How an unoccupied home affects your home insurance.
Learn how leaving an empty property can affect your home insurance. And what you need to tell us with Tesco Home Insurance.
Published: 2 April 2026
Leaving your home unoccupied?
It doesn’t matter if you’re taking a long holiday, going on a work trip, looking after family or making renovations. If you’re planning to be away from home for an extended period of time, it could affect your home insurance. And it’s important to know how.
In this guide, we explain:
- how having an empty property affects your home insurancehow having an empty property affects your home insurance
- why we limit our cover on empty homeswhy we limit our cover on empty homes
- what could go wrong while you’re awaywhat could go wrong while you’re away
We also explain why you might need specialist unoccupied home insurance for a vacant home.
What do we mean by an unoccupied home?
With home insurance, your home’s considered unoccupied when it’s empty for a set number of days.
That means no one’s living there, sleeping there, or using it as their main home. Even if someone’s popping back occasionally to pick up a few things or check on building work.
Note: if you’re carrying out renovations, it can also affect your cover, and you need to tell us about it. You can learn more in our guide - Home insurance during renovations - what to tell your insurer.
How long can you leave your home unoccupied?
With Tesco Home Insurance:
- You can leave your home unoccupied for up to 60 days in a row and you won’t have to tell us about it. That’s the same as most standard home insurance policies.You can leave your home unoccupied for up to 60 days in a row and you won’t have to tell us about it. That’s the same as most standard home insurance policies.
- After 60 days, some parts of your cover might not apply. For example, theft, vandalism and escape of water (like burst pipes).After 60 days, some parts of your cover might not apply. For example, theft, vandalism and escape of water (like burst pipes).
It’s important to tell us if your home’s going to be empty. Being clear with us helps to keep your cover valid. And it can help to avoid any problems if you need to make a claim.
Do you need unoccupied home insurance?
If you’re leaving your home unoccupied for an extended period of time, you might need specialist unoccupied home insurance.
For example, if:
- you’re going travelling for a long timeyou’re going travelling for a long time
- you’ll be staying somewhere else for work or family reasonsyou’ll be staying somewhere else for work or family reasons
- your home will be empty due to house moves or building workyour home will be empty due to house moves or building work
- your holiday home is empty for long periodsyour holiday home is empty for long periods
Unoccupied home insurance from Open & Direct
At Tesco Insurance, we partner with Open & Direct. They provide cover for a wide range of circumstances, including unoccupied homes. And you’ll save 10% with your Clubcard.
You can also call Open & Direct to get a quote, Monday-Friday 9am to 5pm.
Open & Direct is a trading style of Abbey Insurance Brokers Limited, who are authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.
How an unoccupied home affects your home insurance
When your home’s empty for a long period of time, there’s more risk of something going wrong. And less chance of it being detected. So some cover may be limited while you’re away.
For full details of what is and isn’t covered, it’s best to check the policy booklets.
You can learn more about what isn’t covered by home insurance in our guide - What’s not covered by your home insurance.
Why your cover changes for an empty home
Here’s why your insurance changes when your home's empty. And why many insurers, including Tesco Insurance, will limit your cover after 60 days.
1. Theft and break-ins
An empty property is an easier target for burglars. With no one coming and going, they can quickly spot an opportunity.
You can learn about home security in our guide - Keep your home secure while you’re away.
2. Squatters
A vacant home can attract unwanted occupants. That can result in damage to your home, legal issues and costly repairs.
3. Escape of water (leaks)
Escape of water is one of the costliest types of home insurance claim in the UK.
But what if no one’s home? If a pipe bursts, the damage could spread undetected for days or even weeks.
At Tesco Insurance, the average escape of water claim in 2025 was £10,346.00*. And average claim amounts tend to rise each year. So it could be a costly repair if you aren’t covered.
You can learn more about escape of water in our guide - Escape of water: how to protect your home from leaks.
4. Storm or weather damage
If roof tiles blow off, or a fence is damaged, the problem can quickly get worse if no one notices it.
You can learn about flood and storm damage in our guide - How to prepare your home for a flood.
5. Maintenance issues
Small problems - like a dripping pipe, cracked sealant or faulty boiler - can cause a lot of damage if left for a long time.
You can learn about boiler care in our guide - Boiler care and maintenance tips.
What can go wrong while you’re away?
Here are real‑world scenarios that happen more often than people realise. These are the kinds of problems unoccupied home insurance is designed for.
Burst pipe in winter
A frozen pipe splits on day 3 of your trip. By the time a neighbour notices water running out the front door, several rooms, flooring and walls are damaged.
You can learn about burst pipe prevention in our guide - How to keep your pipes from freezing.
A tiny leak becomes a major claim
A slow drip from a pipe under the bath goes unnoticed for weeks. When the floor finally collapses, the entire bathroom needs replacing.
Unnoticed storm damage
A loose roof tile dislodges during high winds. Rain enters the loft for days, causing mould and damaging insulation and electrics.
You can learn about preparing your home for a storm or flood in our guide - How to prepare your home for a flood.
Break‑in at a clearly empty home
Post builds up, blinds stay closed, and bins aren’t moved. Thieves spot the signs and target the property.
Squatters move in
An unoccupied house is broken into and occupied. Damage, legal costs and lost time quickly add up.
What to tell your insurer about an unoccupied home
Always tell us - or your insurer, if it isn’t us - if you’re planning to leave your home empty for more than 60 days. That way, we can make sure your cover meets your needs.
The cost of your home insurance won’t change automatically when you call us. It just helps us to check your cover.
Leaving a holiday home empty
Holiday homes are often empty for long periods, so insurance rules are different.
A holiday home may be empty for many weeks or months. Because of this:
- it might be classed as an unoccupied home more oftenit might be classed as an unoccupied home more often
- you might need special cover, such as holiday home insurance or empty property insuranceyou might need special cover, such as holiday home insurance or empty property insurance
- you may have to meet extra safety rules, like draining water pipes or checking the home every few weeksyou may have to meet extra safety rules, like draining water pipes or checking the home every few weeks
Tesco Home Insurance is designed mainly to cover the home you live in. If you own a holiday home, get a quote from Open & Direct to make sure you stay protected.
How to protect an empty home
It’s important to think about home security before you go away - whether you’re taking a fortnight’s holiday or won’t be back for several months.
Take these simple steps to reduce risks and make your home safer while you’re away.
- Lock all doors and windowsLock all doors and windows
- Set alarms or security camerasSet alarms or security cameras
- Use timed lights to make it look lived inUse timed lights to make it look lived in
- Ask a neighbour to check on your homeAsk a neighbour to check on your home
- Turn off the water or drain the system in winterTurn off the water or drain the system in winter
- Remove valuables from sightRemove valuables from sight
- Keep the garden tidy so it doesn’t look emptyKeep the garden tidy so it doesn’t look empty
You can learn more about home security in our guides:
Keep your home secure while you’re away
Thinking about home security can help to protect your home and could also help with your insurance cover.
Help for Home Insurance customers
If you have any questions about your cover, or need to make a claim, we’re here to help.
Support for additional needs
If you have a disability, or need to do things differently, tell us how we can help.
Important information
Tesco Home Insurance is arranged and administered by Tesco Insurance and is underwritten by Tesco Underwriting Ltd.
You'll find complete details of the cover, monetary limits, exclusions, excesses and terms in our policy documents.
About our data
*Tesco Home Insurance claims data, 2025.
Learn more about Home Insurance
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