Insuring an empty property

The short answer

Most buildings policies restrict cover once a property has been unoccupied for a set period, commonly 30 to 60 days, often removing escape of water, theft and malicious damage. Unoccupied property insurance replaces it, usually with conditions: regular documented inspections, heating maintained or the system drained, mail cleared, and the property secured. Tell the insurer before the property empties, not after a claim.

What the work involves

Notifying the insurer of the change of occupancy, arranging specialist cover if needed, and then complying with the inspection and maintenance conditions attached to it.

Rules and responsibilities in Scotland

Insurance is a contract of disclosure: failing to tell the insurer the property is empty can invalidate a claim. Executry property, properties for sale and properties between tenancies are all treated as unoccupied risks.

What commonly goes wrong

Assuming the existing policy continues unchanged during a probate sale or a long void, and skipping the inspection log the policy requires.

What it usually costs

Indicative ranges only, to help you judge a quote. They are not an estimate for your property — only the business doing the work can give you that.

• Unoccupied cover costs more than standard buildings insurance and often carries higher excesses.
• Compliance with inspection conditions is a time cost that a factor, agent or neighbour can sometimes cover.
• Draining the system may be cheaper than heating a large empty house through a Scottish winter.

What to do, in order

1. 1Tell the insurer as soon as you know the property will be empty.
2. 2Read the unoccupancy conditions rather than the summary schedule.
3. 3Set up an inspection routine that matches the required frequency and keep dated records.
4. 4Decide between maintained heating and a full drain-down before winter.
5. 5Notify the insurer again when it is reoccupied.

Local detail for the Lothians

• Executry sales in Edinburgh regularly run past the 30-day unoccupancy threshold while confirmation is obtained.
• Tenement flats carry additional escape-of-water exposure to neighbours, which unoccupied cover often restricts.
• Rural Lothian properties may attract higher premiums for theft and malicious damage when empty.

When you need a professional

An insurance broker who handles unoccupied risk can compare specialist policies; the executry solicitor should confirm cover on an inherited property.

Common questions

How long can a property be empty before cover changes?

Commonly 30 to 60 days, but it is policy-specific. Check the wording rather than assuming, and tell the insurer in advance.

Does an inherited property need special insurance?

Usually yes, because it will be empty while confirmation and the sale progress. Deal with it early rather than after a burst pipe.

Related pages

• Securing an empty property

  Locks, lighting, mail and the visible signs that a property is standing empty.

• Winterising an empty property

  Heating, draining down and frost protection through a Scottish winter.

• Clearing a property after a death

  Clearing a family home during an executry, with the sensitivity and the record-keeping it needs.