Checking small print 'essential for home insurance'

By Marianne Straker, Fri 20 Aug 2010 - Published in Home Insurance

It is important that people carefully check home insurance policies for occupancy clauses before committing to a deal, an expert has asserted.

Earlier this week, moneysupermarket.com pointed out that many home insurance policies become invalid if a property is left unoccupied for more than 30 days and warned owners to examine the small print of their contract.

Graeme Trudgill, technical and corporate affairs executive at the British Insurance Brokers' Association, said that most forms of cover will include an occupancy clause, although their exact terms can vary widely between providers.

"You need to read your insurance policy or ask your insurance broker to confirm to you what the cover is," he advised.

Mr Trudgill also said that people will have to inform their home insurance provider if their travel plans mean they will be away for more than one month to show how they can retain their cover.

The expert added that some firms will allow cover to remain in place so long as certain conditions are met, such as the property being regularly checked or valuables being put into storage.

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