On this page you will find a lot of useful information when Insuring a house in probate in the UK.
If you have questions you may find they are answered on this page.
If not, start a chat or contact us. You can click on any of the items in 'Contents' to jump to the section that interests you.
When you get a quote from Insuristic, you can:
Arrange the insurance in the name of the estate. For example:
Getting a quote from Insuristic is a straightforward process. However, if you ever need assistance, our dedicated team is just a click away. We're always ready to help you navigate through the insurance process.
You can find out more about the cover you can buy, house inspection rules and guidance on our renovation acceptance criteria below.
We are sorry for your loss.
We know that this is a stressful time for you and that you have many things to take care of.
In addition to dealing with the emotional aspects, there is much to do on the legal and financial side.
Reviewing the existing house Insurance is an important task. If you are acting as an executor, it is your responsibility to arrange suitable insurance.
Here are some considerations when insuring an empty house after the death of the owner:
If there is a remaining spouse or partner, you should contact the existing insurer to update them to make arrangements to keep the house insured. You may find the buildings and contents insurance is with different providers.
If the house is occupied by dependents or future beneficiaries who don't yet have an insurable interest in the house, you may find that some insurers are reluctant to provide cover. Don't worry, we can help you if this is the case, but you will need to contact us or start a chat to arrange a callback. The product we offer would be a standard house insurance product with the option to insure the house in the name of the estate.
If the house is empty, the existing insurance provider may be reluctant to continue coverage. Many insurers are unwilling to insure property that will be empty for 30 consecutive days or more.
If the insurer continues to provide cover, it may be at a higher price and with extra policy conditions, which may be challenging for you to adhere to.
Plus, if the deceased underinsured the property, the executors would inherit this risk by extending the existing insurance.
It may be safer to set up a new policy with Insuristic because if you don’t arrange suitable insurance and a claim is not paid out as a result, the beneficiaries could look to you to reimburse the estate. But don't worry; we have made this process easy.
Insuristic has developed a specialist Probate House Insurance policy, which is often known by other names such as Probate Property Insurance or Executor Home Insurance.
Anyone acting as the Executor or Administrator can arrange the insurance. A beneficiary can buy a policy with the permission of the executors, making sure to insure it in the name of the estate (see the previous section above).
The house should be insured in the estate's name, on a short-term or annual basis. Insuristic can cover probate house insurance for 3, 6, 9 or 12 months.
You can insure a range of probate property types, including houses, bungalows, flats and converted barns.
You can insure just the buildings or extend the cover to include contents.
The rest of this page will be useful if you are an executor or personal representative responsible for insuring empty property in probate.
If you prefer video, we have covered all of the content on this page in the following video.
Probate property insurance exists because many insurance providers will only insure a property left empty for up to 30 days. Which can make things tricky when insuring an empty house after the death of the owner.
When you have found a provider, the property must also be insured in the name of the estate rather than the deceased. Something that is not always easy to do online.
You will find our insurance useful if the existing insurer declines to continue covering the house now that it is going to be unoccupied or imposes additional terms that are difficult to comply with.
The existing insurer may do this because empty properties are more likely to be damaged by issues such as water escaping, break-ins, or vandalism.
As an executor or administrator of the estate, you are responsible for ensuring the house correctly. If a claim isn’t paid out because the insurance wasn’t on the correct basis, you may incur a liability from the beneficiaries. They may ask the executors to reimburse the estate for any losses.
Executors should, therefore, promptly consider insurance if the owner has sadly passed away, leaving the property empty.
This may seem daunting, considering how much you need to do. But don't worry, Insuristic makes it easy.
Our insurance policy is designed for this. You can buy it securely online in a few minutes.
The cost will vary depending on providers, the level of cover you buy, and how long you need to insure the property.
Currently, the average Insuristic customer spends £265 (as of September 2024*), including insurance premium tax, typically buying our silver cover for six months.
You can learn more about this on our blog and video: How much does unoccupied home insurance cost.
The probate house insurance cover can start when the property becomes empty following the owner's death, and cover ends when a beneficiary has distributed, sold, or occupied the property.
From this point, the house will need to be insured on another policy, which could be:
On an unoccupied home insurance policy, if the house is still going to be empty.
