Whether you administer the Estate with a Will (testate) or without a Will (intestate), there is always the risk of another Will being discovered, which changes how the estate should have been distributed. This insurance protects in this scenario.
• Missing Beneficiary Insurance: You can insure against the risk of an unknown beneficiary coming forward to claim after the estate has been distributed. You can also insure against a known missing beneficiary that cannot be traced or contacted.  Both scenarios will usually require a genealogy report and a verified family tree.

We hope this page helps. If you have further questions head back to our FAQ page, contact us or start an online chat.

Arrange Executor House Insurance Online

If you are an executor that needs to insure an empty house, you can do this online quickly with Insuristic.  Choose from three levels of cover and insure for 3, 6, 9 or 12 months, with the option to extend cover if you need more time and no fees for early cancellation.

Get a quote today in less time than it takes to make a coffee.