Find the Cheapest Vacant Home Insurance Quotes in Canada 

What is vacant home insurance?

Vacant home insurance is an optional insurance coverage for homes that are uninhabited.   

To be labelled vacant, these homes must be left unattended for longer than 30 days. It doesn’t matter if it’s furnished with functioning power and water.  

A vacant home is inherently risky from an insurance perspective. Empty houses are at a greater risk of theft, vandalism, structural damage, and other potential claim-inducing scenarios. An insurance policy for a vacant home has different underwriting than a standard policy. 

Your home might technically be vacant if:  

• You're renovating it, and you can't live there while work is being done.  
• You've purchased a home but still need to move in. 
• You're hanging on to one property while living in another.   
• You're a landlord, and the property you rent out has no tenants.  
• You inherited a house and don't have plans to move in  
• You are away from your home for months at a time.    

Under these circumstances, you need to notify your home insurance company that you need to update your regular home insurance policy to account for the vacancy. Your insurer may offer endorsements for temporary vacancies.   

You must give your insurer a heads-up to avoid having your home insurance policy voided. It doesn't matter if you've bought a comprehensive insurance package or have continued to pay your premium on time. If your insurance company finds out your home is vacant, they could cancel your policy.  

A policy cancellation on your track record could make securing home insurance coverage elsewhere more of a challenge. Your premium will likely be higher, as well.   

Cottages don't usually qualify for vacant home insurance; they have their own specialty product, vacation property insurance.   

What’s covered under a vacant home insurance policy? 

What’s covered by a vacancy permit might vary by insurance company. Adding one usually guarantees that the coverage from your main policy remains intact. 

However, some companies might exclude certain perils, even if you bought a permit. Theft and water damage, for example.  

What’s not covered by vacant home insurance coverage? 

When you add a vacancy permit, perils like theft and water damage might not be included. It can vary by insurer, so make sure to discuss with your insurance provider or broker.