Vacant condo insurance
Coverage for a condo nobody is living in — on the market, held in an estate, mid-renovation, between tenants or empty while you are away. Most condo policies change once a unit has stood empty for a stated number of days; this is the cover built for that stretch.
The vacancy line
833-844-4357Call center hours
- Monday – Friday5:30 AM – 5:00 PM Pacific Time8:30 AM – 8:00 PM Eastern Time
Handles a vacant condo in every state.
Why the reason matters more than the vacancy
“Vacant” is one word covering several quite different risks. These are the ones we see most, and what each tends to turn on:
- The unit is for sale
- Expect questions about how long it has been listed and how often someone is in it.
- Held in an estate, pending resolution
- Have the name on title ready — an estate or trust usually has to be the named insured.
- Vacant and under construction
- Expect questions about the scope of work, who is doing it, and whether the contractor carries their own cover.
- Between tenants
- Expect questions about how long it has been empty and when the next tenant moves in.
- Seasonal or second home, empty part of the year
- Expect questions about how long it stands empty and who checks on it.
- Renovation finished or paused, not yet occupied
- Expect questions about what remains to be done and whether utilities are on.
- Owner is away — travel, work, care or deployment
- Expect questions about how long, and who is looking after the unit meanwhile.
Yours not among them? Type it on the form — it reaches us as you wrote it.
What vacant condo coverage is generally intended to address
- •The unit itself. Generally intended to respond to covered damage to the interior, the finishes and the improvements that the association’s master policy does not cover.
- •Your liability as its owner. Generally intended to respond to third-party bodily injury or property damage arising from the unit — a risk that does not pause because nobody lives there.
- •Water damage found late. The classic vacant-unit loss: a supply line lets go and nobody notices for weeks. How a policy treats it often depends on whether the water was shut off.
- •Vandalism and theft. Often restricted or excluded on an ordinary policy once a unit is vacant, which is a common reason a vacancy-specific form is needed.
- •Loss assessment. May reimburse your share of a special assessment after a covered shared loss, subject to the policy.
When the line is open
- Monday – Friday
- 5:30 AM – 5:00 PM Pacific Time
- 8:30 AM – 8:00 PM Eastern Time
The line is not answered around the clock. Send the form at any hour and the number reaches your inbox with these hours beside it.
Send your details
Fill this in and we will show you the number and email it to you with the hours, so nothing is lost if you close the tab.
Frequently asked questions
Why does my condo need different coverage just because it is empty?
Because most condo policies say so. HO-6 forms commonly restrict or suspend parts of the coverage once a unit has been vacant beyond a stated number of consecutive days — often 30 or 60 — with vandalism, glass and water damage the usual casualties. The policy does not vanish, but the parts you would most want after an empty-unit loss are frequently the parts that step back. The number of days and what it affects vary by form and by state, which is why the policy itself has to be read.
Why do you ask why the condo is vacant?
Because the reason, not the vacancy, is what decides the market. A unit on the market is a short vacancy with people walking through it most weeks. An estate in probate can sit untouched for a year. A unit mid-renovation has contractors, materials and open walls. Those are three different risks that happen to share the word "vacant", so we ask up front and pass your answer through rather than leaving it to be discovered on the call.
My reason is not in your list. Does that matter?
No. The list holds the common answers, not all of them — just type yours. It reaches us exactly as you wrote it, which is far more useful to the person quoting it than "Other" would be.
Which number do I call?
Call 833-844-4357. That line handles a vacant condo in every state. Send your details on the form first so the person you reach already has the unit in front of them.
Does the association’s master policy cover my empty unit?
The master policy generally covers the building structure and the common areas, not your unit’s interior, your improvements or your personal liability — and that split does not change because the unit is empty. Many associations also require each owner to carry a unit policy regardless of whether anyone is living there. Check your association’s requirement; it is worth having to hand on the call.
Should I shut the water off?
It is worth asking about. Undetected water damage is the loss that most often finds an empty unit, and some policies treat it differently depending on whether the supply was shut off and the system drained. Whether it is practical depends on your building and your climate, so raise it on the call rather than acting on a web page.
How long will I need this coverage?
Usually until somebody moves in, the sale completes or the work finishes. That is why the form asks how much longer you expect the unit to stand empty — a defined end date and an open-ended one are quoted differently.
What should I have ready when I call?
Roughly when the unit became empty, why, whether the utilities are still on, who looks in on it, the approximate value of the unit, and whether your association requires a particular limit.
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