When a parent moves into assisted living, in with family, or into a smaller place, the family home rarely sells the same week. Sometimes it sits empty for a month or two while it gets cleared out and listed. Sometimes it is held much longer because a parent hopes to return after rehab, the market is slow, or the family simply isn’t ready to decide. Either way, an empty house still needs looking after.
This guide covers what tends to come up when a home sits vacant during a transition: insurance, utilities, security, regular check-ins, ongoing costs, and a few financial and legal details families sometimes miss. It builds on Senioridy’s family guide to senior downsizing, which walks through the bigger picture of a move.
When the House Is Empty but Not Forgotten
When my mother had a stroke, she spent a few days in the hospital and then around three weeks in a skilled nursing facility. From there, it became clear that independent living was the right move for her. Our family worked to take care of her house in the meantime, but it was only a few weeks before squirrels and a raccoon got into the attic, and we had to hire someone to trap them. Staying vigilant, paying attention, and visiting the house often all helped.
That can sound like a minor nuisance, but animals in an attic can become a serious problem quickly. Squirrels and other rodents are known for chewing on electrical wiring, and damaged wiring tucked away in attic insulation can turn into a fire hazard. In an empty house, nobody is around to hear the scratching overhead, so the damage can build for weeks before anyone notices.
A house doesn’t know nobody lives there anymore, but slow leaks, critters, and would-be burglars figure it out fairly quickly. A little structure in the first week or two tends to head off most of the headaches.
Why an Empty House Needs a Plan
- Small problems go unnoticed. A slow drip under a sink or a running toilet can do weeks of damage before anyone sees it.
- Vacant homes can attract break-ins, squatters, and vandalism, especially when the signs of an empty house are obvious from the street.
- Squirrels, raccoons, and mice tend to move in once a house goes quiet, and chewed wiring can create a fire risk.
- Carrying costs keep coming, often from a parent’s fixed income at the same time new housing costs begin.
Start With a Call to the Insurance Company
If there’s one call to make before (or right after) a parent moves out, it’s to the homeowners insurance agent or company. The National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC), the organization of state insurance regulators, notes that vacant or unoccupied homes can leave the homeowner exposed to loss and liability that may not be covered by a homeowners policy.
Many homeowners policies include vacancy terms that limit coverage for certain losses, such as vandalism, glass breakage, or water damage, once a home has been empty for a set number of consecutive days. The exact terms vary by insurer and by policy, so the policy itself and the agent are the best sources.
Questions Worth Asking the Agent
- How long can the home sit unoccupied before any coverage changes?
- Are there conditions that apply while no one lives there, such as keeping the heat on or having the home checked on a regular schedule?
- Is a vacancy endorsement or a separate vacant-home policy available, and what does it cost?
- Does liability coverage continue if someone is hurt on the property, such as a lawn crew member or a buyer touring the home?
Jotting down the date of the call, who answered, and what they said can be useful later. If questions come up about how a claim or coverage decision is being handled, every state has an insurance department with consumer representatives, and the NAIC keeps a directory of state insurance departments.
Deciding What to Do With the Utilities
Shutting everything off can look like an easy way to save money. In most climates, though, a house with no power or heat is more likely to develop problems, and some insurance policies have conditions about maintaining heat. Most families land somewhere in the middle.
Usually Kept On
- Electricity, so lamp timers, a sump pump, a security system, and any smart thermostat or camera keep working.
- Heat in cold months, set to a moderate temperature (many families keep it in the mid-50s) to help protect pipes from freezing.
- Air conditioning or a dehumidifier in hot, humid months, set a bit higher than usual, to help keep mold and musty smells from setting in.
- Water, if someone is checking the home regularly and the pipes aren’t at risk of freezing.
Often Reduced, Paused, or Canceled
- Cable, landline, and streaming services, unless the internet connection is needed for a camera, alarm, or smart thermostat.
- Gas to appliances that aren’t in use, if the gas company can handle it safely. Some families leave gas on only for the furnace and water heater.
Shutting Off the Water
Turning off the water at the main valve is one of the simplest ways to limit damage from a burst or leaking pipe. In colder areas, a home that will sit empty through the winter is sometimes fully winterized by a plumber, which typically includes draining the pipes and the water heater. If the home has a boiler or fire sprinkler system that depends on the water supply, a plumber can explain what is safe to shut off.
Making the Home Look Lived In
- Put a few lamps on timers, ideally in different rooms on different schedules.
- Keep the lawn mowed, leaves raked, and walks cleared of snow. A neighborhood teenager or lawn service is often money well spent here.
- Forward the mail through the U.S. Postal Service so it doesn’t pile up. USA.gov’s guide to changing your address explains how to file a change of address and warns about third-party sites that charge extra for the same thing.
- Ask a trusted neighbor to park in the driveway now and then and to call if anything looks off.
- Avoid posting on social media that the house is empty, and ask the rest of the family to do the same.
- Consider rekeying the locks if many people have had keys over the years, and keep track of who has one now.
Valuables, Papers, and Medications
- Remove jewelry, cash, important papers, and any firearms, or store them securely elsewhere.
- Take old prescription medications to a pharmacy or community take-back program rather than leaving them in the house.
- If furniture is staying for staging or a later move, a quick photo or video inventory can help with any future insurance claim.
For families still working through a house full of belongings, Senioridy’s guide to deciding what to keep offers a room-by-room approach to what stays, what goes, and what gets passed down.
Setting Up Regular Check-Ins
Even a well-prepared house benefits from someone walking through it on a schedule. Weekly is a common rhythm, along with an extra visit after a major storm, hard freeze, or power outage. Some insurers have expectations about how often a vacant home is checked, which is another good question for the agent.
