Your policy decides when the home is unoccupied
There is no single time limit you can safely apply to every New Zealand house policy. Some wordings count consecutive days, while others focus on whether anyone is regularly living or sleeping at the address. Staging furniture, occasional visits or a short settlement horizon do not decide the policy classification.
Contact the insurer before you move out, even if settlement is close. Consumer Protection says policyholders need to provide complete, up-to-date information when circumstances change and should understand the policy's terms and exclusions. Ask for the definition, start date, remaining cover, premium, excess and conditions that apply to this property in writing.
Questions to ask your insurer
- How does this policy define vacant and unoccupied?
- On what date would the unoccupied period begin?
- How long can the home be empty under the current policy?
- Will cover, premium, excess or claim limits change?
- How often must someone inspect the property?
- What inspection record or photographs should be kept?
- Must water, power, heating or alarms remain on or be turned off?
- Are there lawn, mail, rubbish, maintenance or security conditions?
- Are theft, malicious damage, water damage and glass still covered?
- Does contents cover change after belongings are removed?
- What happens if the sale or settlement date is delayed?
- When should the policy be cancelled or transferred?
Turn the insurer's conditions into a visit routine
Your insurer may require recorded inspections, locked doors and windows, working alarms, cleared mail, maintained grounds, prompt repairs or particular steps for water and power. The exact requirements come from the policy and any written endorsement, not a generic vacancy checklist.
Give one trusted person the written list and a way to escalate urgent problems. Keep a dated log of every visit, with photographs of the rooms, exterior, meter or alarm status and anything repaired. Redirect the mail, secure outbuildings and move spare keys from obvious places. Avoid announcing publicly that nobody is living there.
Coordinate viewings with the agent so keys, alarm codes and lock-up responsibility are clear. Ask who checks windows, taps, lights and doors after an open home, and who contacts the insurer if a visitor or storm causes damage. The viewing routine supports the insurance plan; it does not replace the policy's inspection requirement unless the insurer confirms that in writing.
Keep cover aligned with settlement, not assumptions
An unconditional agreement is not the same as completed settlement. Settled explains that settlement is when the buyer pays the remaining money and receives the keys. Ask your lawyer what the agreement requires if damage occurs before settlement, then have the insurer confirm the final date and time of cover.
If settlement is delayed, the property is damaged or someone needs emergency access, contact both the lawyer and insurer promptly. Do not cancel, transfer or materially change cover based only on a planned date. Keep the insurer's confirmation with the sale timeline so the old and new policies do not leave an unintended gap.
If you have already moved, give the insurer both addresses
Set out the old and new addresses, settlement dates, moving date and any belongings left behind. Confirm which house and contents are insured at each stage. If settlement shifts or the old home is damaged, update the insurer immediately and ask your lawyer how the event affects the sale.
Natural-hazard cover is linked to eligible private cover. NHC Toka Tū Ake says a home policy that includes fire insurance provides access to NHCover. Confirm that the private policy remains effective for the empty home and dates involved rather than assuming the natural-hazard layer stands alone.
Separate the building, contents and people
Tell the insurer what remains at each address: fixed systems, appliances, staging furniture, stored belongings and any items in sheds or garages. House and contents policies answer different questions, and a staging company's cover may not protect your property.
If someone temporarily house-sits, give the insurer the real arrangement and ask whether it changes the home's classification or cover. Do not manufacture signs of occupation or describe occasional visits as residence. Accurate facts are safer than trying to fit a label.
Keep the house looking cared for
Collect mail, maintain lawns and exterior areas, secure sheds and arrange prompt attention to leaks or storm damage. Photograph rooms, meter readings and the exterior when you leave. These practical steps do not replace the policy conditions, but they make the home easier to monitor and give you a clear record if something changes.
If vacancy is only one part of a complicated move, work through the wider moving-house insurance guide too. It covers the handover between addresses, belongings in transit and storage.
Put it beside your dates
Add insurance checks to your private preparation plan.
The dated checklist already prompts you to contact the insurer before moving and to confirm cover for both homes, belongings, storage and any unoccupied period.
Frequently asked questions
Is 60 days a universal NZ insurance rule?
No. Do not plan around a commonly quoted number. The binding definition and limit are in your policy and any written change agreed with your insurer.
Does a weekly visit guarantee cover?
No. Visits may be one condition, but your policy may also require security, maintenance, utilities or other steps. Ask the insurer to confirm every requirement in writing.
Can staging furniture make a house occupied?
Do not assume so. Furniture and occupation are different questions. Ask the insurer how it classifies the home when nobody regularly lives or sleeps there.
Should I hide that the home is empty?
Not from your insurer. Disclose the situation accurately. For public security, avoid broadcasting vacancy and agree safe viewing, key and access processes with the agent.
Official sources
Reviewed 21 August 2026. Policy definitions, time limits and conditions differ. Your insurer's current written policy and endorsement control your cover.
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