A commercial property sitting empty, between tenants, during a refit, or while a sale completes, carries genuinely different risk to an occupied one, and standard cover usually reflects that with restrictions.
Most standard commercial property policies restrict or exclude cover once a property has been vacant beyond a set period, typically 30 to 60 days. Vacant property insurance exists specifically to bridge that gap.
Why insurers treat empty premises differently: Vacant properties carry higher risk of vandalism, theft, undetected water leaks, and squatting, and problems tend to go unnoticed for longer without daily occupation. Insurers price this risk accordingly, and many decline standard cover for extended vacancy entirely.
Buildings cover continues, but often with specific conditions attached, regular inspection requirements, alarm and security conditions, and sometimes restrictions on cover for malicious damage or theft unless additional security measures are in place.
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See My Cover Options →Vacancy periods and conditions vary significantly by insurer. Always notify your insurer before a property becomes vacant, rather than after.