Who Can Do the Checking
- A family member who lives nearby, or a trusted neighbor, friend, or member of the parent’s faith community.
- A paid house-checking service or property manager, which can help when family lives out of town.
- A senior move manager, since some help with clearing out and preparing a home after the move. The National Association of Senior and Specialty Move Managers (NASMM) offers a directory of member move managers.
- Local aging services. The Eldercare Locator (1-800-677-1116) connects families with their Area Agency on Aging, which can sometimes point to home repair or chore programs in the area.
A Simple Walk-Through Checklist
- Look under sinks, around toilets, near the water heater, and at ceilings for any sign of leaks or water stains.
- Check that the thermostat is holding its setting and the heating or cooling system is running.
- If the water is on, run each faucet briefly and flush the toilets so drain traps don’t dry out and let sewer odors in.
- Walk around the outside of the house to look at doors, windows, gutters, and the roof line.
- Watch for signs of animals or pests, such as droppings, scratching sounds, chewed wiring, or nesting in the attic or garage. If animals have gotten in, a licensed wildlife removal company can trap and remove them, and an electrician can check for wiring damage.
- Make sure timers, lights, and any cameras or alarms are working, and confirm every door and window is locked before leaving.
Long-distance families often find it helpful to keep a one-page contact sheet (neighbor, plumber, electrician, heating and cooling company, insurance agent, and alarm company) and to leave a key with one trusted local person or in a secure lockbox.
Budgeting for the Carrying Costs
An empty house still costs money every month. Common carrying costs include:
- Mortgage payments, if a balance remains.
- Property taxes and any homeowners association dues.
- Insurance, which may cost more if a vacancy endorsement or vacant-home policy is needed.
- Lawn care, snow removal, pest control, and routine maintenance.
- Repairs that come up while the house sits empty or is being readied for sale.
These costs often overlap with the first months of rent or fees at a parent’s new home, so a simple monthly budget for the old house can help the family see how long holding it makes sense. When an adult child pays bills from a parent’s accounts under a power of attorney, keeping receipts and a basic log of what was paid and why tends to make things smoother later, especially when several siblings are involved.
Property Taxes and Homestead Exemptions
In many areas, a homestead exemption or senior property tax break is tied to the home being the owner’s primary residence. Once a parent moves out for good, that exemption may change, and some places expect owners to report the change. Rules vary widely by state and county, so the local tax assessor’s office is the place to ask.
Financial and Legal Details Families Sometimes Miss
Reverse Mortgages
If the home has a reverse mortgage, timing matters. Federally insured reverse mortgages, called Home Equity Conversion Mortgages (HECMs), generally require the home to remain the borrower’s principal residence. Under federal rules, a borrower who lives in a health care facility, such as a nursing home, for more than 12 months in a row, with no co-borrower still living in the home, is generally treated as no longer living there, and the loan typically becomes due. Absences for nonmedical reasons can count sooner, as the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s reverse mortgage guide explains. Borrowers are also generally expected to keep property taxes and homeowners insurance current, as HUD explains in its HECM overview, and to keep the home in reasonable repair.
Families in this situation may want to contact the loan servicer early and talk with a HUD-approved HECM counselor, reachable at (800) 569-4287.
Medicaid and Other Benefits
If a parent receives Medicaid or may apply for it, how the home is treated varies by state and situation. Senioridy’s guide to selling the family home explains how a home can affect benefits, and an elder law attorney can look at a specific case.
Who Has Authority to Act
Managing an empty house often means calling insurers, utilities, and contractors on a parent’s behalf. A durable power of attorney that covers real estate and financial matters makes that much easier, since many companies will otherwise speak only with the owner. If a parent can no longer make decisions and no power of attorney is in place, families may want to talk with an elder law attorney about options.
Watching Out for Scams
Empty houses can attract scammers as well as burglars. A few patterns are worth knowing about:
- Fake rental listings, where someone copies photos of an empty or for-sale home and “rents” it to strangers who pay a deposit.
- Deed or title fraud, where someone tries to record a fake transfer of the property. Some county recorder offices offer free alerts when a document is filed on a property.
- Unsolicited contractors or “we buy houses” offers that pressure families to sign quickly.
When the House Sits Longer Than Planned
Sometimes the plan changes. A sale falls through, or the family decides to hold the home for a while. Some families rent it out or let a relative live there, which can solve many vacancy concerns but brings its own insurance and paperwork questions. When everyone is ready to move forward, Senioridy’s guide to selling the family home walks through what that process tends to involve.
Common Questions Families Ask
Does the mortgage company need to know the house is empty?
For a regular mortgage, terms vary, so the loan documents or a call to the servicer can clarify. For a reverse mortgage, occupancy rules matter a great deal, and contacting the servicer early is generally a good idea.
Can a family member stay in the house in the meantime?
Often, yes, and having someone living there can solve many vacancy concerns. It’s still worth telling the insurance company. If a parent has a reverse mortgage, a relative living in the home generally doesn’t keep the loan from coming due, apart from certain protections for an eligible spouse.
Keeping the Old House in Good Hands
An empty house rarely needs much, but it does need someone paying attention. A call to the insurance agent, a sensible utility plan, a regular walk-through, and a clear budget cover most of what families run into. That leaves more time and energy for what matters most: helping a parent settle into the next chapter.
If the family is still looking for the right community for a parent’s next move, Senioridy’s Senior Placement Help can connect families with placement professionals who know the local options.
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal, financial, or insurance advice. Insurance terms, reverse mortgage requirements, property tax exemptions, and Medicaid rules vary by policy, state, and situation, and are subject to change. For guidance on a specific situation, families may want to consult a licensed insurance agent, an elder law attorney, or a HUD-approved HECM counselor. Always confirm current requirements with the insurer, loan servicer, or official program representatives.