Unoccupied property insurance during probate: a checklist

Most standard household policies change character once a property is empty. Two things happen: cover typically restricts sharply after 30–60 days of unoccupancy (escape of water, theft and malicious damage are the usual exclusions), and the death of the policyholder itself can affect the policy's validity.

Executors usually need to notify the existing insurer immediately, keep cover in force in the short term, and then arrange specialist unoccupied property insurance for the probate period — which will come with conditions, almost always including regular documented inspections.

Before the insurance questions are even settled, get the property secure and stable:

• Notify the current home insurer of the death and the property's unoccupancy — ask what cover remains in force and on what conditions.
• Secure the property: all doors and windows locked, spare keys recovered or locks changed, alarm codes updated.
• Deal with water — turn it off at the stopcock and drain the system, or keep heating at a minimum temperature in winter, per the insurer's preference.
• Redirect or regularly collect post — a stuffed letterbox is the clearest signal a house is empty.
• Photograph the property and contents room by room — a condition and contents baseline for the estate.
• Tell neighbours who to contact, and consider light timers to keep the home looking occupied.

When arranging unoccupied cover for the probate period, pin down these points:

• The inspection condition: how often must the property be visited, by whom, and what records are required?
• Water and heating requirements: drained-down system, minimum temperature, or both — and in which seasons.
• Contents cover: is the deceased's furniture and property covered, at what value, and with what security conditions?
• Policy term and renewal: unoccupied policies often run 3–6 months — diarise renewal, probate usually takes longer than expected.
• Permitted activities: viewings, clearance visits and maintenance works may need notifying — check before arranging them.

The inspection condition is where most probate property claims go wrong, because it depends on months of consistent, documented behaviour rather than a single form. Fourteen-day inspections are the most common requirement; some insurers ask for weekly visits in winter. Whoever inspects — you, a co-executor, a relative near the property or an agent — the routine is the same: check external security and signs of entry, confirm the water/heating condition is being met, collect post, walk every room, and photograph anything notable.

Inspection Record was built for exactly this obligation. Set the interval the policy requires, and the app reminds whoever is responsible before each visit is due. Photos and notes are logged on the spot, and every visit compiles into a formal record. Executors managing from a distance can see each inspection as it's logged.

Executors owe a duty of care to the beneficiaries. If the empty property suffers damage and the insurer refuses the claim because inspections can't be evidenced, the loss lands on the estate — and questions land on the executor. A contemporaneous, photo-backed inspection record closes that risk from both directions: it satisfies the insurer's condition and demonstrates the executor's diligence.

Keep the record with the estate file, alongside the baseline photos from the first visit. When the property finally sells, the same record doubles as evidence of how it was maintained throughout probate.