The short answer
Vacant home insurance is cover for a house or condo that nobody is living in, such as an estate property awaiting sale, a home between tenants or a house left behind after an early move. Ordinary home policies often restrict cover once the home has been empty for a set period. A vacancy permit or a separate vacant-property policy may be arranged, with conditions such as regular inspections and heat or water shut-off.
- Executors and family members looking after a home after the owner has died
- Sellers who moved into a new home before the old one sold
- Snowbirds and others away for several months at a time
- Families whose parent has moved into care, leaving the house empty
- Landlords with a rental standing empty between tenants
4 licensed brokers in the network handle this. In Alberta, Canada, a request for vacant home insurance can be offered to up to three of them, chosen because they are licensed for this line and place. They are test brokers while we are in demo.
See the brokers → Outside Alberta, Canada you can prepare and save a request today; sending opens place by place. Brokers answer with their own quotes. Broker.insure does not quote, advise or take commission.
01 / What it covers
The parts worth understanding
Vacancy permission
Written permission from the insurer, sometimes called a vacancy permit, that keeps some or all cover in place while the home is empty. It often has an end date and conditions attached.
Listed causes while empty
Vacant-property policies frequently list the causes they cover, such as fire, lightning and explosion, rather than covering everything not excluded. Ask whether vandalism, theft and water damage are on the list.
Freezing and water damage
Burst pipes are the loss insurers worry about most in an empty Alberta house in winter. Cover often depends on heat being maintained with regular checks, or on the water being shut off and the lines drained.
Vandalism and break-ins
An obviously empty house draws trespassers. Some vacancy cover excludes vandalism and malicious damage, or restores it only with security measures such as a monitored alarm.
Liability for the empty property
Responsibility if someone is hurt on the property, such as a neighbour on an unshovelled walk or a tradesperson in the basement. Snow and ice clearing still matter when nobody lives there.
Contents left behind
Furniture and belongings still in the house, for example in an estate before distribution. Some vacant-property policies cover the building only, so ask whether contents can be added.
02 / Get ready
Bring this, and expect these questions
Gather
- The date the home became empty and the reason: a death, a move, care, travel or a gap between tenants
- When you expect someone to live there again, or the planned listing or sale date
- Who has keys and how often they visit, with a written record of visits if you keep one
- How the home is heated while empty and whether the furnace has been serviced recently
- Whether the water has been shut off and the lines drained, and who did it
- Alarms, cameras, leak sensors or a smart thermostat in place
- For an estate: the death certificate, the will or grant of probate, and the executor's contact details
- The current home policy, and the date the insurer was told the home is empty
- Any plans for renovation, clearing out or staging before a sale
A broker will ask
- On what date did the last person move out, and why?
- When will someone live there again, or when is it expected to sell?
- Is the furniture still inside, or has the house been cleared?
- Who checks the property, and how often can they realistically go?
- Will the heat stay on, or will the water be shut off and drained?
- Is anyone doing work in the house while it is empty?
- For an estate, who is the executor, and has the insurer been told of the death?
- Is there a mortgage, and does the lender know the home is empty?
Not sure of an answer? Leave it. "Not known yet" is a fine answer, and a broker will help you fill it in.
03 / Build your request
Answer a few questions. Get your own list.
Pick what fits. Your answers shape the list beside them, and they are saved to your request as plain facts a broker can read. "Not sure yet" is always a fine answer.
04 / Three situations
See which one sounds like yours
An executor handling her father's bungalow
After her father died in November, a daughter living two provinces away became executor of his Edmonton bungalow. His home policy is still active, the furniture is still inside, and the house will not be listed until spring.
First steps. Call the insurer or a broker promptly to report the death and that nobody now lives in the home, and write down who you spoke to. Arrange a neighbour or a property service to check the house on a set schedule, and ask what the policy requires about heat, water and visits until the sale.
A family that moved before their house sold
A family took possession of a new home in Airdrie in January, but their old Calgary house is still on the market. It is staged with a few pieces of furniture and shown by the listing agent several times a week.