If the beneficiary will occupy the house, they can take out a standard home insurance policy. We can provide a quotation if this is the case.
If the house is being let out to tenants, then a Landlord's insurance policy can be purchased.
The house needs to be insured in the name of the Estate rather than a named individual. For example:
If there is a will: The Insured name should be 'The Executors of the estate of Name of the Deceased.'
If there is no will: The Insured name should be 'Administrators of the estate of Name of the Deceased.'
Your insurance company will need someone to inspect the house. If you are insured by Insuristic, this will be every 30 days (more on that below).
Utilities must be switched off when someone isn’t at the property.
You might want to drain the water systems if the escape of water cover provided isn’t sufficient. If you don’t drain the water systems, you would need to keep the heating on and set it to 15°C from October to April.
The contents cover isn’t designed for high-value theft, attractive items like works of art, jewellery or collections. These types of contents should be removed from the house and stored securely.
Bronze is our basic level of cover. It only covers loss or damage to the buildings (or contents if you have chosen to insure that) caused by:
Fire
Lightening
Explosion
Earthquake; or
Aircraft
This cover is often referred to as FLEEA Insurance cover.
In addition, level 1 also includes:
Architects & Surveyor's fees and debris removal
Property owners liability insurance, covering your legal liabilities up to £2,000,000 should a member of the public be injured or have their property damaged at your premises.
Exclusions will be found in your Insurance Product Information Document (IPID) or policy wording.
Extends the cover provided by Bronze to also include:
Subsidence, flood, vandalism, escape of water and theft
£3,500 cover for claims caused by malicious damage, escape of water (if system is not drained and property is maintained at 15°C) or theft.
Full escape of water cover if the system is drained down.
Gold is our highest level of cover.
It extends the cover included in Silver, removing the £3,500 claims cap on malicious damage, escape of water or theft claims.
Please note:
The maximum amount payable for claims is the sums insured listed on your policy schedule.
If water systems cannot be drained, the maximum claims payment following an escape of water is £5,000.
If the system is not drained and property heating must be kept on at a constant 15°C
Sometimes, houses can remain occupied during probate.
Maybe there is a dependent still living in the property, or a beneficiary or family member has moved in. Perhaps the property has got tenants living in it.
When this happens, we can still help, but our broking team at SJL Insurance will recommend a different product.
You will still be able to arrange the probate home insurance in the name of the Executors of the Estate but the product will be more suitable for an occupied home.
When arranging probate home insurance, you must be careful not to underinsure the property.
If the building rebuild cost is incorrect, you could be shocked when it comes to a claim.
This is because some home insurers could refuse to pay a claim if the property is significantly underinsured. However, they will most likely reduce the claim by the amount of underinsurance.
The beneficiaries may look to the executors to refund any shortfall. The cost could be significant.
If you want to learn more, check Insuristic's article for Today's Wills and Probate Magazine: The risk of building underinsurance for executors.
How Insuristic helps you avoid building underinsurance:
If the property has 4 bedrooms or less and a rebuild value below £750,000, you can request a quote without providing a rebuild value.
The policy you buy then has £750,000 building sums insured as standard, meaning you don’t need to worry about underinsurance, provided you are confident your property rebuild valuation is below this figure. If you are unsure whether it is, we recommend completing a rebuild cost assessment to be on the safe side.
If the property will likely exceed a £750,000 rebuild valuation, you can speak to our underwriting team directly at SJL Insurance. They can provide advice, tell you how to get a valuation and then provide insurance based on a true rebuild cost.
Alternatively, you could arrange a rebuild valuation yourself. BCH is a specialist in building insurance valuations and offers discounted prices to insuristic customers. You can arrange a building rebuild valuation for £115+ VAT from the BCH website.
When Many insurers will need you to inspect the property every 7 days.
This might not be practical for you.
Insuristic’s product is far more flexible on inspection rules:
The unoccupied properties we insure during probate only need to be inspected every 30 days.
The inspection can be done by anyone instructed to do so by the Executors
We also make it easy to evidence the house inspection. We do not require written house inspection reports.
Instead, the person inspecting the house only needs to take two images with their mobile phone (one of the front of the house and one inside). The time and date is stored in the image, making it easy to evidence inspections in the event of a claim.
