Highly rated
Cove
Underwritten by Vero Insurance New Zealand Limited
Get Quote Goes to Cove
When a house sits empty
Almost every New Zealand house policy cuts cover back once a home has been empty for a set number of days in a row. It is the rule most likely to catch someone who has done nothing wrong.
What this cover is for
An empty house is riskier than a lived-in one. Nobody notices a leak, a break-in or a storm-damaged roof, so small problems become large ones.
Most policies deal with this by limiting cover after a set number of consecutive empty days. Sixty and ninety are common numbers, and they differ between insurers. After that, theft and vandalism are usually the first covers to go.
A house sits empty for ordinary reasons. A probate estate, a renovation that runs long, a slow sale over winter, or a long trip. Telling the insurer before you reach the limit is what protects you.
Who sells house insurance in New Zealand
Every brand you can buy cover from here.
Highly rated
AA Insurance
Carries its own risk
Get Quote Goes to AA Insurance
AMI
Underwritten by IAG New Zealand Limited
Get Quote Goes to AMI
FMG
Carries its own risk
Get Quote Goes to FMG
Initio
Underwritten by NZI, a business division of IAG New Zealand Limited
Get Quote Goes to Initio
MAS
Carries its own risk
Get Quote Goes to MAS
NZI
Underwritten by IAG New Zealand Limited
Get Quote Goes to NZI
State
Underwritten by IAG New Zealand Limited
Get Quote Goes to State
Tower
Carries its own risk
Get Quote Goes to Tower
Trade Me Insurance
Underwritten by Tower Limited
Get Quote Goes to Trade Me Insurance
Vero
Carries its own risk
Get Quote Goes to Vero
Ratings are curated from a number of sources, including Google, Feefo and Trustpilot. They may not be completely up to date. They measure what reviewers said about dealing with a company, which is not the same thing as what its policy covers, and a brand shown as not rated is one we hold no reviews for rather than one that scored badly.
Highly rated rows appear first and are marked. Every other brand is listed alphabetically. Nothing in this table is ordered by how good the cover is, and no figure here is our assessment of any insurer.
The other half
What unoccupied and vacant home cover does not cover
Every description of cover has two halves, and the second one is where claims are lost. These are the exclusions that come up most often on this kind of policy. They are general to the product rather than specific to any insurer, and the wording issued with a policy is what settles a claim.
Theft and vandalism, in most policies, once the empty period is passed
Slow damage such as an undetected leak
In some policies, everything, once the limit is well past
This page is short on purpose
We are writing the full version. We would rather publish one useful answer now than leave a link that goes nowhere.
FAQ
Unoccupied and vacant home cover questions
How long can a house be empty before cover changes?
It depends on the insurer. Sixty and ninety consecutive days are common limits. After that, cover is usually cut back to a short list of events. The number and the consequences are in the policy document.
What counts as unoccupied?
Insurers generally mean nobody living there, rather than nobody visiting. A house checked once a week by a neighbour is still normally treated as unoccupied. Definitions differ, so the policy wording is where to look.