If the owner has passed away and the property at any stage of the probate process, this page isn't for you.
Yes, you can buy unoccupied home insurance for flexible short-term periods of 3, 6, or 9 months.
This flexibility ensures you aren't tied into a standard annual contract when your property is only temporarily empty due to a sale, renovation, or a move into care.
Insuristic's approach means you could actually insure for less than 3 months without being out of pocket because:
Read on to find out more about buying empty home insurance for just a short period.
Need cover for a temporarily empty home?
Whether you're selling, renovating, between tenants, travelling, or helping someone who's moved into care, a short-term unoccupied home policy gives you peace of mind when standard insurance falls short.
On this page, we’ll show you who needs cover, how it works, and how to arrange it all online in just a few minutes.
You won’t find our specialist short-term unoccupied home insurance on comparison sites. It’s designed for real-life situations and built around what matters:
Flexible cover – choose from 3, 6, 9 or 12 months to suit your plans.
Tailored protection – pick from three levels of cover, and choose whether to include contents.
No admin hassle – cancel anytime with no fees, and get a pro-rata refund if you haven’t made a claim.
Trusted support – our UK-based in-house claims team is here if something goes wrong.
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Get an instant quote in minutes, or explore our flexible short-term cover options below.
This guide will help you arrange short term unoccupied home insurance in the UK quickly, clearly, and with confidence.
Need help or can’t find what you’re looking for? Start a live chat or contact us.
Click any section in the contents below to jump straight to what matters most.
Short-term unoccupied home insurance is specialist cover for residential properties that are temporarily empty, typically for a couple of months, due to sale, probate, renovation, or a gap between tenants.
Standard home insurance often restricts or voids cover once a property is unoccupied for more than 30 days. That’s where our insurance comes in, providing essential protection during these vacancy periods.
With Insuristic, it’s quick to arrange, easy to extend, and comes with no cancellation fees. If you cancel early, you’ll receive a pro-rata refund for any unused cover (subject to no claims).
So if you’re looking for flexible, short-term protection for an unoccupied home, Insuristic lets you buy online in minutes—with clear cover and no hidden catches, making the process stress-free.
Not every property needs 12 months of insurance. That’s why we offer flexible terms of 3, 6, 9, or 12 months with no cancellation fees and pro-rata refunds if you cancel early (subject to no claims).
Short-term cover is ideal if:
You're selling a home and only need a few months of protection
The owner has moved into care or hospital
You're between tenants or moving out temporarily
Renovation work means the home is empty
You’re away on a long trip and want peace of mind
You can cancel or extend without penalty and receive a refund for unused cover if plans change and you haven't claimed.
Our Short Term Unoccupied Home Insurance policy is different because:
Get covered in minutes—no lengthy calls or paperwork. Our simple online journey gives you a quote fast, and in many cases, cover can start immediately.
Choose from three levels of protection to suit your budget and risk tolerance. Whether you want basic FLEEA cover or full theft and escape of water protection, we’ve got you covered.
We believe in transparency. There are no fees to cancel, extend, or amend your policy—just flexible cover on your terms.
Just take two mobile photos every 14 days—, one of the front of the property and one of any room inside. No formal reports or extra forms, just clear photo evidence that the property is being regularly inspected.
If you cancel early and haven’t made a claim, we’ll refund the unused portion of your premium. Fair, flexible, and customer-first.
The cost of short term unoccupied home insurance depends on the level of cover you choose and the details of the property, but here’s what you can expect to pay on average for 3 months (90 days) of cover:
Bronze Cover – £117
Silver Cover – £138
Gold Cover – £153
These prices are based on typical risks and offer a strong balance between cost and protection. Bronze provides basic FLEEA cover, while Silver and Gold include wider protection like escape of water, theft, and malicious damage.
Want to learn more about the differences? Visit our Unoccupied Home Insurance page to compare cover levels.
Most people arranging short term unoccupied home insurance are doing so for the first time. It’s not the same as standard home insurance, and it’s natural to have questions. Below are some common FAQs specific to short term cover. For broader information, visit our Unoccupied Home Insurance FAQ page. Still unsure? Just start a live chat.
We’ve made it simple. Our in-house claims team at SJL Insurance is ready to support you. Visit our property claims page to find contact details and understand the process.
Yes. We don’t charge cancellation fees. If you cancel before your short term unoccupied home insurance cover ends and haven’t made a claim, you’ll receive a pro-rata refund for the unused portion of your premium. Just complete our contact form with the reason for cancellation and we’ll handle the rest.
Yes. We don’t charge cancellation fees. If you cancel before the end of your cover and haven’t made a claim, you’ll receive a pro-rata refund for the unused portion of your premium. Just complete our contact form with the reason for cancellation and we’ll handle the rest.
Generally, if it has been vacant for more than 30 consecutive days. Beyond this point, standard home insurance may reduce or remove cover.
Yes. You must inspect the home once every 30 days. Just take one photo with a mobile of the front and one inside any room. There’s no need to send them unless you make a claim, just keep them as a record.
Yes, provided the work is non-structural and costs less than £50,000. Our short term cover includes unoccupied homes undergoing light to moderate renovations.
Yes. Many people only need unoccupied buildings insurance when the home is empty. Select the buildings-only option during the quote process.
For homes empty due to bereavement, we recommend our dedicated Probate House Insurance product. It’s tailored for probate situations and may include additional features not found in standard short term cover.
The minimum period on our short term unoccupied home insurance start from just 3 months (90 days), with the option to extend if needed. Our cancellation policy has no fees and pro-rata refunds if you haven't claimed, so technically you can insure for less without penalty.
You can cancel your Unoccupied Home Insurance policy at any time. Here's how cancellation and refunds work:
You’re entitled to a full refund if you cancel within 14 days of either:
The policy start date, or
The day you receive your documents (whichever is later),
as long as no claims have been made.
You can still cancel at any time. As long as no claims have been made (or are pending), you’ll receive a pro-rata refund for the remaining policy period.
There are no admin or cancellation fees, and cancellation is quick and hassle-free, just contact us via email or live chat.
If the property has been sold, occupied or entered probate, we can also help you arrange the correct insurance going forward.
Rob Faulkner is an ACII Chartered Insurance Broker with nearly 30 years' experience in the UK insurance market. He is also a Chartered Manager and a Member of the Chartered Institute of Marketing.
As the founder of Insuristic, Rob has developed clear, flexible insurance solutions for property owners and people managing empty homes.
He writes regularly on property and business insurance, with a particular focus on probate insurance, unoccupied home insurance and risk management, areas where he brings deep expertise.
Rob is especially passionate about product development and insurance education, helping people understand what they are buying. These values shape everything we do at Insuristic.
Want to learn more? Visit my author page or follow me on LinkedIn.
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/.
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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.