Specialist home insurance for executors, attorneys, and guardians managing both occupied and unoccupied probate properties.
Specialist home insurance for executors, attorneys, and guardians managing both occupied and unoccupied probate properties.
Specialist Risk Group (SRG) provides fast, compliant insurance for residential properties going through probate, designed to protect executors, attorneys, and guardians against the unique risks of predominantly unoccupied homes. Our policies respond to the legal and practical needs of probate appointments, with simple processes and immediate cover.
During probate, residential properties often become unoccupied and uninsured, exposing executors and attorneys to heightened risks such as theft, escape of water, and property deterioration. Standard home insurance typically excludes unoccupied homes, meaning probate-specific cover is essential to protect the estate. SRG provides insurance designed to meet these requirements.
Higher exposure to water, weather, or structural issues when a home is vacant.
Increased risk of break-ins or malicious damage whilst unoccupied.
Claims relating to third-parties entering the property, such as family members or estate agents.
Insurance lapses can stall property sales or probate progress.
Standard home insurance often becomes invalid once the property is unoccupied.
Executors must protect the property as part of their fiduciary duties.
We arrange Probate House insurance for:
Protection for occupied and vacant homes during probate, including key-peril and comprehensive options.
Liability protection for third-parties entering a property such as family members and estate agents.
Cover for forced entry, criminal damage, and attempted break-ins.
Protection against frozen pipes, storms, and unmonitored leaks.
There are no specific requirements for unoccupied properties in the first year of cover. Insurer’s unoccupied property requirements will apply with effect from the first anniversary renewal of the policy or 12 months after a property becomes unoccupied; whichever is the later. Our team will attach a copy of the requirements when acknowledging new cases to provide you with plenty of advance notice and will also remind you of their imminent application when inviting renewal.
There is a policy condition to take all reasonable precautions to prevent or reduce damage. Bearing this in mind, it would be prudent to occasionally check on an unoccupied property within the initial 12 months of cover. It would also be prudent to turn off the services and drain down the water systems or maintain the heating at a minimum of 8°C.
If you discover unauthorised persons at the property, you must inform us as soon as reasonably practicable. We will then confirm if any additional terms apply. You must take all reasonable measures to remove any unauthorised persons from the property and inform us of progress on a weekly basis.
If you become aware that the property is not secure and/or weatherproof, you must inform us as soon as reasonably practicable. We will then confirm if any additional terms apply.
If there are any material changes, you must inform us as soon as reasonably practicable. This means that you must let us know of any changes that might influence our insurer’s assessment of the cover that can be provided or the premium charged. If you are uncertain whether a change is material, please let us know. We will then confirm if any additional terms apply.
Key safes which comply with LPS 1175 Issue 8 A5 security certification and which carry the ‘Secured by Design’ approval may be used on the proviso the sum insured of the residential property does not exceed £5,000,000 or £2,500,000 in the case of commercial property and that the property is secure and weather-proof.
Cover can only be arranged if you are acting in a professional capacity on behalf of lay executors, guardians, attorneys or deputies.
We cannot deal directly with lay executors, guardians, attorneys or deputies but can deal with them via yourselves when they are your clients.
No. As soon as you cease to act in a professional capacity the policy is cancelled and can not be transferred to the lay executors, guardians or attorneys. Any return premium, subject to the application of the minimum premium charge would be due back to the professional who arranged the policy.
Although our online portal is for residential properties only, quotations can be provided for commercial property by email. In the event of such an enquiry, please contact a member of our team who will be able to assist.
Terrorism cover is not included as standard but can be added as an optional extra to enhance your insurance programme. You can chat to our team for more information and/or a quotation.
Insurers will note the interest of any other party in the property on request.
Contents cover at £50,000 is automatically included with the buildings cover. It cannot be removed. We are able to consider requests for contents cover only, although not via our online portal. Please contact one of the team who will be able to assist.
Please get in touch with one of the team, as quotations can be considered upon request.
We cannot provide cover for motor vehicles.
If you do not have sufficient funds to pay the premium, you can defer payment until the property is sold. Please let us know on a case-by-case basis if you would like to defer settlement.
Payment must be made by BACS/CHAPS.
Our minimum premium is £150 plus Insurance Premium Tax.
A refund will be available in the event of mid-term cancellation, subject to no claims having occurred and the application of the minimum premium charge of £150 plus Insurance Premium Tax.
Under English law, you owe a duty to make a fair presentation of the risk to the insurer. You have a duty to disclose to the insurer every material circumstance which you know or ought to know after a reasonable search or which is sufficient to put the insurer on notice that it needs to make further enquiries for the purpose of revealing those material circumstances. In addition, you have a duty to disclose information in a clear and accessible manner.
A circumstance is material if it would influence a prudent insurer’s judgment in determining whether to take the risk and, if so, on what terms.
Failure to disclose a material circumstance may entitle an insurer to:
in some circumstances, avoid the policy from inception and in this event any claims under the policy would not be paid; impose different terms on your cover; and/or
proportionately reduce the amount of any claim payable.
This duty applies:
before your cover is placed;
when it is renewed; and
at any time that it is varied.
You can easily contact us by filling out the form. Once you have submitted your enquiry, one of our friendly colleagues will reach out to you.