When arranging unoccupied house insurance during probate, consider the likelihood of Escape of Water claims.
Escape of water is the most common cause of insurance claims in unoccupied houses. The damage caused can be significant and take a long time to repair. If this happens when you need to distribute the estate it can disrupt plans to inhabit, sell or let the property.
It is advisable to drain down the water systems to prevent an incident.
If you don't drain down the system, you must keep the heating on during the winter. Between 1 October and 31 March, the heating must be continuously set to 15 degrees or more.
If this is done, we can still provide some escape of water cover:
£3,500 if you buy Silver cover.
£5,000 if you buy gold.
If you drain down the water systems, the cover provided is up to the building sums insured, as shown in your policy schedule.
It is a condition of this Policy that all services are to be turned off at the mains when the property is empty, except electricity where needed to maintain any heating, fire or intruder alarm system in operation.
Failure to do so could mean that a claim arising from the services at the Property could be declined.
When you are arranging probate property insurance, remember to tell insurers if you are planning renovations. Many insurers will require you to tell them about any renovations (other than painting and decorating) being made to the house.
Insuristic makes this process easier.
If you are planning renovations that cost less than £50,000 and don't include structural changes to the walls or roof, we can provide a quotation for the house insurance online without additional cost.
This would include projects such as kitchen or bathroom improvements, re-wring or re-plumbing or replacing the doors and windows (costing less than £50,000 in total).
If you are undertaking a significant project, you can complete the quote information, but we will need to refer these changes to our underwriter. If your circumstances don't fit our scheme, the team at SJL Insurance Services can provide advice and access to a range of specialist renovation insurers.
You should always review your policy documents to ensure you understand the cover you are buying and the policy conditions you must comply with.
Here are some examples of insurance and risk management considerations for purchasers of empty house insurance during probate. Click on each to expand the text.
Your insurers expect you to keep the house in a reasonable state of repair. This will help preserve the house's value and prevent any claims or issues.
Failure to keep the house in a reasonable state of repair could result in some claims being declined. For example, if there is storm damage to a roof with missing tiles.
Your insurer will cover contents, but the maximum they will pay out for an item is £1,000.
You should remove all valuables, collections, art, and jewellery from the house. These items are theft-attractive and should be secured away from the empty house.
Your policy will need you to secure the house against unauthorised entry.
Your policy may contain a minimum security condition if:
The value of the building is high; or
If you purchase more than £10,000 contents cover.
If your policy schedule contains a minimum security condition, it will be:
External Doors will need either:
a 5 Lever Mortice Deadlocks (conforming to British Standard 3621); or
if a composite or UPVC type door, a multi-locking point system.
Patio Doors: will need:
a central locking device
key operated bolts at the top or;
a multi-locking point system.
Windows: need key-operated security locks. These need to be on all ground floor and other accessible windows.
If you fail to keep the house secure, it could mean claims following illegal entry are declined.
If you are unsure what types of locks you have on the building, these guides from the Master Locksmiths Association will help. Click the link for an example of each lock:
A multi-point locking system (often found on patio doors too).
To prevent damage caused by an escape of water, it is advisable to drain your water systems. This should be at the point of entry to the house, usually from an internal stop cock.
If you don't do this and there is a claim, the level of cover provided could be reduced. For more information, please check your policy schedule.
Burst pipe claims can be expensive to put right. Because of this, your insurer will:
Recommend you drain down your water systems.
Require you to leave the heating on during winter (if water systems can't be drained).
Failure to adhere to these conditions could result in your cover for escape of water claims being excluded or reduced.
Your policy will include a condition about turning off services at the mains. The exception is when electricity is needed to maintain an intruder or fire alarm.
Failing to do so could mean a claim related to the services at the house is declined.
Our insurance won't cover damage due to the activity of any contractors.
You should, therefore, check your contractors hold a valid public liability insurance policy. If they damage your house, you could claim against their insurance to receive the money to rectify any damage or loss. It also provides protection if they injure someone in your house that doesn’t work for them.
You should check their public liability insurance policy schedule to ensure:
The business activities listed match the work they are doing for you,
The expiry of the policy is in the future,
That the level of cover they have purchased for their work is adequate.
