Who is responsible for Standing Charge on Empty Property

spiro

Leodogger wrote: »

The property will only be empty for 5 weeks which is also when the policy expires but I take your point and will notify my insurers accordingly or it may be cheaper, as my policy expires as I say 5 weeks after the tenant moves out, to just get a new policy one week early rather than they charge me for an empty property premium for exceeding 30 days and then just cancel the present insurance policy from the inception date of the new policy? That would be OK right?

I think that would not be ok, if something happened after you took after the new policy but have niot moved in the will claim it has been empty for over the time limit and therefore could well not pay out. The clock doe not stop when you change insurance.

Leodogger

That can't be right because an insurance company makes a decision based on its terms of insurance and if something happened in that first week of the policy being taken out, then legally they have only had it insured for one week and the same would apply to the previous insurance company if something happened in the first 4 weeks, the policy would cover that term. Neither company can lay claim to the fact that anything happened outside their stated policy cover period of 30 days.. If push comes to shove I can get my sister to stay for a night at the end of the 30 day period !

Gerry1

I wouldn't rely on that. You have presumably told both companies that the property will not be unoccupied for more than 30 days full stop. You are admitting that will not have been the case.

Insurers share details and if they find out you have not complied with the Ts &Cs at any time they won't pay.

Leodogger

Yes but I will be telling the truth if my sister stays over for a night after 30 days !:)

Gerry1

Leodogger wrote: »

Yes but I will be telling the truth if my sister stays over for a night after 30 days !:)

If it's after 30 days, it obviously won't count.

[Deleted User]

Hi,


you can't have two policies on the same property at the same time.


If you cancel existing policy early you may have to pay a cancellation fee.

cranford

Not worth the hassle for a few pounds for 5 years of not getting the property insured properly. Just like the hassle in trying to save £7 to £10 pounds on the standing charge. You may also have to pay a similar amount for water standing charge. I take it you had the insurance changed to cover tenants when the tenancy started?

Leodogger

I think I will ask the rental agent to ask the tenant to delay her departure by one week which will solve the problem. I was doing her a favour anyway, originally I gave her two months notice which is the contracted period of notice on the rental contract to take the property back but it was the tenant who wanted to bring forward the termination date so she could leave within a month because she was due to have surgery 2 weeks later and so wanted to leave the property after one month's notice instead of two. It just means she would be moving a week later but still a week before her surgery but would then not invalidate the insurance cover as we would be back in the property within the 30 days after she leaves the property.

Barny1979

Leodogger wrote: »

I think I will ask the rental agent to ask the tenant to delay her departure by one week which will solve the problem. I was doing her a favour anyway, originally I gave her two months notice which is the contracted period of notice on the rental contract to take the property back but it was the tenant who wanted to bring forward the termination date so she could leave within a month because she was due to have surgery 2 weeks later and so wanted to leave the property after one month's notice instead of two. It just means she would be moving a week later but still a week before her surgery but would then not invalidate the insurance cover as we would be back in the property within the 30 days after she leaves the property.

I presume nothing had been formally agreed as yet with the tenant?

Leodogger

Not as yet, my rental agent had just asked if she could cut short the notice period as she had seen another rental property she wanted to take up.