Unoccupied Property Insurance

Insuring an unoccupied property can be so confusing.  There isn’t a standard out-of-the-box solution, with the same degree of similarities that perhaps you are used to, like standard home insurance.

Most people have never arranged Unoccupied Property Insurance before, and when you type this into your trusted browser, like Google, you will find lots of options and variations to the name of this insurance, like unoccupied home insurance, empty property insurance, empty house insurance and more.

In essence, for most people, they mean the same thing: a product called Unoccupied Home Insurance.  Or if the property is in probate, Probate Property Insurance, which helps executors or those administering an estate protect their liability.

The challenge when arranging this type of insurance is how basic the cover often is, with many providers offering minimal FLEA cover (which covers damage caused Fire, Lightning, Explosion, Aircraft), which, for specific scenarios, like an empty property undergoing renovation, could be enough for some people's needs and their attitude to risk i.e. I only really need cover if the building burns down.  But what about other scenarios where you need to insure against common risks like burst pipes, theft and vandalism, or maybe significant risks like flood or subsidence.

To get to the point, many unoccupied home insurance policies are designed to minimise the insurer's exposure to claims, hence the restricted cover and policy conditions that may be new to you, like switching off utilities and regular inspections.

It’s a minefield.  If you don’t have the funds to cover the gaps that exist if you suffer a loss, or your mortgage lender needs you to have better cover, or perhaps you are legally responsible for insuring property for someone else, a lot of the cover available just doesn’t cut it.

That’s why Insuristic exists.  We have developed our policies to give you more choice. 

Basic cover if that is what suits you, or broader cover options to protect your investment or your liability to losses when insuring on behalf of someone else.

We have developed products and content tailored to your scenario to reduce your research time and help you find the cover you need quickly. 

This page acts as a gateway to these products and content, giving you the information you need and a route to get covered online in a couple of minutes, with a policy that is unlikely to catch you out in the event of a claim.

Use the table of contents below to jump to the sections and pages that match your requirements, and don’t hesitate to start an online chat if you need help.  We will always come back to you via email with the answers to your questions.

As we have already said, arranging this cover can feel like you are walking through a minefield.  You might be offered a solution by your existing insurer, which you had purchased when the property was occupied. Still, they now want to heavily endorse your policy with onerous conditions, as well as reduce the cover you had previously.  

Or perhaps you have insured the property before on another empty property insurance policy and didn't realise you don't need to settle for basic cover.

For executors, deputies and attorneys, the stakes are particularly high. If a probate property is left underinsured or uninsured and a loss occurs, you may be held personally liable for failing to protect the estate.

For homeowners and property investors, the financial exposure is also significant. If a serious incident such as water damage, malicious damage or subsidence occurs, the cover provided by a standard home policy, or by a basic FLEA-only Empty Property Insurance policy, may not respond.

Many competitor offerings in the market only provide FLEA cover (Fire, Lightning, Explosion and Aircraft). While this may satisfy a minimal requirement, it is usually far too narrow for the real-world needs of property investors, homeowners, executors, attorneys and deputies.

By working with an unoccupied property insurance specialist like Insuristic, you have the option to include the cover that is typically excluded, such as:

• Theft
• Escape of water
• Flood
• Subsidence
• Malicious damage

Or, if you prefer, our Bronze level of cover provides FLEEA (Fire, Lightning, Explosion, Aircraft and Earthquake), giving you more protection than many basic market policies. Ultimately, the choice is yours — you can buy the right cover to match your situation.

Insuristic exists because too many people arranging cover for an empty home were being let down. The market has long been dominated by insurers and brokers who only offer basic FLEA cover or restrictive policies that don’t reflect the real risks people face when a property is unoccupied.

Our founder, Rob Faulkner, has spent years specialising in both property and probate insurance. Through this experience, he saw how homeowners, property investors, attorneys, deputies and executors were often left exposed to financial loss, either with cover that didn’t protect against the most common claims, the risks of underinsurance, or with onerous policy conditions that were difficult to comply with.

That’s why he created Insuristic: to give people better options, built around real-world needs.

Insuristic provides unoccupied property insurance policies that are:

• Tailored – designed for specific scenarios such as property owners with short-term unoccupancy needs, or those with a legal responsibility to ensure empty property, like those administering an estate in probate or who need to arrange empty property insurance on behalf of someone who has moved into care.
• Flexible – with the option to buy short-term insurance for 3, 6 or 9 months, or an annual policy.  Buyers are no worse off as the pricing is the same on a pro-rata basis, plus if you don’t claim, there are no early cancellation fees, with pro-rata refunds reflecting the amount of cover that is unused.
• Broad cover options – giving you choice on the level of insurance you need for your situation, with the option to insure just the buildings with a rebuild up to £750,000, or include contents insurance up to £30,000.  Higher limits are available on referral to the underwriter.
• Focused on your protection – whether you are worried about protecting your own financial position, your investment, or your liability to others, our cover gives you the options you need.

