Does home insurance cover a vacant home?

So, here’s a dilemma: you’re moving, but you can’t sell your house. You’ve got to pack up, pick up, and move, but you need to leave the old house vacant until it can sell. Does home insurance cover that? What if…well, what if you just don’t tell the insurance company? (That’s not a good idea, by the way.) We’ll explain.

Does home insurance cover a vacant house?

Home insurance companies do not like vacant homes. Why? Risk. Vacant homes are riskier because there’s no one around to deter trespassers and/or burglars. And there’s no one around to call the fire department if something combusts.

There’s usually a limit on how long your house can be vacant. For example, it might be 30 days. You need to pay attention to that (and read your home insurance policy). If the insurance company finds out that your house has been vacant for more time than they allow, they can cancel or drop your coverage.

What if you moved and have to leave your house vacant?

So, what to do if you have to leave your home vacant because you’re moving? Well, first thing is to call your insurance company. You need to let them know what’s going on.

If you think your home will be vacant for more than the allowed number of days, you might need to get a vacant home insurance policy, which is different than your standard, primary owned and occupied home insurance policy. You might be able to get a policy that’s on a one-month basis, a three-month basis, or a six-month basis.

Now, let’s say that someone buys the house and moves in, but you’ve already paid for, say, six months of vacant home insurance. You can probably get a prorated refund – meaning you’ll get the money for the insurance you didn’t end up needing.

Anyways – keep your home insurance company informed if you have to leave your home vacant for any reason. It’s best to be upfront and honest with them, and they can work with you from there.

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