First steps. Tell the insurer the date you moved out and how the house is being shown and checked. Ask how long the existing policy keeps full cover while the home is empty, whether a vacancy permit is needed, and what is expected for snow clearing and heat between showings.
Snowbirds leaving for four months
A retired couple spends December to March in Arizona each year. Their neighbour has a key, the heat stays low, and they have never asked their insurer what happens if a pipe bursts while they are gone.
First steps. Before leaving, ask the broker what the policy says about absences of that length and whether the home counts as unoccupied or vacant. Agree with the neighbour how often they will go in, what they will check and how they will reach you, then put that routine in writing.
05 / Words you will hear
The jargon, in plain words
- Vacancy permit
- Written permission from an insurer allowing a home to stay empty beyond the usual limit, usually for a set time and on stated conditions.
- Vacant
- A home whose occupants have moved out and taken most of their belongings. Insurers often apply stricter conditions to it than to a home that is only temporarily unoccupied.
- Executor
- The person named in a will to manage the estate. Until the home is sold or transferred, the executor is usually the person an insurer deals with about it.
- Freeze-up condition
- A policy requirement aimed at preventing burst pipes, typically keeping the heat on with regular checks, or shutting off and draining the water supply.
- Consecutive days
- The way vacancy is usually counted: unbroken days with nobody living in the home. A short visit does not always reset the count, so check the wording.
06 / Common mistakes
What trips people up
- Not telling the insurer that the owner has died or moved out, and assuming the policy simply carries on.
- Confusing unoccupied, where belongings remain, with vacant, where the home has been cleared.
- Leaving the heat on with nobody checking, so a failed furnace goes unnoticed for days.
- Shutting off the water but forgetting to drain the lines and the hot water tank.
- Letting snow pile up on walks and steps, which signals an empty house and invites a fall.
- Starting renovations in an empty house without telling the insurer about the work.
Ready when you are
Turn this into one clear request.
Save it, add what you know, and choose when to send it. A licensed broker who handles vacant home insurance takes it from there.
07 / Questions people ask
Straight answers
Does home insurance cover a vacant house?
Usually for a limited time only. Many Canadian home policies restrict or remove certain protections, such as water damage, glass breakage and vandalism, once the home has been empty for a stated number of consecutive days. The period and the exclusions vary by insurer. Check the vacancy wording in your policy and ask the broker whether a permit or a separate policy is needed.
What is the difference between vacant and unoccupied?
Insurers often use the words differently. Unoccupied usually means nobody is living there for a while but the furniture and belongings remain, as when owners travel. Vacant usually means the occupants have moved out and taken most of their things. Each term triggers different conditions in a policy, so describe the house to the broker exactly as it is.
What should an executor do about an empty house?
Tell the insurer about the death and that the home is empty as soon as practical, and confirm in writing what cover continues and for how long. Keep the property secure, heated or drained, and checked on a schedule, with a log of visits. An estate lawyer can explain your wider duties; the broker can explain the insurance side.
How often does someone need to check an empty house?
There is no single rule. Some policies set a minimum, such as a visit every few days in winter, while others accept the water being shut off and drained instead. The requirement is written in the policy or the vacancy permit. Ask the broker for the exact wording, then make sure the person checking can actually meet it.
Can I insure a house that is empty and up for sale?
In many cases, though the cover may be narrower than a regular home policy. Some insurers extend the existing policy with a permit for a set period; others place the home on a vacant-property policy that covers fewer causes. Bring the listing date, who shows the house and how it is checked, so the broker can compare the options.
Do snowbirds need vacant home insurance?
Not necessarily, since a home with your belongings still in it is usually treated as unoccupied rather than vacant. Long absences still carry conditions, often about heat and regular checks while you are away. Ask the broker how many days of absence the policy allows and what must be done to keep water damage covered while you travel.
General information, not insurance advice. Broker.insure is a directory and request service: it is not an insurer and does not quote, bind or advise. Policy terms, availability and what is required where you live depend on your situation and on licensed professionals. Updated 2026-10-31.