We’re also the only UK insurance broker offering dedicated unoccupied property and probate insurance online for both the public and solicitors. That means whether you’re an individual protecting an estate or a solicitor insuring yourself and your clients, you’ll find a product designed specifically for your needs.

At Insuristic, our purpose is simple: to help you buy the right cover with confidence, backed by deep expertise in property and probate insurance.

At Insuristic, our purpose is simple: to help you buy the right cover with confidence, backed by deep expertise in property and probate insurance.

Why probate properties need tailored insurance

When someone passes away, their home often becomes empty during probate. Standard home insurance usually stops covering key risks after 30 days, and even some basic unoccupied property insurance policies only provide minimal FLEA cover. That’s not enough when executors and administrators have a legal duty of care to protect the estate’s assets.

Insuristic developed Probate Property Insurance to solve this problem. It provides cover designed specifically for homes in probate, protecting the building (and contents if required) against the risks most likely to cause claims: theft, escape of water, flood, subsidence, malicious damage and more.

You can find out more about the cover on our Probate Property Insurance Page or jump in to get a quote now, and we’ll clearly explain the cover as you go through the quote journey.

Arranging insurance for a probate property can feel daunting, especially at a difficult time. To make things simpler, here’s a quick overview of the steps you’ll usually need to follow:

1. Notify the current insurer – let them know the property is empty. Most standard home policies stop covering key risks after 30 days.
2. Check existing cover – confirm whether any insurance remains valid and what exclusions apply.
3. Arrange specialist probate insurance – this ensures the home is protected against risks like theft, escape of water, malicious damage, flood and subsidence.
4. Provide executor details – as the legal representative, you’ll usually need to be named on the policy.
5. Decide on buildings and contents cover – choose the right level depending on whether the property is furnished and what needs protecting.
6. Review conditions and inspections – most policies require simple steps, like regular property checks, to keep cover valid.

For a full guide with more details, see our dedicated article: Insuring an Empty House After Death.

Or, if you’re ready to protect a probate property, you can 'Get a Quote' in just a few minutes.

Being an executor isn’t just about safeguarding the property. You also carry personal liability if something goes wrong in the estate administration process. If inadequate insurance is arranged, or the property is left uninsured, you could be personally responsible for thousands — or even hundreds of thousands of pounds in losses.

You can learn more about your liability on our Executor Home Insurance page.

As a Probate Insurance Specialist, we don’t just stop at property cover. Alongside Probate Property Insurance, you’ll also find our Executor Home Insurance guide, a Probate Checklist and a broad range of legal indemnity insurance under our Estate Protect Direct policy.

You can find out more about this here:

• Executor Insurance Guide
• Executor Checklist
• Estate Protect Direct

Being an executor isn’t just about safeguarding the property. You also carry personal liability if something goes wrong in the estate administration process. If inadequate insurance is arranged, or the property is left uninsured, you could be personally responsible for thousands — or even hundreds of thousands of pounds in losses.

You can learn more about your liability on our Executor Home Insurance page.

As a Probate Insurance Specialist, we don’t just stop at property cover. Alongside Probate Property Insurance, you’ll also find our Executor Home Insurance guide, a Probate Checklist and a broad range of legal indemnity insurance under our Estate Protect Direct policy.

You can find out more about this here:

• Executor Insurance Guide
• Executor Checklist
• Estate Protect Direct

When someone moves into long-term care, their home is often left unoccupied. Standard home insurance usually becomes invalid after 30 days, or reduces cover significantly. Even some unoccupied property insurance policies are too limited, stripping out protection for common risks like theft, escape of water, and malicious damage.

If you’re an attorney or deputy, you have a legal duty to make sure the property is properly insured. Failure to do so could mean claims are rejected, leaving you personally liable for any loss.

With Insuristic, you can arrange specialist unoccupied property insurance that:

• Protects against the key risks excluded by most policies.
• Provides realistic, transparent conditions (e.g. inspections, utilities).
• Ensures the cover is correctly set up in the name of the property owner, with you acting on their behalf.

Learn more in our full guide: Insuring an Empty Home When the Owner is in Care

Or, if you’re ready to protect the property, you can ‘Get a Quote’ in minutes.

