Is my unoccupied property still covered?
If your property is left empty, vacant or unoccupied there are some things to be aware of.
Unless you’ve let us know and we’ve agreed with you otherwise, the below standard conditions will apply to your cover. Always let us know if your property is going to be vacant for an extended period of time beyond the 60 days.
Rental Property
Cover stays unchanged if your rental property is not being lived in for up to 60 consecutive days. If it’s empty for over 60 days the cover remains the same but a $5,000 standard excess will apply to all claims.
We encourage fitting security systems to your property. If you make a claim for a break in and have a professionally installed alarm then the unoccupied excess reduces to $1,000.
Owner-occupied House
Cover for your house also remains unchanged for the first 60 days that it’s unoccupied.
If it’s empty for more than 60 consecutive days your policy is reduced to cover:
- Fire, explosion or lightning damage.
- Damage from natural disasters (i.e. earthquakes, tornadoes etc).
After 60 consecutive unoccupied days, you still have cover for the big risks but theft or vandalism won’t be protected. This is because empty houses are sitting ducks for theft and vandalism. We encourage you not to leave your home empty for over two months wherever you can.
Holiday Home
We expect holiday houses will be empty more often, so our conditions are more lenient. Holiday homes can be empty for more than 60 consecutive days and your cover will remain standard, as long as you can meet the following criteria:
- House is inspected inside and outside by you or a nominated person at least every 60 days
- The house and its grounds are adequately maintained
- Mail is cleared regularly
- Water supply is turned off
- Doors are locked and windows are secured
If you can’t meet these then a standard $5,000 excess will apply to your policy. If it’s fitted with a professional alarm* this reduces to $1,000 when you claim for a break in or burglary.
*Systems which include surveillance cameras only do not meet this criteria – the system needs the ability to provide an external alert (audible or direct to a monitoring company).
This guide is intended to be a quick reference to vacant houses. We recommend reading the full policy wording for the full details of the coverage.