It is advisable to redirect all mail and newspapers. You should also remove any post on each house inspection. This helps the house appear as though it is occupied, reducing the threat of illegal entry. It also reduces the risk of fire from a build-up of combustible materials.
Your insurance policy will also require you to prevent a build-up of post.
A messy garden can help thieves identify an unoccupied house. Keeping the garden and lawns tidy can make the house look lived in. So will clearing snow from paths during the winter months.
If you want to see at a glance what is or isn't covered, please view the IPID (Insurance Product Information Document) for your preferred cover level.
The Insuristic Probate House Insurance scheme is underwritten by certain underwriters at Lloyd’s and administered by SJL Insurance Services.
Lloyds is the world's leading insurance marketplace, with an insurance premium income in excess of £35 billion.
SJL Insurance Services are a leading UK Insurance broker based in Worcester.
If you need to make a claim on empty house insurance during probate, don’t worry. The team at SJL Insurance Services are only a phone call away.
Between the hours of 9am and 5pm call 01905 27775. Outside of these hours call 0121 411 0535.
Check out our short guide on what is involved in making a claim.
If you are acting as an executor (if there is a Will) or administrator (if there is no Will), you are likely to have many questions. Especially as you may not have insured empty property before.
Arranging homeowners insurance during probate is not the same process as arranging standard home insurance. In fact, it isn't the same as arranging unoccupied home insurance, as the coverage can differ significantly between insurance providers.
Below are some common FAQs. If we have missed anything please start an online chat.
The insurer will provide a pro-rata refund if you cancel the unoccupied policy.
Unlike many insurance brokers, we don't charge a cancellation fee.
To cancel, you need to provide the info on our contact us form, including a reason for cancellation, and we will do the rest.
If you are owed a a pro-rata refund for any unused cover, this will be send to the card you originally paid with.
There isn’t the option to pay monthly, but you can opt to buy a 3-month policy and renew it every three months. You will receive a renewal reminder at least 20 days before the cover expires. Renewing your policy via your online secure portal is easy, or you can contact us for assistance.
Alternatively, if you have various probate insurance policies to arrange and the estate doesn’t have the funds to pay for them, don’t worry.
Insuristic customers can arrange a probate insurance loan with our partner FSL Finance.
The loan is simple to arrange, with 90% of applications being accepted immediately.
There are no arrangement fees or early repayment charges.
Once a loan is approved, the money is paid to Insuristic to finance your insurance policies. You will then need to pay FSL Finance a monthly amount until the loan is repaid.
If you need cover before the loan is repaid, we can help you. Instructions of what to do in this scenario will be provided in your quotation.
You can find out more or to start on application on our Probate Loans page.
Insuring unoccupied property isn’t the same as standard home insurance, so simply extending the previous insurance can be risky for those acting as an executor (if there is a Will) or administrator (if there is no Will).
This is because, usually, the deceased insured their property on a standard home insurance policy. Whilst the existing insurer may be happy to continue covering the property while it is unoccupied for a short period, you may find the cover more restrictive.
Extending the existing insurance arranged by the deceased can be risky for the executors as any shortfall in a claim due to underinsurance, or worse, due to a declined claim, can fall to the executor to put things right or reimburse the estate.
Our blog post, 'Why It's Risky To Extend Home Insurance In Probate', explains why you should consider arranging a policy designed for probate as soon as you find out you are the executor.
It is difficult to predict how long to buy a probate house insurance policy for. It really depends on what stage the probate process is in.
Typically probate property insurance is arranged for at least 6 months. But if you are early in the probate process, you may wish to insure for longer.
If you get a quote from Insuristic, you can choose insure for 3, 6, 9 or 12 months.
The good news is, if you buy a policy from us for say 12 months and only end up needing the insurance for 6 months, you would receive a refund for the time on cover you haven't used. You also wouldn't get charged a cancellation fee.
Our insurer deems carpets, other flooring, and blinds as fixtures of the building. Therefore, they should be included in the building sums insured. You do not need to include them as contents.
If you are acting as an Executor or Administrator of an Estate, there is a lot to consider. We've already mentioned on this page that arranging property insurance is your responsibility.
