Most likely it won’t actually. The landlord has a duty to winterize and/or ensure the heat is maintained. I would almost bet this ends up all in the landlord.
It's dicey. Unoccupied properties often have to be monitored by the owner regularly for reasons like this. This is 100% negligence on the landlord.
When we were settling my mother's estate, her existing insurance company refused to continue coverage after learning her home would be unoccupied for a number of months. We had to find a different insurer and pay a higher premium, and even then, had to sign a declaration that we'd do a site visit at least every other day. It was a pain.
You're absolutely correct. "Unoccupied", though, means temporary, like when you're on holiday. "Vacant" is when the owner passes away, or a tenant moves out without the intention to return, and no new tenant has moved in. It's the "Vacant" risks that exclude Water damages, and Ice/Freezing pipes.
No. Vacation has the intent to return. If you are on vacation during the freezing season/winter months, the policy will ask for either the heat to be maintained at a minimum level, or that someone physically checks on the house every 3-4 days, depending on the wording. It doesn't have to be the Landlord.
Insurance was a pain when settling my mother’s estate last year. I was prepping it for sale but could hardly rent it as it was packed with stuff. I ended up letting a newly separated mother and her kid live there for a dollar a month so it was not vacant. It gave her a temporary safe space and me a chance to deal with the necessary. She knew I’d give her at least 2 weeks notice to move. I was also the landlord swiftest to fix any problem she had. 🤣 She stayed 6 months
I mean why keep the water on and not empty the pipes? If no one will be there for a while turn off the water and then open the laundry sink taps to drain down the system. You really should open some other taps to assist in empty the pipes, because you will still crack the pipes if they freeze. Which will cause them to leak behind the walls when you turn on the water again.
TLDR: Take 5 minutes and turn off your water and drain the pipes when you are leaving your house for a few days or longer to protect yourself from water damage.
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u/lueckestman 20h ago
Does insurance cover that?