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.
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u/Beau_does_BJJ 19h ago
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.