Home Home insurance & residing in a nursing home

Buffet

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Hi,
Is this something that needs to be brought to the attention of the home insurance company?
Joint proposer is husband & wife, and they own the house.
The husband needs to be in a nursing home unfortunately. The house is occupied by the wife, so would the insurance company be concerned about the husband no longer staying in the house?

thanks in advance.
 
Insurer is happy as long as house is occupied. If wife had to go to nursing home and there was no one in the house, then insurers would have to be advised and cover would be severely restricted, if they would cover at all!

Don't even think of not telling them the place is unoccupied, if it does fall unoccupied as you will only be wasting money!!
 
No need to inform them. Once the wife is named on the policy (if not, she should be added so she can sign proposal forms etc.)
 
Hi AlbacoreA,

Do not think of not telling them the place is unoccupied, (tell them that the place is unoccupied) if it does fall unoccupied, ( if there is no one in the house), as you will only be wasting money! (as if the property is unoccupied and you have not disclosed this to insurer, they will not pay out in the event of a claim)
 
If the wife is definitely a legal owner or joint owner of the house that should be enough to establish valid insurable interest.

I think that household policies have a clause setting a maximum limit on the number of days in a period of insurance for which the house can be unoccupied whilst being fully insured. If you go beyond that maximum number of unoccupied days cover might be restricted or excluded.
 
Hi AlbacoreA,

Do not think of not telling them the place is unoccupied, (tell them that the place is unoccupied) if it does fall unoccupied, ( if there is no one in the house), as you will only be wasting money! (as if the property is unoccupied and you have not disclosed this to insurer, they will not pay out in the event of a claim)

I understand this to mean that if the house becomes unoccupied you do not declare that fact. This is probably correct but only to a degree.

As mentioned in post #6 above I think that there are maximum time limits on household policies for which a house may remain unoccupied in any period of insurance or for any number of consecutive days.
If you are inside this maximum limit I see no need to declare anything as you are within the terms of the contract.

However, if you go beyond the maximum limit of unoccupied days the relevant contractual limitations on cover come in to force.

If a claim arose after unoccupancy beyond the maximum limit I think that the unoccupancy would have to be declared as to do otherwise could be fraudulent i.e. making a false statement by saying it was occupied or remaining silent in the knowledge that it was unoccupied beyond the maximum limit.

In relation to material facts there is a general obligation to disclose them in connection with insurance contracts. The duty of disclosure revives at renewal as most household insurance contracts are annual. Policy limitation on unoccupancy may protect insurers to a degree but I would be wary of not declaring at renewal as it could give insurers grounds for arguing non-disclosure thus entitling them to void the policy upon discovery.
 
Direct Devil: Double negative is a positive.

I have said you are wasting money if you do not tell insurer that property is unoccupied.
 
Direct Devil: Double negative is a positive.

I have said you are wasting money if you do not tell insurer that property is unoccupied.

Sorry, the double-negative sent me in the wrong direction :confused:

We seem to agree. All friends again......
 
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