Home insurance

Bereavement

We're sorry for your loss and understand this can be a very difficult time. We will do our best to help and make the process as easy as possible for you.

Below is a form you can use to provide the information that we need. If you would prefer, you can also contact our Live Chat team through our Virtual Assistant.

Before you start we want to make you aware that if you are not the executor we will need you to upload a copy of the death certificate (pdf, doc, jpg or png) when completing this form.

Please also note that if the property is unoccupied all valuables must be removed as cover restrictions will apply. For more information please see our FAQs on if a home is unoccupied.

Report a Bereavement

Please complete all fields with a* as these are mandatory.

POLICY HOLDER DETAILS:

YOUR DETAILS:

Please provide your name, as we may need to contact you briefly to discuss the details further.

Are you the Executor?

An Executor is a person or institution, authorised by a testator to carry out the terms of their will. If you are not the executor we will need you to provide us with the death certificate, using the upload option below.

If you are not the Executor please upload the death certificate below. When attaching documents please make sure the attachment is legible and either a pdf, doc, jpg or png.

If the policy is cancelled refunds may be due and we will need to send you postal confirmation documents and any refunds via a cheque.

Please provide your contact number, as we may need to contact you briefly to discuss this further. This will not be used for marketing purposes.

Please tell us what you'd like to do with the buildings and/or contents cover, by selecting the options below.

Buildings cover*

If you select cancel - we will process the cancellation and send out confirmation documents.

Contents cover*

If you select cancel - we will process the cancellation and send out confirmation documents.

Is the home unoccupied?*

Unoccupied is defined as a home not lived in or intended to be lived in for more than 60 days in a row.

Unoccupied is defined as a home not lived in or intended to be lived in for more than 60 consecutive days.

Has probate passed?*

If probate has already passed we will need to cancel the current insurance policy.

Have any high-risk items been removed from the home?*

High-risk items are items individually worth over £1500 and include, Jewellery, gold, silver, other precious metals, works of art, clocks and collections of coins/stamps. All valuables must be removed from the property whilst it is unoccupied, as cover restrictions will apply.

Is there any building work on going or planned?*

Is the property unfurnished?*

Unfurnished is defined as a home with not enough furniture to be fully lived in.

Please enter the characters you can see in the box below.

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FAQs: What to do if a home is unoccupied?

A loved one has passed away and now the home is unoccupied, what do I need to do?

We’re sorry for your loss and we understand this can be a very difficult time for you. To help make it easier you can complete this form. We’ll update this for you and get in touch by email with any changes to the cover. Please note we can only change the address we write to if you are the Executor.

What do you mean by ‘unoccupied’?

When the permanent and legal resident of the home is no longer permanently living at the address. Someone might choose to spend some nights there however we would still class this as being unoccupied.

How long can I leave the property unoccupied for?

We will continue the insurance for 60 consecutive days from the date of unoccupancy.

When the policy holder's home is unoccupied for 60 days in a row or unfurnished, the following cover is excluded from all sections of the policy:

  • Theft or attempted theft
  • Escape of water
  • Escape of oil
  • Malicious damage
  • Accidental damage to entertainment equipment
  • Accidental breakage of mirrors and glass
  • Accidental loss of oil or metered water
  • Optional cover accidental damage extension
  • Optional cover personal belongings cover
  • Accidental breakage of glass & sanitary ware

In addition, all valuables should be removed from the property whilst it is unoccupied. 

If any of the Optional Extra products were included on the policy, these will be removed or restricted (please refer to the policy wording on www.rias.co.uk for full details of cover)

Whilst the home is unoccupied it needs to be checked internally and externally once a week.

What won’t be covered?

After the property has been unoccupied for 60 days, the home will remain covered under normal terms but with some exclusions; Theft or attempted theft, malicious damage, escape of water or oil, accidental damage to entertainment equipment, glass, mirrors & sanitary ware.

If the policy holder has the optional accidental damage extension or the cover for when you take items away from the home (shown on the documents as ‘personal belongings cover’) these will also be removed.

What happens after probate has passed?

After probate has passed, please let us know and we will cancel the policy. The new legal owner can get another quote with us but just so you know we can’t cover new policies whilst the home is up for sale if this is what you choose to do.

Can you renew my policy whilst unoccupied?

No unfortunately we can’t cover the policy past the renewal date. However, we are happy to provide the details for Towergate, a specialist company who may be able to help - view details.

Is there another cover I can take out instead?

We don’t offer a specialist unoccupancy policy but if you do need more cover, we are happy to provide the details for Towergate, a specialist company who may be able to help - view details.

Do I need to turn off the power and heating?

During cold weather you should consider keeping the heating on in case pipes freeze, as this could lead to burst frozen pipes. If heating is to be left off then the tanks, systems and pipes should be drained down.

Can I transfer the insurance into another name?

We can change the policy into a new name as long as that person was already living at the property and is a legal owner and permanent resident of the home.
Our team will be happy to help you with this, just get in touch via LiveChat or please call us on 0800 183 9261.

Do I need to send you the death certificate?

We will need you to provide a copy of the death certificate if you are not the executor. The easiest way to do this is to upload a pdf, jpg, doc or png file using the form above.