If you’re selling a property that’s sitting empty, most standard home insurance will stop covering you properly after 30 days. Even some unoccupied property insurance policies are too basic to protect you while waiting for a sale to complete.

Insuristic offers specialist insurance for homes on the market that’s:

• Flexible — choose 3, 6, 9 or 12 months of cover.
• Cancel anytime — with pro-rata refunds if the sale completes sooner (subject to no claims).
• Clear — three levels of cover (Bronze, Silver, Gold), protecting against real risks like theft, water damage, storm and subsidence.
• Simple — get a quote online in minutes with no admin fees.

Important: Keep insurance in place until completion. If you cancel early and something happens to cause the sale to fall through, you could be left uninsured.

Learn more in our full guide: Insurance for an Unoccupied House for Sale.

Or, why not get a quote:

When your rental property is empty, whether between tenants, during refurbishment, or due to delays in a sale, most landlord insurance policies stop covering key risks after 30 days.

Even some unoccupied property policies only offer basic FLEA cover (Fire, Lightning, Explosion, Aircraft), which leaves landlords exposed to more common risks.

Insuristic offers specialist unoccupied property insurance for landlords that:

• Protects against theft, escape of water, flood, subsidence and malicious damage.
• Includes property owner’s liability (up to £2m as standard).
• Allows optional contents cover if appliances or furnishings remain.
• Keeps inspections simple — once every 14 days, with mobile photo evidence accepted.
• Provides flexible terms: 3, 6, 9 or 12 months.
• Offers pro-rata refunds if the tenancy starts earlier than expected (subject to no claims).

Learn more in our guide: Unoccupied Property Insurance for Landlords.

Or when you’re ready, get a quote.

If your property is empty while undergoing renovation, most standard home insurance won’t protect you beyond 30 days. Even many unoccupied property policies only provide basic FLEA cover, which isn’t enough when works are underway.

Insuristic provides specialist Empty Home Renovation Insurance that:

• Covers both non-structural projects (projects under £50,000) and larger structural works (on referral).
• Protects against key risks beyond FLEA (fire, lightning, explosion, aircraft), including theft, escape of water, flood, malicious damage and subsidence.
• Includes optional contents cover for appliances, fixtures and fittings.
• Requires simple property inspections every 14 days (with photos accepted).
• Offers flexible 3, 6, 9 or 12-month terms, with pro-rata refunds if works finish early (subject to no claims).

Learn more in our guide: Empty Home Renovation Insurance

Or when you’re ready, get a quote:

Sometimes you don’t need a full year of cover. If you’re selling a home, between tenants, renovating, or even away travelling, a short-term unoccupied home insurance policy can provide the protection you need for just a few months.

With Insuristic, you can:

• Choose 3, 6, 9 or 12 months of cover.
• Pick from Bronze, Silver or Gold protection to match your risk level and budget.
• Cancel anytime with no fees, and receive a pro-rata refund if you haven’t made a claim.
• Keep cover valid easily — just upload two mobile photos every 14 days as proof of inspection.
• Get covered online in minutes, with support from our UK-based claims team.

Learn more: Short Term Unoccupied Home Insurance

Or when you’re ready, get a quote:

When a commercial building such as a shop, office, warehouse, pub or manufacturing site becomes vacant, the risks rise sharply. With no daily activity, there’s less chance to spot problems early — making empty premises more vulnerable to:

• Theft, vandalism and arson
• Escape of water or burst pipes
• Fire risks (from electrical faults or arson)
• Public liability claims if someone is injured on-site

Why insurers are cautious

Underwriters treat empty commercial properties as higher-risk because:

• There’s no natural surveillance from staff or tenants.
• Maintenance may lapse, increasing hazards.
• Criminal damage is more likely when a site is visibly unused.

Because of this, insurers often impose stricter conditions, such as:

• Alarm systems and secure locks
• Boarding or securing windows and doors
• Documented inspections (weekly or fortnightly)
• Careful management of utilities and removal of combustible waste

Failure to meet these conditions can mean reduced cover or a declined claim.

Why standard commercial insurance often fails

Most standard policies scale back cover after 30 days of vacancy. Theft, malicious damage, escape of water and storm damage are commonly excluded — leaving owners exposed at exactly the time they need protection most.

How Insuristic can help

Most people need advice in your situation, not an online product, so we can arrange a call with a commercial property insurance specialist who understands the challenges of insuring empty commercial property. Whether it’s a shop, office, warehouse, pub, or industrial unit, we can introduce you to an expert who will:

• Review the wider market on your behalf
• Understand your unique circumstances
• Arrange a tailored quotation that fits your needs

If you need empty commercial property insurance,  arrange a call and we’ll connect you with the right specialist.