Tips for keeping a rental property safe when it's empty
As a landlord, you may be left with an empty rental property for a number of reasons. Your tenants might go away for an extended period of time, especially common among student tenants going home for the summer.
If your tenants have moved out, you could be unfortunate enough to not find new tenants for weeks or even months. Or you might choose to leave the property empty between tenancies to perform any necessary repairs or refurbishments.
Whatever the reason for your property being empty, it could be left at risk if not properly taken care of. We’ve created a summary of the potential risks and what you can do to help keep your rental property safe during periods of inoccupancy.
The risks of an empty property
If it’s apparent that a property is empty, then it could be more at risk of being targeted for breaking and entering, robbery, and vandalism. Opportunists looking for a home to target may observe them over a period of time and notice that no one is home to defend the property or call the police.
An empty property might also be neglected in terms of cleaning and ventilation, leaving it at risk of issues like mould and pest infestations, which could become serious problems if left to develop.
If there’s nobody around to notice maintenance issues, then these could get worse and cause further damage to the appliances and the property. For example, a minor leak might be spotted and repaired easily, but left unattended it could result in water damage to the property.
Having suitable landlord insurance can be vital to provide financial support should anything happen. If the home is unoccupied long-term, an unoccupied property insurance policy might even be more suitable. However, taking preventative steps can save you the time and stress of having to make repairs in the first place.
You should also remind your tenants to inform you if they are likely to be away for an extended period of time.
So, what can you do to ensure your property remains safe while it is unoccupied? Here are some tips and checks you could perform to help protect your property.
Make the property look occupied
One way to try and keep unwanted attention off your property is to make it look like people are still living there. Here are some methods to consider.
Ensure mail can't be seen piling up
If your tenants are away temporarily or if they haven’t changed their address with certain services since moving out, they might still be getting mail delivered. And if letters are hanging out of the letterbox or piled up outside the front door, then it’s clear that no one is home to collect them each day. It is possible to arrange with the Post Office to have this mail redirected to another address. Or if you live nearby, you could stop by the property to collect the mail yourself. Collecting mail regularly might also be in the terms and conditions of your property insurance.
Set lights on a timer
A lived-in property will likely have lights, TVs, and other appliances going on and off in the evening. With no one home, you could replicate this by setting lights to switch on and off via a timer. For example, you could have the living room light on between 7pm and 10pm to make it look like someone is home in the evening. You can get plugs that can set lights on a timer, or with smart technology you can even switch lights and other appliances, like the TV or radio, on and off using your smartphone.
Maintain outdoor spaces
Overgrown lawns and other unkempt outdoor spaces could be another indicator that a property is empty. Keeping up with regular maintenance of the property’s garden and other outdoor spaces could help, either stopping by to do this yourself or hiring someone to do this on a regular basis. This can also help to deter any pests looking to make a home on your property.
Ask your neighbours
If you know the neighbours of your rental property or know anyone else who lives nearby, then you could enlist their help to make the property look occupied. For example, a neighbour could park their car in your drive or agree to collect your mail or mow your lawn for you while the property is empty. On a more basic level, they could simply keep an eye out for any suspicious activity around your property, and inform you or the police if necessary.
Inspect your property
Checking in on your property periodically can help you see whether everything is safe and secure. Plus, if anyone is observing the property, it could help ward them off if they see someone coming and going. It might also be a requirement of your insurance policy when it comes to unoccupied properties.
Inspect the security of the property, ensuring that all doors and windows are properly shut and locked, and that all locks are in working order and haven’t been damaged. You can check to see if there are any signs that someone has tried to break in, such as damage to locks, door frames, or window frames. If your property has CCTV, then check that this is working properly, and you may want to review some of the footage to check that no one has been on your property. If you have a burglar alarm, check that this is also working correctly.
You could also check that all appliances are switched off, check taps and pipes for any signs of water escaping, and check for signs of mould and pests.
Check the terms of your landlord insurance
If your property is going to be empty for an extended period, you might need to check your landlord insurance policy to determine whether you will be suitably covered during this period. Policies typically cover a certain amount of time as standard, and then may have an unoccupancy clause stipulating further terms, such as restrictions and increased excesses.
Often, insurers can define a property as ‘unoccupied’ if the whole or part of the property is:
- Not lived in by you, a tenant, or a person you have authorised; or
- Without enough furniture for normal living purposes;
For the purpose of this definition, empty or unoccupied does not include periods of annual leave of 30 consecutive days or less by the resident.
When a property becomes empty or unoccupied for longer periods of time, there may be conditions in your landlord insurance that need to be met. For example:
- During any period of unoccupancy, the insured property might need to be inspected regularly
- The water, gas, and electricity supplies might need to be turned off at the mains and the water system drained, but the electricity supply may be left on if required for a security alarm or other security devices
- Remove all refuse and waste materials inside of the premises and leave no accumulation of refuse and waste in the adjoining yards or spaces you own
You may also need to send photographs to your insurer clearly showing the structure of the property and that it has been made secure and waterproof.
If your property is empty over winter, you may have to leave the heating on at a low temperature to try and avoid the pipes freezing up and potentially bursting.
Inform your insurance provider if your property is empty
If your property is empty for longer than the allowed period stated in your policy terms and conditions, this may affect the level of cover you have. Many insurers set the limit at 30 days of unoccupancy before cover is restricted. Check with your insurer if you are unsure.
You may require further coverage in the way of unoccupied property insurance to provide suitable protection for longer periods of being empty.
Help is at hand - get in touch with Rentguard
With vast experience handling insurance policies for a wide range of landlords, and with relationships with a number of leading insurers, Rentguard Insurance aims to simplify your insurance arrangements and help to protect your property, its contents, and your liabilities.
Get a quote online or speak to our specialist team on 0333 000 0169.
The sole purpose of this article is to provide information on the issues covered. This article is not intended to give legal advice, and, accordingly, it should not be relied upon. It should not be regarded as a comprehensive statement of the law and/or market practice in this area. We make no claims as to the completeness or accuracy of the information contained herein or in the links which were live at the date of publication. You should not act upon (or should refrain from acting upon) information in this publication without first seeking specific legal and/or specialist advice. Arthur J. Gallagher Insurance Brokers Limited trading as Rentguard and National Residential Landlords Association, an Introducer Appointed Representative of Arthur J. Gallagher Insurance Brokers Limited, accepts no liability for any inaccuracy, omission or mistake in this publication, nor will we be responsible for any loss which may be suffered as a result of any person relying on the information contained herein.
National Residential Landlords Association is an Introducer Appointed Representative of Arthur J. Gallagher Insurance Brokers Limited, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Registered Office: Spectrum Building, 55 Blythswood Street, Glasgow, G2 7AT. Registered in Scotland. Company Number: SC108909. Rentguard is a trading name of Arthur J. Gallagher Insurance Brokers Limited.
