There are both fortunate and unfortunate situations in which you would be well advised to take out a vacant property insurance policy. The unfortunate ones are sadly increasing due to our challenging economic environment, and these will include the loss of tenants, which can then turn your property into an ideal target for the less fortunate homeless people, as well as burglars and other criminal potential damage.

The fortunate situations cover inheritance, long holidays, moving part-time or full-time to a lovely sunny country. If you have a second home that you would prefer not to rent out then you will definitely need insurance vacant property.

Here is the next thing, how much time before an empty property like this is considered to be vacant from an insurance point of view? This actually varies, but to be safe it is best to realise that many standard insurance policies only allow up to 30 days of vacancy on your normal policy. Once you run over this amount of time, and ideally if you know that this is going to happen in advance it is best not to take any risks, especially in the difficult time we are living in. You should prepare yourself to find an insurance policy which specifically caters for a period of unoccupancy.

Common sense will tell you why insurers consider a vacant property to be a greater risk, as a target to criminals and the less fortunate. Additionally it is a bigger risk as it will be left unchecked for the likes of water leaks and electrical faults, either of which can be very damaging to the property.

You need to be aware that most standard commerial property or home insurance policies to not cover a building even if you feel you are just going on a long holiday. In fact failure to notify your insurer can end up in extreme circumstances that your policy becomes invalidated. If you are adjusting your policy for a period of two to three months then your insurer will apply some special conditions. This can include removing the cover for water damage, contents theft and malicious damage. This means that really even for a short term vacant property insurance situation you are better off to opt for the specialist policy adapted for this scenario. This means that the vacant building can be insured with full cover. However normally the policy will not include contents but will include fixtures and fittings.

It is advisable to source an insurer that can offer you flexibility. They should recognise that on many occasions a property could be empty due to the owner wishing to improve it with refurbishments, a period between tenants or a trip overseas. There are reputable, flexible insurance companies who can offer you three optional levels of cover, including the highest level of cover available within the vacant property insurance market.

Whether you wish to avoid an unfortunate situation, or you have come into a fortunate situation such as an inheritance, enough money to buy another property or a lovely long trip abroad, you should take out a suitable vacant property insurance policy to put your mind at rest.