But there are other insurance policies that you need to consider. Check out our guide to executor insurance, which may be useful to you. It explains the types of insurance that should be considered at each stage during probate.
Alternatively, here is a brief overview of the other insurance policies that should be considered:
Land Insurance: If a deceased person owned land in their name that wasn't included in the property deeds for their home you should consider arranging land insurance. A landowner has a duty of care to prevent injury to anyone on their land. This liability would pass to the estate during probate. As such, the executors should insure the Estate against the risk of third-party claims from people who were injured or had their property damaged in its care.
There are a range of policies that can protect the executors and beneficiaries against claims from third parties relating to how the estate was distributed:
Section 27 Insurance – provides insurance protection against claims from unknown creditors after the estate has been distributed. Cover can be purchased with or without a Section 27 Notice.
Early Distribution Insurance – protection if the estate needs to be distributed without waiting for the 6-month waiting period to end;
Missing Will Insurance – covers the risks associated with a newer will being discovered after the estate has been distributed
Missing Beneficiary Insurance – covers the risk of either a known or unknown missing beneficiary coming forward to make a claim against the estate after it has been distributed.
If you are acting as the executor (if there is a Will) or administrator (if there is no Will), you are responsible for insuring a house in probate.
This responsibility starts when someone passes away to the point the property is sold or inherited.
Failing to insure the property correctly could leave you liable to reimburse losses or put things right out of your pocket.
You can learn more about this in our blog ‘Can you insure a house in probate’ or watch the video below.
Most unoccupied home insurance providers include an inspection condition in their policy wording.
Failure to comply with this condition could result in declined insurance claims, leaving you to finance putting things right.
You can learn more in our blog and video 'Inspections and the risks for unoccupied home insurance'/
Yes, insuring an unoccupied property is generally more expensive than a standard home insurance policy as insurers deem it to have a higher risk of claims, such as:
Undetected leaks or damage caused by the weather can get bigger the longer left undetected.
Fire
Break-ins or malicious damage
Squatters occupying the property
Due to these increased risks, insurers charge higher premiums for unoccupied property insurance.
Probate is the legal process of settling a deceased person's estate, which includes their property. During this process, the house is considered part of the estate, and not belonging to any one individual.
Here's a breakdown of ownership during probate:
Deceased owner: The person who passed away still holds the legal title until probate is complete.
Estate: the house becomes part of the deceased's estate, overseen by the court and the appointed personal representative (executor or administrator).
Once probate is finalised, ownership is determined by:
Will: If the deceased had a valid will, it will usually specify who inherits the house.
Intestacy laws: If there's no will, intestacy laws dictate who inherits the property according to their relation to the deceased.
In short, ownership is on hold during probate and will be decided upon completion based on the will or by law.
Your Insuristic policy is still valid when probate has been granted.
It only ends when the property has been sold or inherited and, therefore, is no longer the responsibility of the executors or administrators or when the policy terms lapse. At this point, the beneficiary can arrange insurance using a different insurance policy.
Insuristic has developed an unoccupied home insurance product for properties empty for reasons other than probate. The cover and some of the policy conditions will differ; for example, the inspection period would be every 14 days instead of the 30 days on our probate house insurance policy.
Check out our unoccupied home insurance page for more information.
The estate, typically managed by the executor, is responsible for paying for house insurance during probate. Here's how it works:
Executors arrange the payment: The executor named in the will, or the court-appointed administrator if there's no will, is responsible for managing the estate's finances. This includes paying for ongoing expenses like house insurance.
Funds come from the estate: The money to pay the premium usually comes from the estate's assets, which could include cash savings, investment accounts, or even the sale of other assets.
If the estate lacks funds, Insuristic clients can arrange a probate insurance loan, which the executors or administrators can pay monthly and which the estate can fully reimburse upon distribution.
The responsibility of dealing with the deceased’s property falls to the Executor (when there’s a Will) or the Administrator (when there’s no Will). This responsibility starts when someone passes away to the point the property is sold or inherited, which is always after probate is granted.
They are responsible for resolving the issue if anything happens to the property after the owner dies.
They are accountable for the property and the entire estate administration process after someone has died. This involves following the wishes set in the Will or distributing the estate as per the rules of intestacy when there is no Will.
