When Property Management is Recommended

Vacant home insurance now recommends hiring a professional property management firm to take care of a house that is not occupied or considered "vacant" by the insurance company in two situations:

1. The person owning the vacant home is not living in the State and the house is expected to be vacant or empty for over six months or longer.
2. The home is expected to be vacant or empty for over one year, no matter where the owner is.

Of course, an American living overseas on a company job assignment would qualify for both above and almost always should have hired a professional property manager to take care of a vacant home.

Vacant home insurance policies do not require that people hire a professional property management service. If the person owning the home has a relative or close friend that is very reliable that can come over and visit or service the property 4 or more times a month the terms of the vacant homeowners insurance policy can be satisfied. However, if the person you are trusting to take care of the empty or unoccupied home is not perfectly reliable and the upkeep on the property begins to go down hill, there is a risk the vacant home insurance policy could deny claims based on what is called "neglect"a common exclusion in a vacant home insurance policy.