From an insurer’s point of view, an empty house is a risk. Anyone who does not use their parents’ home for other purposes after their father or mother has moved to the nursing home must report this to the insurance company.
If a building is empty for a long time, building and contents insurers must be informed. Because the risk of a break-in or unnoticed water damage increases, insurers speak of an increase in risk, explains Stefan Schneider from the Insurance Law Working Group in the German Lawyers’ Association (CROWD). If you do not inform your insurance company about the vacancy caused by your parents moving to the nursing home, you run the risk of refusal of benefits in the event of damage.
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Insurance when parents move to a nursing home: observe vacancy periods
Most insurers have vacancy periods within which they can continue to insure at the conventional tariff. These are often two to three months and cover absences due to longer vacations or professional assignments abroad. If a residential building remains permanently uninhabited, such as when moving to a nursing home without subsequent rental or sale, the insurer assumes that the risk will increase. Then a surcharge to the insurance premium is often due.
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The insurance company sometimes reacts to a displayed move-out, for example from the parents in the nursing home, or a displayed longer absence, with a notice of termination due to increased risk or threatens a termination. Often, an offer for continued insurance with reduced insurance coverage is offered at the same time. Anyone who accepts this offer unchecked runs the risk of reducing their insurance coverage, even though there may not have been any increase in risk.
During the vacancy period, it is essential to ensure that someone in the house checks that the house is in order several times a week. This includes walking through the house and property, leaving the heating on in winter and turning off the main water tap. In addition, adequate protection against burglary must be implemented, i.e. close windows and lock the front door.
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