Do you own a property that will remain vacant for an extended period? I don't mean that you're going on vacation for a few weeks, or even months. Home insurance providers consider that "unoccupied". It's something that many people do occasionally, and is to be expected.
During the heating season if the home is unoccupied for four days or more, this is one of the only times that coverage restriction might apply. You'll need to have your home checked daily by a competent person to make sure heating is being maintained. Appliances, pipes, and water can all be drained and shut off as well. You will not be covered if you have not taken those steps and your pipes freeze over while you're away.
When the insurance company says "vacant", what does that mean exactly?
Insurance companies look at a home that you have bought but not yet moved into, or a home that you have left and have no plans of moving back into as "vacant". If you have a rental home that has no tenants at the time, this would also be considered vacant.
Whatever the case, if your home is "vacant", you'd better make sure you contact your insurance provider right away! You can have insurance on your vacant home and still have certain exceptions that are not covered, including vandalism, water damage, and glass breakage. And if your home is vacant more than 30 days, you'll generally have no coverage at all, unless you've added a "vacancy permit".
Exactly what are vacancy permits?
A vacancy permit can be added to an existing policy for a monthly fee, and allows some coverage to be maintained, at a fairly hefty cost. Keep in mind that there are exclusions like water, glass and vandalism.
Taking some relatively simple precautions will greatly reduce your chance of losses during the time your property remains vacant:
Make sure the lawn is kept trimmed, and any garbage or debris is picked up.
Be sure that your windows are covered by curtains.
Don't let mail or flyers pile up at the front door.
Timers for your lights can make it appear that someone is home.
Get someone you trust to come over and check on your place weekly or more to make sure that everything is in order on the interior and exterior of the home.
During the winter, make sure heat is being properly maintained.
Make sure all the doors and windows are locked, and consider installing a monitored intrusion alarm.
Go out of your way to make it appear that someone is living in the home. A vacant home is an easy target for a vandal, so don't make it apparent that the home is empty. Most importantly, keep in close contact with your insurance provider. Let them know how long the home will be vacant, and provide them with details on when you're returning and what you have arranged to ensure that the home is safe. Be sure that you don't get left footing the bill if there is a major problem while you're gone, so talk to your insurance provider right away.
During the heating season if the home is unoccupied for four days or more, this is one of the only times that coverage restriction might apply. You'll need to have your home checked daily by a competent person to make sure heating is being maintained. Appliances, pipes, and water can all be drained and shut off as well. You will not be covered if you have not taken those steps and your pipes freeze over while you're away.
When the insurance company says "vacant", what does that mean exactly?
Insurance companies look at a home that you have bought but not yet moved into, or a home that you have left and have no plans of moving back into as "vacant". If you have a rental home that has no tenants at the time, this would also be considered vacant.
Whatever the case, if your home is "vacant", you'd better make sure you contact your insurance provider right away! You can have insurance on your vacant home and still have certain exceptions that are not covered, including vandalism, water damage, and glass breakage. And if your home is vacant more than 30 days, you'll generally have no coverage at all, unless you've added a "vacancy permit".
Exactly what are vacancy permits?
A vacancy permit can be added to an existing policy for a monthly fee, and allows some coverage to be maintained, at a fairly hefty cost. Keep in mind that there are exclusions like water, glass and vandalism.
Taking some relatively simple precautions will greatly reduce your chance of losses during the time your property remains vacant:
Make sure the lawn is kept trimmed, and any garbage or debris is picked up.
Be sure that your windows are covered by curtains.
Don't let mail or flyers pile up at the front door.
Timers for your lights can make it appear that someone is home.
Get someone you trust to come over and check on your place weekly or more to make sure that everything is in order on the interior and exterior of the home.
During the winter, make sure heat is being properly maintained.
Make sure all the doors and windows are locked, and consider installing a monitored intrusion alarm.
Go out of your way to make it appear that someone is living in the home. A vacant home is an easy target for a vandal, so don't make it apparent that the home is empty. Most importantly, keep in close contact with your insurance provider. Let them know how long the home will be vacant, and provide them with details on when you're returning and what you have arranged to ensure that the home is safe. Be sure that you don't get left footing the bill if there is a major problem while you're gone, so talk to your insurance provider right away.
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