Nearly half of Canadians plan to leave their homes unattended this fall or winter, but very few will check whether their home insurance still applies while they're away, according to a new survey from TD Insurance.
The poll found 48% of Canadians intend to leave their main residence unattended for more than a day in the coming months. Among owners of cottages, cabins and other secondary properties, that rose to 81%.
Before leaving, only 15% said they would check what their policy requires while the property is empty, and just 7% would notify their insurer. Only a third consider whether failing to meet policy conditions could affect their coverage. By contrast, more than half would arrange for someone to check on the property (53%) or do a final walk-through (51%).
"One of the most common misconceptions is that coverage remains exactly the same no matter how long a home sits empty," said Lydia Roy, vice president of product and pricing for general insurance at TD Insurance.
The risks are not theoretical. A quarter of Canadians who have left a home unattended for more than a day said they had experienced a weather, electrical, plumbing or security problem while away. Among seasonal or secondary property owners, the figure was 62%.
People planning to be away named power outages (32%), theft or vandalism (29%), frozen or burst pipes (26%), and storm or water damage (25% each) as their main concerns.
The online survey of 1,505 adults was conducted by Leger from September 23 to 28.
Canadian home policies generally distinguish between an unoccupied home, where the owner is temporarily away and plans to return, and a vacant one, where the occupants have moved out. The two can be treated very differently in a claim.
The Insurance Bureau of Canada has warned that damage from frozen indoor plumbing may not be covered if a home is left during the heating season unless the plumbing is drained or someone checks the property regularly to make sure the heat stays on. Insurers set their own required intervals. The General Insurance OmbudService says most insurers consider a home vacant after 30 consecutive days, depending on the policy. In those cases, a vacancy permit, an endorsement or a separate vacant-home policy may be needed to keep coverage in place.
That means a client who does everything the survey respondents describe, such as asking a neighbour to look in and turning down the thermostat, could still have a water damage claim denied if the visits are too infrequent for the policy's terms or the heat is set too low.
The gap is widest among the clients most exposed. Seasonal property owners are the most likely to leave property empty and the most likely to have had a loss while away. Snowbirds who are gone for months can easily pass the 30-day mark. Both groups are now heading into the period when frozen pipes and winter storms are most likely.
For brokers, the findings point to an easy pre-season touchpoint. Clients need to know their policy's check-in frequency, heating requirements and vacancy limits before they go, and need to report extended absences in advance. Few clients will raise it on their own, and a denied claim in February is a much harder conversation than a reminder in November.
