The Complete Guide to Leaving a Home Vacant in Canada

Start with the insurance call

Before anything physical, make one phone call. Most Canadian home insurance policies contain conditions relating to vacancy or extended absence, and most owners have never read them. The conditions are ordinary and reasonable — maintain heat, or shut off and drain the water, sometimes have the property checked at an interval — but failing one can affect whether a claim is paid.

The reason this comes first is that the answer changes your plan. If your policy requires the water shut off and drained, that is a plumber booked before you leave. If it requires heat maintained at a specified minimum, that changes your thermostat setting and your monitoring priority. If it requires checks at an interval, that sets your visit cadence.

• What does my policy define as vacant, and as unoccupied?
• At what point do restrictions begin, and which coverages are affected?
• What conditions must I meet during an extended absence?
• Is there a required check interval, and does the policy specify who may perform checks?
• Do I need to notify you that the property will be empty, and in what form?
• Does anything about my property — poly-B plumbing, a woodstove, a rental suite — change the answer?

Water is the first thing that will cost you money

Water causes more damage to vacant properties than everything else combined, and it does so in two distinct ways. The dramatic version is a frozen pipe bursting. The common version is far less exciting: a supply hose, a fill valve or a hot water tank failing in the ordinary course of things, and then running for weeks because nobody is there.

The severity of both is a function of duration rather than of the original fault. A half-inch supply line at typical residential pressure moves several hundred litres an hour. The difference between finding it in three days and finding it in three weeks is the difference between a repair and a rebuild.

Shutting off the water removes the mechanism entirely, which is why it is the single most effective step available for an extended absence. Shutting off and draining is better still, because water left in the lines can freeze and split a pipe even with the supply closed — you simply avoid the continuous flow afterwards.

• Locate the main shut-off and confirm it actually closes. An old valve that has not moved in fifteen years may not, and forcing it creates the problem you were preventing.
• For extended absences, shut off and drain: close the main, then open fixtures from the top of the house down.
• Close supply valves to washing machines and dishwashers regardless of what else you do.
• Replace braided supply hoses older than about five years before you leave.
• Note the age of the hot water tank. Typical service life is eight to twelve years, and end-of-life failure is a continuous leak.
• Shut off exterior faucets from inside and drain them.
• Arrange irrigation blowout with a qualified provider — this uses compressed air and is not a homeowner task.
• If the property has a fire sprinkler system, do not shut off the supply.

Heat, and why 15 °C is the number people land on

The commonly recommended minimum for an unoccupied home in a Canadian winter is around 15 °C, with recommendations ranging from about 13 to 18. If your policy specifies a figure, that one governs.

The reason it is not lower is a measurement problem. Your thermostat reads air temperature at one point, usually a hallway on the main floor. Everywhere the plumbing actually runs — exterior walls, the basement, above the garage, a bathroom on a corner — is colder. Setting 15 °C at the thermostat can mean 8 °C or less where the pipes are.

Setting it much lower to save money is a poor trade. The saving over a winter is modest against the cost of one burst supply line.

• Set a minimum rather than a schedule, and check that any smart-thermostat away mode does not drop below it.
• Leave interior doors open so heat circulates.
• Open cabinet doors under sinks on exterior walls.
• Keep registers open everywhere, including rooms you would normally close off.
• Service the heating system before you leave, not after.
• Replace the furnace filter — a plugged filter is a common cause of lockout.
• Identify cold spots specifically and have them checked rather than relying on one thermostat reading.

The house should not look empty

Properties are generally selected for entry on visible cues rather than any knowledge of who lives there. Accumulated mail, an uncleared walk, unchanging lighting, no vehicle, blinds fixed in one position for weeks, untended grass — each is a small signal and together they are unambiguous.

Every one of them is removable, and removing them is among the cheapest risk reduction available. It is also worth knowing that many policies restrict vandalism and theft coverage once a property has been vacant beyond a defined period, so the loss may not respond the way you assume.

• Mail and parcels collected, flyers cleared from the step.
• Walks cleared within a day of snowfall — required by bylaw in Calgary regardless of occupancy.
• Grass cut on schedule through the growing season.
• Bins out and returned on collection day.
• Lighting on varied timers, not one lamp on a fixed cycle.
• Blinds moved rather than left in one position.
• Visits at irregular times rather than the same hour weekly.
• Never leave a key outside. Not under anything, not anywhere.

The small things that make a property unpleasant to come back to

These do not cause claims, and they are the ones people most regret skipping. Every plumbing fixture has a trap holding water that seals the drain against sewer gas. That water evaporates within weeks in an unused fixture, faster in dry winter air. Once it is gone, the seal is gone, and the house develops the characteristic stale smell of an empty property.

Running every fixture briefly at each visit prevents it entirely. Floor drains are the most commonly forgotten and often the worst offenders.

• Empty and switch off refrigerators and freezers for long absences, propping doors open to prevent mould.
• Remove all food, including pantry items — pests are the reason.
• Empty dishwashers and washing machines and leave doors ajar.
• Remove all garbage, recycling and organics.
• Run every fixture at each visit, including floor drains.
• Seal pest entry points, particularly utility penetrations and vent terminations.
• Trim vegetation back from the building.

Preparing to leave

• Insurance confirmed in writing
• Main water shut-off located, tested and operated per plan
• System drained if applicable
• Exterior faucets shut off and drained
• Irrigation blowout completed
• Thermostat set and photographed
• Heating serviced and filter replaced
• Heating confirmed operating before departure
• Appliance supply valves closed
• Fridge and freezer emptied and dealt with
• All food removed
• Garbage, recycling and organics removed
• Gutters cleared and downspouts extended
• Sump pump tested and discharge confirmed clear
• Outdoor furniture and loose items secured or stored
• Trees assessed and deadwood removed
• Lighting timers set with variation
• Mail arrangements made
• Snow or lawn service arranged for the season
• Emergency contacts documented and shared
• Key custody arranged and recorded
• Alarm arrangements handled securely
• Full photographic and video baseline captured
• Visit schedule confirmed and first visit booked
• Standing authorisation limit set in writing

Coming home

Returning is the step people plan least and it produces most of the unpleasant surprises. A property that has been closed up for months does not simply resume; systems that sat idle sometimes reveal their problems the moment they are restarted.

The most important thing is to restore water while somebody is present and paying attention. A system repressurised after four months can produce a leak within minutes, and it is much better for that to happen while a person is standing in the mechanical room than after everyone has gone to bed.

• Bring temperature up in advance rather than on arrival.
• Restore water with someone present, then check every fixture and the mechanical room for leaks.
• Run every fixture to refill traps and clear standing water from lines.
• Check the water heater before relying on it.
• Walk the property looking for anything that changed.
• Clear the driveway and walks before you arrive.
• Arrange cleaning if the property has been empty for a season.
• Have mail sorted and parcels brought in.
• For very long vacancies, consider a professional inspection before returning to occupancy.