THURSDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2023
What happens when you go on vacation? Do you need to tell your insurer? The short answer is: No, you don't necessarily need to in most instances, but yes, you should in some cases. If you're going to be away from home for a significant period of time (typically a few weeks or longer), it is in your best interests to tell your home insurance provider. Here’s why:
Problems can arise at any time. If some kids are playing baseball nearby and they break your window, you're not going to be there to patch it up and keep the rain out. An unoccupied home can be, in many ways, more at risk than one that is occupied. Here's how you can manage the risks:
- Find out your insurer's rules on length of stay. Most providers have a limit on how long a home will stay protected while unoccupied.
- For extended trips, get a house-sitter. Letting a trusted friend or family member stay at your home while you're away means there will be someone there to manage the situation should something happen.
- If you can't get anyone to house-sit, at least get someone to do daily check-ins and pick up your newspaper. A lot of the common wisdom regarding burglaries is based more on TV and movies than real life. For instance, very few break-ins happen at night, they tend to take place during the day while everyone's at work and school. But, it is one hundred percent true that burglars often select their targets based on the stack of newspapers on the front step.
- If your home is going to be unoccupied, shut off your water valves and turn on the faucets until the pipes are drained. This way you're less likely to have any serious issues owing to frozen pipes or malfunctioning appliances.
- Consider investing in a water flow alarm system. This will let your alarm company know if something's wrong with your pipes.
- Additionally, if you have a home burglar alarm or camera system, you might be able to receive phone alerts of problems, even while you are away. You can jump into action, quickly.
While you might not always be required to inform your insurer that you're going to be out of the house for a week or two, remember that your home insurance provider is your partner in safety. They don't want your home to come to any harm any more than you do, and they can help you to take appropriate steps to reduce risk and ensure that you are informed of your policy's rules. That way, you will know that are you covered should something happen while you're away.
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