Written by Andy Gurczak
April 8, 2022
Homeowners may experience situations in which they leave their homes for an extended period of time. For example, they may have a vacation home at the beach in which they stay the entire summer. Or they moved to a new house but have not yet sold their other house. In any event, homeowners who may leave their homes for more than a few weeks may need vacant and unoccupied home insurance coverage.
What is Vacant Home Insurance?
Standard homeowners’ insurance covers losses to a homeowner who lives in a house which a storm damaged or in which a fire occurred. However, vacant property poses a greater risk of loss to insurance carriers. If a home is vacant and a pipe bursts, the burst pipe and resultant water damage may not be discovered for days or weeks. Likewise, if a fire starts in a vacant or unoccupied home, no one is there to alert the fire department.
Therefore, property insurance companies see an unoccupied and vacant home as being a greater insurance risk than occupied homes.
How Long Can I Leave My Home Unoccupied?
Typically, home insurance company policies exclude losses to homes in which the home was vacant for over 30 days. As another example, for other insurance companies, the exclusion begins after 60 days. Therefore, if your home is going to be vacant or unoccupied for more than your policy permits, you can check with your insurance agent to see if your company offers vacant house insurance.
What is the Difference Between Vacant and Unoccupied Insurance?
There actually is a big difference between the two terms in property insurance. A vacant home is one that is empty of all belongings of the occupants. Therefore, there are no chairs, couches, rugs, appliances, etc. In other words, there are no items in the home that you would expect to see if the home was regularly occupied.
A house could be vacant because the owners moved their possessions to a new house and the vacant house is on the market.
As another example, a house could undergo extensive renovations. The occupants removed all furniture, appliances and other personal property to a storage facility.
On the other hand, an insurance company views a house that still has the belongings of the owners in the house as unoccupied. In the example at the top of the page, the summer vacation home probably has furniture, appliances and summer clothes in closets. Therefore, an insurance company would consider that home unoccupied.
Another big difference is that vacant home insurance is more expensive than unoccupied home insurance. Insurance companies view vacant homes as bigger risks for vandalism, theft, water damage, etc.
Most insurance companies offer coverage for vacant home and unoccupied home losses. In fact, they offer these insurance products either as a separate policy or as an endorsement to a standard home insurance policy.
If Your Homeowners’ Insurance Company Will Not Offer Coverage Your Loss, Call AllCity Adjusting
We are a family-owned claims company with five decades of combined adjusting experience. As a result, if there’s one thing we understand, it’s that you need 100% of your claim value.
At AllCity Adjusting we work to ensure you get 100% of your damage claim value. Equally important, with over 50 years of combined adjusting experience, we know insurance companies and understand where they cut corners.
Is Your Insurance Company Denying Coverage for Damage to Your Vacation Home?
If your insurance company won’t cover losses to your vacation home because you weren’t there often enough, call AllCity Adjusting first. We can review your insurance policy to see if there is a legitimate exclusion for your claim.
If not, we can contact the insurance adjuster to tell him why he is wrong. We can then negotiate the settlement for you you deserve.
Therefore, if you have received a low-ball offer from the insurance company, or they are outright denying your claim, call us at 844.692.3587. Or you can email us at info@allcityadhjusting.com.
Best way to beat the insurance company is to hire AllCity Adjusting
At AllCity Adjusting we help residential and commercial clients alike get the claims support they need. Moreover, we have over 50 years of combined experience helping get our clients the max settlement time and time again. If your claim has been low balled or denied entirely we can help increase your maximum settlement. Call us today for a FREE consultation. Experience the AllCity difference.
Real Support When You Need It!
Related Articles
Commercial Insurance Definition
If you own commercial property, understanding the intricacies of insurance claims is crucial. Commercial insurance definition can be particularly complex, with various terms and definitions that property owners need to grasp. This piece will help you understand some important terms linked to business roofing insurance claims, so you can go through the process with confidence.
Roofing Companies that work with Insurance Claims
If you own property, you’re likely aware of the importance of having insurance coverage to protect your investment. Roof repairs can be costly, especially when caused by storms, fires, or water damage. This is where roofing companies specializing in insurance claims can help.
Commercial Roofing Insurance Claims: Negotiating a Fair Settlement
Owning a commercial property underscores the significance of safeguarding your investment. One critical aspect of this protection is having the right insurance coverage. But when unexpected events like water damage, storms, or fire harm your roof, dealing with insurance claims can become difficult.
The Standard Fire Insurance Company Claims Phone Number
If you’re a property owner, you understand the importance of insurance coverage to protect your investment. Filing insurance claims for flood, storm, or fire damage is crucial. This page discusses the Standard Fire Insurance Company claims phone number and property owner insurance claims.
Insurance Company Denied Claim: Which insurance company denies the most claims
Property owners frequently confront the terrifying prospect of rejection when submitting claims to insurance carriers. You need to know which insurance company denied claim, especially for big problems like fixing a roof after a hail storm or repairing fire damage. Identifying these companies can help you make informed decisions about your insurance coverage.
Reasonable Insurance Companies Deny Fire Claims
If you’re a property owner, facing a fire at your home or business is a terrible nightmare. A fire can cause severe damage to your beloved property.
During such stressful times, you naturally expect your reasonable insurance companies’ coverage to help. However, insurance companies sometimes deny fire claims. This leaves property owners feeling confused and upset.
In this article, we will explore the reasons why insurance companies deny fire claims.
Additionally, we’ll offer advice to those dealing with this tough situation.
Stay Up to Date With The Latest News & Updates
Don't Wait - Get More
Get a free 1 hour consultation on your next call. So call today and challenge the insurance company narrative on your policy claim. We can help you with all your public adjuster claims support. Let us help you get more.
Join Our Newsletter
Do you want to learn more about public adjusting. In this newsletter we create helpful tips and hints and you will receive notifications when we post new articles.
Follow Us
Follow us on the following social networks.
Recent Comments