How to Notify Homeprotect After a Death in the UK

If someone who had a Homeprotect policy has died, Homeprotect says its team can help you cancel the policy or update the policyholder details. If you are not already authorised on the policy, Homeprotect says you will need to send a copy of the policyholder’s death certificate to cancel it.

Home insurance should not be treated as a routine cancellation. If the property is still owned by the estate, empty, for sale, or waiting for probate, the priority is keeping valid cover in place.

What Homeprotect asks for

Homeprotect’s bereavement page explains that if you are already named on the policy, you can get in touch to make changes or cancel the policy. If you are not authorised and want to cancel it, you need to send a copy of the death certificate.

Homeprotect’s online bereavement form asks for practical policy details, including:

• first name and last name
• policy number
• insured address
• email address
• phone number
• whether you want to cancel the policy or update policyholder details
• supporting documentation

The page says accepted upload file types include common image, PDF and document formats, with a stated maximum file size of 50 MB.

Cancelling is not always the safest first step

When a home is left after someone dies, there are usually two separate questions:

1. Who is allowed to deal with the policy?
2. What insurance does the property need now?

If the house or flat is still occupied by a spouse, partner, relative or tenant, the policy may need updating rather than cancelling. If the property is empty, standard home insurance may not be enough, because many policies have conditions around unoccupied homes.

Before cancelling, ask Homeprotect:

• whether the current policy remains valid after the policyholder’s death
• whether the property is recorded as occupied or unoccupied
• whether inspections, heating, locks or security conditions apply
• whether a named person can be added or substituted
• whether a new policy is needed for the estate or beneficiaries

If you want to maintain the policy under a new name

Homeprotect says you can maintain the policy under a new name, but they will need evidence that you have a financial interest in the property. Their bereavement page lists examples such as:

• a marriage certificate
• a letter from a solicitor
• a grant of probate

This does not mean those are the only documents that could ever be relevant. It means you should be ready to show why you have authority or an insurable interest before the policy is moved.

Probate, executors and empty property cover

Homeprotect also publishes guidance on probate house insurance. It describes this as insurance designed for properties going through probate, used by executors, beneficiaries, administrators and solicitors, and covering unoccupied or for-sale properties.

The key idea is insurable interest. Homeprotect’s probate insurance guidance says that to insure a house with them, you need to demonstrate an insurable interest, such as being the executor of the will.

Their guidance also explains that if probate has not yet been granted, a policy may be issued in the late owner’s name with the executor as a joint policyholder. Once probate is granted, the route may depend on whether the executor is also a beneficiary. If the executor is not a beneficiary, Homeprotect says the policy is cancelled and a new policy is set up in a beneficiary’s name, with options to add other beneficiaries.

Because this depends on the facts, do not rely on a generic answer. Ask Homeprotect which route applies to the specific property.

Questions to ask if the property is empty

An empty home can become a problem quickly. Water leaks, break-ins, storm damage and heating failures may not be noticed. Insurers often expect regular checks and reasonable security.

Ask:

Question	Why it matters
Is the home classed as unoccupied?	This can change the cover or conditions.
How often must it be inspected?	Missing inspection conditions can put claims at risk.
Should utilities stay on?	Heating and water rules may matter in winter.
Do locks or alarms need updating?	Security requirements may apply.
Is cover valid while the property is for sale?	Probate sales can take time.

Homeprotect’s probate guidance refers to inspection requirements for unoccupied probate properties. Get the exact requirement for the policy in writing.

Step-by-step checklist

1. Find the policy number and insured address.
2. Check who is already named or authorised on the policy.
3. Decide whether you are asking to cancel, update, or maintain cover.
4. Prepare a copy of the death certificate.
5. If maintaining cover, gather evidence of financial interest, such as a solicitor’s letter, marriage certificate or grant of probate if available.
6. Tell Homeprotect whether the property is occupied, empty, rented, or for sale.
7. Ask for written confirmation of cover, conditions and next steps.
8. Store the confirmation with the estate records.

GetPassage is useful for keeping insurance alongside the wider estate checklist, especially where probate, empty-property checks and document requests overlap.

When to involve a solicitor

You do not always need a solicitor to notify an insurer. But legal advice may help if there is a dispute between beneficiaries, uncertainty about who owns the property, no valid will, a tenant in the property, or a sale before probate is complete.

The goal is simple: do not leave the property uninsured, and do not cancel a policy until you know what cover replaces it. A short call or chat with Homeprotect, backed by the documents above, is usually the fastest way to establish the safe next step.