With the number of unoccupied properties reaching record highs, having the right cover in place has never been more important for clients.
As of September 2019, there were 617,527 empty buildings across the UK, of those 445,310 were residential dwellings and 172,217 commercial buildings.
For residential properties, this number is a stark 75% increase from 2012, which at the time reported the highest ever level of unoccupied residential properties as 254,059. Liverpool had the highest number of empty residential properties, with 11,073 sitting empty and it’s estimated that the top five cities named below, account for 10% of the total number of vacant homes across the UK.
Commercial properties made up more than a quarter of the overall number of empty business units, with Bradford having the highest number at 7,908, meaning that 4.5% of all empty commercial properties in the UK, were located in that Council area.
Closely followed by Birmingham with the second highest number of empty commercial properties (7,622), Leeds (4,528) and Liverpool (4,266).
The leading area for overall unoccupied properties was Birmingham, with 8,086 residential properties and 7,622 commercial buildings in the city and its suburbs being empty. Closely followed by Liverpool, Manchester, Leeds and Bradford.
Empty buildings are particularly more vulnerable to theft, vandalism and damage, as they’re seen as ‘easier targets’. A standard home policy will only cover an empty house for a maximum of 30 days, but the timeframe can differ depending on the policy. In the case of commercial properties, they present an increased risk if vacant, as they may hold or be perceived to have stock and can often be located in more secluded or quieter areas. It’s therefore important to consider if a standard commercial property insurance policy would be adequate, especially if it is left unoccupied for more than 30 days at a time. Instead, it is recommended that a non-standard commercial insurance product is considered.
PIUA has the expertise and policy enhancements to provide cover to your client’s unoccupied property needs.
- The choice of three, six or twelve month cover periods and varying cover levels to provide you and your clients with more flexibility
- If cover needs to be extended (e.g. an empty property hasn't been sold), there's no need to cancel and start a new policy as we'll extend on the same policy
- We provide pro-rata refunds on our residential scheme, with no charges if a twelve month policy is selected and cancelled after three months (Subject to no claims)
- Value for money with Nil Excess on FLEA cover, voluntary excess and size discounts available
For more details download our Commercial Unoccupied or Residential Unoccupied flyers or contact our friendly team on 0330 678 0228 or newenquiry@piuagency.co.uk.
Sources:
According to the data released by Fibre broadband specialist, Glide 2019 https://www.propertyreporter.co.uk/property/new-data-reveals-uk-regeneration-hotspots.html
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2019/mar/11/empty-homes-england-rises-property