Most home policies quietly restrict cover once the property has been empty for 30–60 days. For longer trips you need unoccupied cover — and someone inspecting the house on a documented schedule.
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Why long absences change your cover
The house doesn't know you're on a beach or a secondment. Insurers do — and long unoccupancy is one of the first things they check when a claim comes in.
The 30–60 day cliff edge
Standard policies typically exclude or restrict escape of water, theft and malicious damage once the home has been continuously empty beyond the stated period. Many travellers never notice the clause.
No one to catch the small stuff
A dripping tank, a storm-loosened tile, a tripped freezer — trivia when you're home, thousands in damage after eight unattended weeks.
An obviously empty home
Overflowing post, uncut grass and permanently dark windows advertise absence. Regular visits keep the home looking lived-in and deter opportunists.
How Inspection Record works while you travel
A trusted person on a schedule
Nominate a friend, relative or house-sitter. Reminders keep their visits on the interval your policy requires — no chasing from another time zone.
See every visit from anywhere
Photos and notes from each inspection appear in the record the moment they're logged. You know the house is fine without asking.
Evidence your insurer will accept
If anything happens while you're away, you can produce a dated, photo-backed log showing the inspection condition was met throughout.
Simple for the person helping
The visit takes minutes: walk through, photograph the key points, done. Clear enough that anyone can do it consistently.
What interval should you set?
Unoccupied policies for travellers commonly require 7- or 14-day inspections. If you're within your standard policy's allowance for a shorter trip, weekly checks are still wise — and give you a head start if the trip extends.
What insurers expect to see
That the person you nominated actually visited at the required frequency, and evidence of what they found. A shared, time-stamped record beats a text message chain when a loss adjuster starts asking questions.
Common questions
Do I need to tell my insurer I'm going away?
For anything beyond your policy's unoccupancy allowance — usually 30 or 60 consecutive days — yes. Not disclosing it risks the whole policy. Ask what inspection condition applies and set your interval to match.
Can my house-sitter or neighbour use the app?
Yes — whoever carries out the visit can log the inspection and photos, and everything lands in the same record you can view from abroad.
What if a visit gets missed while I'm away?
Get the next one done as soon as possible and keep the record honest. A single late entry in an otherwise consistent record is a much smaller problem than no record at all.
Travel light — leave the obligation here
Set the schedule before you fly. Reminders, photos and an insurer-ready record run while you're away.
Start your inspection recordSet up in minutes. 2-week free trial on the monthly plan.