Before a winter holiday, family visit or business trip, make a plan for the home you are leaving behind. Who will check the heat? Who will respond to a leak? Does your insurer require particular precautions for this absence?
Good preparation can reduce damage and help you meet policy obligations. No universal checklist guarantees payment, let alone full reimbursement. Start with your own insurance wording and a plan suited to the building’s systems.
Temporarily unoccupied and vacant can mean different things
A home left temporarily for a holiday may be treated differently from one whose occupants have moved out, such as a property awaiting sale or new tenants. Furniture and the number of days away are not enough, by themselves, to determine the policy’s classification. TD Insurance’s consumer guidance distinguishes temporary absence from vacancy and advises homeowners to check their specific requirements. TD on vacancy and temporary absence
Nor is 30 days a Canada-wide safe period. Some vacancy provisions use a time threshold, but restrictions on particular losses may apply sooner. A genuinely vacant home may need written permission, an endorsement or different insurance. Permission to keep a policy in force may still come with reduced coverage. Ask early rather than waiting for day 30. Intact’s vacant-home guidance
Questions to settle before you leave
Give your broker the planned departure and return dates, whether anyone will remain, any rental plans, and the proposed heating and caretaker arrangements. Ask for confirmation against the actual policy:
- Is this temporary absence, seasonal use or vacancy?
- When do any notification or precaution requirements begin?
- Must someone enter the home, what must they check, and how often?
- What heating, water shut-off or drainage measures apply? Are they cumulative requirements or permitted alternatives?
- Can approved monitoring equipment substitute for visits, and under what conditions?
- What should happen if your trip is extended or the caretaker cannot attend?
Keep the response with your travel documents and share the practical instructions with the person looking after the home. General travel tips should not be treated as contractual terms.
Heating: do not rely on one temperature number
There is no reason to assume that 13°C, 15°C or 16°C is the required setting for every home and policy. Where heat must be maintained, follow the policy, equipment instructions and professional advice. Consider vulnerable areas as well as the thermostat: pipes near exterior walls or an unheated garage may face different conditions.
Toronto recommends keeping the home warm, including around the water meter, even while away. Opening cabinets around plumbing can help warm air circulate; first secure any cleaning products that children or pets could reach. Toronto’s frozen-pipe prevention advice
Water shut-off and drainage need a system-specific plan
For an extended absence, shutting off the appropriate domestic supply and draining plumbing as directed may limit a continuing leak. Confirm the approach against the policy and the home’s equipment rather than closing every valve on the way out.
Have qualified plumbing, heating or fire-protection professionals assess the plan if the home has hydronic heating, a boiler, fire sprinklers or other equipment that needs water. Fire sprinklers can have a separate or shared supply; the wrong shut-off can disable their water supply. NFPA on residential sprinkler supply arrangements
Opening every faucet is not a complete winterization procedure. Water heaters, appliances, pumps, traps and concealed pipework may need their own measures. A long-term shutdown should be assessed professionally. Do not turn off the heat and assume a quick drain-down has removed all freeze risk.
Prepare exterior plumbing too. Follow the equipment requirements for disconnecting garden hoses, closing the appropriate outdoor supply and draining it. Check previously frozen areas and cold-air entry points before departure. Intact’s fall and winter maintenance advice
Plan both the visits and the response
Use the inspection frequency specified in your policy or confirmed by the insurer. There is no universal four-, seven- or fourteen-day schedule. Agree on dates, appoint a backup person, and explain access, alarm and emergency arrangements.
A useful caretaker checklist can include:
- Entering the home to check heating, power and equipment alerts
- Looking for leaks around kitchens, bathrooms, laundry equipment, the water heater and basement
- Noting new stains, unusual damp smells or standing water
- Recording visit dates, observations and any action taken
- Contacting you promptly and seeking help under the agreed plan when something is wrong
Temperature sensors, leak alarms and cameras can supplement checks. Do not assume they satisfy a requirement for physical visits. Confirm the arrangement with the insurer before leaving. TD’s vacation-home precautions
Look beyond heating when preparing the house
Lock doors and windows, check security equipment, and arrange mail, deliveries and necessary yard or snow maintenance. Give a trusted person access, emergency contacts and clear authority to respond.
Do not turn off the whole home’s electricity simply to save energy. Pumps, security systems, alarms, heating controls and other essential equipment may depend on continuous power. Follow equipment and professional advice before disconnecting individual appliances. A lived-in appearance supplements security but does not replace required inspections. TD’s departure-preparation guidance
If you have moved out or are awaiting a sale or tenant, describe that situation accurately. A relative’s brief visit should not be assumed to change the property’s vacancy status; ask how the insurer defines and accepts the arrangement.
Records help explain a claim; they do not guarantee payment
Visit logs, photos, invoices and alerts can document the home’s condition and the care provided. They cannot turn an excluded loss into an insured one or eliminate deductibles and limits. If damage is discovered, prioritize safety, notify the insurer promptly and take reasonable steps to prevent further damage as directed.
Before your next trip, contact A-Z Insurance to review the questions that matter for your absence and policy. Phone: 905-707-2929. Email: info@azinsure.ca.
This is general information, not a substitute for policy wording, individualized insurance advice or professional winterization assessment. Coverage, notification, inspection and maintenance requirements vary by policy.