Home House insurance for unoccupied house

Told my insurance company that our rental property down the country had now been unoccupied for two months and it didn't look like we could get any tenants. They said they would have to review the terms of insurance.

They sent me a form which arrived two days later and said it had to be in by the 18th. That's fine and we sent off the form express post on Friday. However, in the form they said they wanted photos of the house. I told them we were going away this weekend and wouldn't be back for a week so we couldn't get down the 100 miles to the house to take photos. They said if we didn't have the phots by the 18t they would cancel the insuurance.

I am quite shocked at this. The house was described in the form. It is nothing unusual. It is semi-detached, built in 2005, or ordianry brick construction, in a village, so not remote etc.

Is there anything I can do. I have sent off the form but am unable to get down to the house untill next weekend when we are back in the country.

Years ago, I know if you were with an insurance company and the house became unoccupied, they had to cover you for fire damage to the building, though not for contents, does this not still stand? Can they hold me to ransom for not sending the photos in for a few days?

No. You have that wrong. No insurer is obliged to keep you covered for fire damage to the buildings. They can hold you to ransom for whatever they want. There are a number of underwriters operating schemes for unoccupied properties. And they tend to look for very detailed info and photos.

Usually though your existing insurer would hold you covered while you get it in. That said you should have told them over a month ago the property was unoccupied and they may be taking that lack of info as a moral hazard and not cutting you leeway as a result.

could you get some friend/relative to take the shots and email them to you?

As PeteB says, no insurer HAS to cover you.

Could you not spend a couple of nights in the house, to revert it form an 'unoccupied' status? Wondering if there is a minimum number of nigths per month/year it has to be empty before classified as unoccupied?

Check the policy wording as it varies from insurer to insurer depending on the definition.