There is no fast way to find out if a house is insured. Analysing the bank statements of the deceased might reveal evidence of payments being made to an insurance company, but that does not mean there is cover or sufficient cover in place.
It may be safer to assume there is no cover and quickly buy a specialist unoccupied probate property insurance policy.
Not necessarily.
If there is insurance in force, the existing insurance provider may require new additional policy conditions to continue cover, which may be difficult for you to comply with, such as inspecting the property every 7 days and producing written inspection reports.
Cover may also be more restrictive, which can leave you underinsured. If a loss could have been insured but isn’t, the executors (if there is a Will) or administrators (if there is no Will) may be forced to reimburse the estate or put things right at their expense.
So again, it may be safer to arrange specialist insurance with Insuristic.
In the UK, when a property owner dies, the ownership of the property typically passes to their beneficiaries as outlined in their will.
If there is no will, the rules of intestacy apply, which dictate how the property will be distributed based on the deceased's family circumstances.
Here's a general overview of what happens:
With a will:
The Executors in the will is responsible for handling the deceased's estate, including arranging for the property to be transferred to the beneficiaries.
The will specifies who will inherit the property and any other assets.
The process of transferring ownership can involve applying for probate, which is a legal process that confirms the validity of the will.
Without a will (intestacy):
The Administrators will be responsible for handling and distributing the estate.
The rules of intestacy determine who inherits the property.
Generally, the spouse or civil partner inherits the first £322,000 of the estate, and the remaining assets are shared among other close relatives like children, parents, and siblings.
The process of inheritance may be simpler without a will, but it can also lead to unintended consequences if the deceased's wishes were not formally documented.
Here are some additional things to keep in mind:
If the property is jointly owned, the surviving owner will automatically inherit the deceased's share.
There may be outstanding debts or mortgages on the property that the beneficiaries will need to address.
If you aren't familiar with a property, it can be difficult to know the age of a house or when it was built. When you are arranging insurance, you will need to know this.
Insuristic have tried to make this easier for you by suggesting broad groups of property periods such as '1946-1979' but some insurance providers may require you to be more precise.
If you don't have the title deeds you will have to do some investigatory work.
We have written a guide called 'How to find out when a house was built' which will provide you lots of ways to find out when a house was built.
If you are insuring an empty house after the death of the owner, Insuristic will help you do this with ease. You can arrange cover online in a couple of minutes.
Choose from 3 levels of cover.
Easy to understand policy conditions.
No early cancellation Fees. You will also receive a pro-rata refund for any unused cover.
Support in the event of a claim if you need it.
Hi, I'm Rob, CEO and Founder of Insuristic. My mission is to make insurance easier to understand and buy online.
I hold an Advanced Diploma in Insurance (ACII) which demonstrates I have a solid technical understanding of Insurance and have committed to continuous professional development. I am also a member of the Chartered Insurance Institute and hold the a Chartered Insurance Broker status.
Over the last 27 years, I have worked for insurers, insurance brokers and insurance technology businesses, specialising in product, sales and marketing.
You can find out more about me on my author page.
Insuristic Limited is an Appointed Representative of SJL (Worcester) Ltd, who are authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority with the reference number 763599. This can be checked by visiting https://register.fca.org.uk/s/.
Registered Office: Unit 2, 262 Walsall Road, Cannock, England, WS11 0JL. Registered in England and Wales No: 13926650.
Insuristic is a registered trademark. ©Copyright 2023 Insuristic Limited. All Rights Reserved.
Please Note: Our broking team at SJL Insurance will need to talk to you to discuss your requirements. This is an advised service.
Please Note: Our broking team at SJL Insurance will need to talk to you to discuss your requirements. This is an advised service.
Please Note: Our broking team at SJL Insurance will need to talk to you to discuss your requirements. This is an advised service.
Please Note: Our broking team at SJL Insurance will need to talk to you to discuss your requirements. This is an advised service.
Please Note: Our broking team at SJL Insurance will need to talk to you to discuss your requirements. This is an advised service.
Please Note: Our broking team at SJL Insurance will need to talk to you to discuss your requirements. This is an advised service.
