Armed Forces postings, overseas contracts and long secondments routinely leave a home empty for months at a time — often unpredictably. Most standard policies only allow 30–60 days. The answer is disclosure, the right cover, and inspections you can prove.
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Why working away is different
Unlike a one-off trip, work absences repeat, extend at short notice, and don't always let you plan the handover.
The allowance runs out mid-posting
Standard policies typically restrict theft, escape of water and malicious damage after 30–60 consecutive empty days. A 4–6 month deployment sails past that — and extensions rarely come with much warning.
Grey-zone occupancy
Home at weekends? Back for one week mid-tour? Short returns may not reset the unoccupancy clock — many policies count nights slept per week, not visits. Assuming they do is how cover quietly lapses.
You can't be the one who checks
From a base, a rig or another time zone you can't do the inspections yourself — but the policy condition doesn't pause just because you're away for work.
How Inspection Record works while you're posted
Nominate someone you trust
A relative, neighbour or friend carries out the visits. Reminders keep them on the interval your policy requires — no chasing from deployment.
Watch from wherever you are
Each visit's photos and notes appear in the record as they're logged. You know the house is fine without asking.
A record that fits service life
Postings extend, come forward, and overlap. The record simply keeps running — no re-setup each time plans change.
Proof if the worst happens
A dated, photo-backed log shows the inspection condition was met for the entire absence — exactly what an insurer asks for.
What interval should you set?
Unoccupied cover for long work absences commonly requires 7- or 14-day inspections. If your absences are irregular, set the interval to the strictest wording in your policy and let the record run continuously — gaps are what adjusters look for.
What insurers expect to see
Honesty about the pattern of occupation — and evidence the nominated person actually visited on schedule. If your time away is open-ended, tell the insurer; an accurate policy with a solid inspection record beats a cheap one that fails when you claim.
Common questions
I'm in the Armed Forces and can be posted at short notice — what do I tell my insurer?
Tell them the realistic pattern: how long, how often, and who checks the house meanwhile. Some insurers offer terms suited to service personnel; all of them expect disclosure. A running inspection record means a sudden extension doesn't leave you scrambling.
I'm home some weekends — is the house still 'unoccupied'?
Possibly, yes. Many policies define occupation by nights slept per week or consecutive empty days, and occasional weekends may not meet it. Check the exact wording rather than assuming visits reset the clock.
Can my family member log the visits while I'm away?
Yes — whoever does the visit logs it, with photos, into the same record you can check from anywhere. Multiple people can share the schedule between them.
Deploy. We'll keep the record running
Set the schedule before you go. Reminders keep your nominated person on track, and the proof builds itself.
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