A standard commercial property insurance policy may not cover you if your commercial property is not currently in use. If your commercial property is vacant, or undergoing renovation, then you may need a dedicated unoccupied commercial property insurance policy to give you the cover you need.

At Anthony Jones, we can help you get comprehensive unoccupied commercial property insurance at a competitive price.

Insurers consider all kinds of unoccupied properties to be higher risk than occupied properties. When a property is unoccupied, if anything goes wrong – such as a fire or a flood – there may be nobody around to address the issue, meaning that small problems can quickly spiral into disasters.

Plus, unoccupied properties tend to be more vulnerable to vandalism and break-ins. If your unoccupied commercial property is getting renovated, for example, thieves may break in to steal valuable equipment, and there will likely be nobody around to stop them.

It’s because of these increased risks that many insurers are reluctant to insure unoccupied commercial properties.

A dedicated unoccupied commercial property insurance policy will cover you for all the risks your property will be exposed to while it is unoccupied, including:

• Fire
• Flood
• Vandalism
• Theft
• Injuries to members of the public

While your property may be unoccupied, unoccupied property insurance will also provide cover for any injuries members of the public may sustain in and around your property – if a curious “urban explorer” injures themselves while looking around your empty property, for example.

First, check your current commercial property insurance policy, to see what sort of cover it provides for unoccupied properties. You may find that your current policy stops providing cover if your commercial property is unoccupied for any stretch of time.

Here are some situations when you may need unoccupied commercial property insurance:

• Your tenant needs to vacate the property while it undergoes renovations.
• The business has decided to relocate, and will not be renewing their lease, so the property will be empty until you find a new tenant.
• A tenant has gone out of business, so will be leaving the property sooner than you expected.

We can tailor specialist unoccupied commercial property cover for:

• Shops
• Restaurants and cafes
• Pubs and bars
• Warehouses
• Office space

Insurers may outline certain measures you will need to take to keep your commercial property safe for as long as it’s unoccupied. This might include:

• Investing in extra security, to deter break-ins and vandalism.
• Hiring onsite security, or periodically checking on your property.
• Clearing all waste and other flammable materials.
• Turning off utilities, to help prevent flood.

At Anthony Jones, we can advise you on the steps you could take to keep your unoccupied commercial property safe, to give you total peace of mind along with the best possible price on your policy.

Many insurers are reluctant to cover unoccupied commercial properties. They think the risks are too high. If you’re struggling to get adequate cover for your unoccupied commercial property, we’re here to help.

Tell us about your property, its location, and about how long you expect it to be unoccupied. We can then advise you on the steps you’ll need to take to secure your property, before helping you to get dedicated unoccupied commercial property insurance to give you the cover you need, for as long as you need it.