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House Insurance - Is this an unoccupied house

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  • 21-01-2015 4:35pm
    #1
    boardie2011
    Registered Users Posts: 19 ✭


    At the moment our family home only has some one staying in it once/twice a month. With the next door neighbhour having a looking in every other day

    At all other times the heating is left on for 2/2.5 hours per day with frost protection in the attic near the water tanks and the heating system will not let the house temp drop below 5 Deg C.

    Does this constitute an unoccupied property as per definition for house insurance?

    The level of insurance cover is significantly different. An 'unoccupied property' is only covered for Fire and Storm Damage. There is no cover for Theft/Water damage.
    Tagged:


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    #2
    coylemj
    Registered Users Posts: 25,423 ✭✭✭✭coylemj


    You need to download the household policy document from your insurer's website to see what is and is not covered.

    FBD is pretty vague in their definition of the word 'unoccupied'

    Unoccupied:

    Not lived in by a member of your household or any other person authorised by you.

    Depending on who you ask, having someone stay over the odd night may or may not sound like the house is 'lived in'.

    They're more specific in the 'you must notify us if...' section, they say this....

    If your Private Dwellinghouse will be unoccupied for more than 45 consecutive days and/or more than 90 days in any one Period of Insurance.

    And this also appears in the list of exclusions. The '90 days' exclusion would appear to be there to exclude your arrangement, it means that the house has to be occupied for 75% of the year or cover for theft and vandalism will lapse.


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    #3
    To Elland Back
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,923 ✭✭✭To Elland Back


    Also watch out for the declaration made by the policyholder for the whole policy. Is it declared as being the main residence of the policyholder?


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    #4
    peteb2
    Registered Users Posts: 1,813 ✭✭✭peteb2


    To Elland Back wrote: »
    Also watch out for the declaration made by the policyholder for the whole policy. Is it declared as being the main residence of the policyholder?

    What? He is the policy holder.


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    #5
    To Elland Back
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,923 ✭✭✭To Elland Back


    peteb2 wrote: »
    What? He is the policy holder.

    The OP as said it is the family home, which often means that it is the place he was brought up in. i.e. it could be his parents house. Not wanting to know the OP business, but it might mean parents have passed and the house is in probate. It is a usual scenario but I appreciate it may not be the case

    If the house is only lived in a few days a month, the OP has to have a different primary residence. The OP has not stated he is the policyholder


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