Unoccupied Buildings Insurance

On this page you will find a lot of useful information to help you arranging unoccupied buildings insurance.

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 an unoccupied buildings insurance quote from Insuristic you can:

• Tailor the cover to suit your requirements

• Buy cover for most types of residential buildings

We have made it easy to get a quote but if you need help, our team are only an online chat away.

You can find out more about the cover you can buy, property inspection rules and guidance on our renovation acceptance criteria below.

Unoccupied buildings insurance is a specialist type of insurance. It is designed to cover a building left empty for a prolonged period of time.

Many home insurance policies won't cover buildings left empty for more than 30 days. This is because empty buildings attract a higher risk of damage or theft.

A common claim for unoccupied buildings is escape of water. You can probably imagine the damage that could be caused if undetected.

Unoccupied building insurance is different to standard home insurance because of this. The cover will differ in the following areas:

• An unoccupied buildings insurance policy can cover a wide range of risks. If you buy a policy from Insuristic, you can buy 3 levels of cover. You can find out more about that below.

• The property will need to be inspected every 14 days. You will need to keep a record of the inspections which need to be provided if there is a claim. Insuristic has tried to make this easy for you. Anyone can inspect the property and you can evidence this with photographs taken by a mobile phone. We just need one picture of the outside and one inside the property to evidence each inspection.

• It is advisable to drain the water systems. This will help you prevent damage caused by escape of water.

• You can also choose to insure the contents. But there will be a single article limit of £1,000 per item. Any items worth more than this should be put in secure storage.

If your property is already insured, you should check how long your insurer will cover it for whilst unoccupied. This information is usually found on your policy schedule.

Insuristic has developed an insurance policy specifically for people arranging buildings insurance for unoccupied houses. You can find out more about the cover below.

When your building will be unoccupied for longer than your current insurer allows (typically 30 consecutive days), it's essential to notify them promptly.

Failure to inform your insurer could result in coverage termination or reduced claim payouts.

Some insurers may also restrict your cover for certain risks, such as water damage or theft.

Additionally, they may impose additional conditions, such as regular inspections, to maintain your policy. Non-compliance with these conditions could lead to claim denials or reduced payments.

Therefore, it's crucial to carefully arrange specialist buildings insurance for unoccupied houses to ensure adequate protection and avoid potential issues.

You only need to visit the Financial Ombudsman Service website to see their case studies involving complaints surrounding unoccupied property insurance.  

Claims disputes can take time to resolve and could have been avoided if a specialist unoccupied building insurance policy had been purchased. 

If your building is going to be unoccupied for more than 30 continuous days, don’t leave it to chance. 

Insuristic have developed a specialist product for unoccupied property. It will only take you a couple of minutes to get a quote too.

We know that most clients only need to arrange short term unoccupied building insurance.

So we have made this process really simple:

• You can choose to insure from 3, 6, 9 or 12 months.
• If you cancel the policy early we won't charge you a fee for doing so.  We will also provide a pro-rata refund back to the card you paid with if there is any unused time on cover.

Which means even if you choose an insurance period for longer than you think is required you will be no worse off.  Insuring for longer will also save you having to worry about frequent policy renewals.

Unoccupied buildings have a higher risk of fire, theft, escape of water and other types of claims.  This is why your insurer requires the property to be regularly inspected, to check for damage or loss. Many insurers will insist this happens at least once every 7 days.

If you purchase an unoccupied buildings insurance policy from Insuristic, you will only need to inspect it every 14 days.

Also, unlike many insurance providers, we do not need a written inspection report to be produced.

As most people have a mobile device, we have decided to accept images as proof of inspection.

The person inspecting the building only needs to take two images with their mobile phone (one of the front of the property and one inside). Just make sure these images are captured on every visit.

In the event of a claim you will need to share these pictures with your insurer.

Renovations to unoccupied buildings often require prior notification to your insurer.

However, Insuristic simplifies this process for minor renovations costing less than £50,000 without structural changes to walls or roofs.

When getting an unoccupied buildings insurance quote, just tell us about the renovations you are planning.

We can quote online (without increasing the premium) for non structural renovations like:

• kitchen or bathroom replacements;

• rewiring or plumbing;

• door and window replacements;

as long as the total cost doesn't exceed £50,000.

For major renovations exceeding £50,000 or involving structural changes, you can still request a quotation.

Provide us with detailed information about your project, and we'll refer this to our underwriters for consideration. Our broking team at SJL Insurance Services will then call you to provide advise and insurance quotes based on your circumstances.

If you need to make a claim, 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.

We have created a short guide on what is involved in making a claim, which you can find here.

Our insuracne 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 with offices in Worcester, and Bristol (Insuristic.co.uk is a trading style of SJL).

If you want to see at a glance what is or isn't covered, please view the IPID (Insurance Product Information Document). The policy wording contains the full terms and conditions of the insurance policy. There may be other exclusions and these will be listed on your schedule.

What security will I need on the building?

If you aren't insuring any contents, you will just need working locks on any windows and doors.

If you are insuring contents, and the value is in excess of £10,000 you will be asked to adhere to the following minimum level of security:

• External Doors: 5 Lever Mortice Deadlocks (conforming to British Standard 3621) or if a composite or UPVC type a multi locking point system.

• Patio Doors: In addition to a central locking device, key operated bolts to top and bottom opening sections or a multi locking point system.

• Windows: Key operated security locks to all ground floor and other accessible windows.

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:

• 5 Lever Mortice Deadlock Conforming to BS3621

• A 5 lever mortice deadlock

• A Rim automatic deadlatch

• A multi-point locking system (often found on patio doors too).

How would I cancel my unoccupied building insurance policy?

It is common for policies of this type to be cancelled early. Insuristic won't charge you to arrange a cancellation and if there is any unused cover, we will provide you with a pro-rata refund back to the card you paid with.

If you need to cancel your policy early, you would just need to provide the info on our contact us form. Make sure you include a reason for cancellation and we will do the rest.