Advice for unoccupied properties because of COVID-19

Government restrictions mean many businesses have closed temporarily which can result in buildings currently being left unoccupied.

If your insurance policies have unoccupied / security conditions and their properties were unoccupied prior to the COVID-19 outbreak, then the usual security conditions required by their insurer are the same as before. These conditions may include among other things weekly visits, removal of combustible waste, switching off gas, water and electricity and letterboxes sealed.

You should refer to their policy wordings for the exact requirements defined by the insurer.

For premises that have become unoccupied during the COVID-19 outbreak due to Government restrictions, several insurers are relaxing their policy requirements for the time being. During this period, insurers will continue to review their position.

You should contact us immediately if:
• The outbreak has left you unable to comply with the policy requirements, as your insurers need to be informed and any arrangement with the insurers to relax or vary the requirements needs to be agreed in writing.
• The property policy has multiple underwriters writing lines on it, as each of these might have different unoccupancy conditions.
• You are in any doubt at all.

This pandemic has caused implications on different classes of insurance, which may have an impact on you depending on the type of policy you have. To keep up to date with information on the COVID-19 pandemic and potential impact on you and your clients, visit our dedicated COVID-19 extranet page, which is updated regularly.