Can You Insure an Empty Home With a Flat Roof?

To keep your policy valid, you'll need to follow what's called the Flat Roof Condition in your policy wording. Here's what that means in practice.

1. First, any flat section of the roof must be inspected at least once every five years – unlike many of our competitors, who will insist an inspection is done every 3 years.
2. Second, that inspection needs to be carried out by a competent roofing contractor, not just anyone. Just keep a copy of the inspection, as the insurer will need to see this in the event of a claim.
3. And third, if the contractor makes any recommendations, such as a new damp course, repairing or replacing the roof covering, you'll need to make sure those are carried out as soon as possible to avoid the wear and tear exclusion and as soon as possible to keep your cover valid.

One important thing to know: insurance policies won't cover damage caused by wear and tear, gradual deterioration, or what the policy calls "gradually operating causes".

Flat roofs do need regular upkeep, so staying on top of maintenance isn't just good practice, it's essential to keeping your cover intact.

Insuristic makes insuring an empty property with a flat roof straightforward. Head over to our Unoccupied Home Insurance page to get a quote today. And if the property is going through the probate process, visit our Probate Property Insurance page instead.

If you have further questions, please visit our Unoccupied Home Insurance FAQs (or Probate Insurance FAQs) pages.