Your other home needs its own policy.

The vacancy clock in the policy wording

Many second-home claims turn on one question: how long had the house been empty?

California's standard fire policy, Insurance Code section 2071, says the insurer is not liable for loss while a described building is vacant or unoccupied beyond a period of 60 consecutive days, unless otherwise provided in writing added to the policy. Outside California, the count varies by state and by policy form.

Some policies run a shorter clock on specific perils. The California FAIR Plan's sample dwelling form, CFP 00 01 (05/2026), offers vandalism or malicious mischief as an optional peril, and that peril does not include loss if the dwelling has been vacant or unoccupied for more than 30 consecutive days immediately before the loss.

What to do with this:

• Find the vacancy or unoccupancy wording in your current policy and write down the number of days it gives.
• Compare it with your longest stretch without anyone staying there, not the yearly total.
• If that gap runs past the clock, tell me before a loss, not after.
• If the house sits empty between owners or during repairs, read how vacancy is treated first. If it is in a different state from your main home, see insuring a second home in another state.

When the only fire offer is the FAIR Plan

In California, when no other insurer will write fire coverage on a second home, the FAIR Plan is the fallback. Know what its dwelling policy is built to do.

The FAIR Plan calls it a named peril policy that covers only damage from the specific causes of loss listed in the policy. In the sample form CFP 00 01 (05/2026), the base perils are fire or lightning, internal explosion, and smoke. Perils 4 through 9, including windstorm or hail, aircraft and vehicles, apply only if Extended Coverages is checked on the declarations, and vandalism or malicious mischief is a separate checkbox. Fannie Mae's required perils include windstorm, hail, aircraft and vehicles, so on a financed house that box matters.

Its dwelling page lists the occupancy types it offers as a temporary solution: owner-occupied, seasonal rental, rentals to a tenant for at least one year, renters, and condominium unit owners. Tell me exactly how the house is used so it goes on the right one.

The FAIR Plan says it does not offer Difference in Conditions (DIC) policies. A DIC policy comes from another insurer and is designed to provide coverages not available through the FAIR Plan, such as water damage, theft and liability. Read how the DIC pairing works, the FAIR Plan clearinghouse, and what a dwelling fire form is.

Shutting a mountain house down for winter

Some mountain water districts publish their own shut-down steps for part-time owners.

What two California districts say

• South Tahoe Public Utility District, for a vacant home: before leaving, shut off your home shut-off valve, open indoor and outdoor faucets to drain the pipes, then close them once drained. Open bedroom, bathroom and closet doors and kitchen and bathroom cabinet doors, and keep the thermostat at 65 degrees, a figure it credits to the Insurance Information Institute.
• South Tahoe PUD also says it may send staff to shut off the water if a leak runs over 500 gallons per hour and it can't reach you. Make sure it has your current phone number.
• Idyllwild Water District: turn off the water at your customer shut-off valve before leaving; only authorized district personnel may turn the district's meter shut-off valve off or on. It warns that low heat does not necessarily keep pipes from freezing, especially for owners who aren't full-time residents.
• Idyllwild also says all water that passes through the meter is the homeowner's responsibility, even water lost to frozen or broken pipes.

Both districts say to drain irrigation lines. Idyllwild adds wrapping pipes in unheated garages or cold crawl spaces, and says not to plug air vents because your furnace and water heater need proper ventilation. Follow your own district's instructions and keep a dated note of the shut-down. Tell me if there's an automatic shut-off or a caretaker.

Official sources

• California Insurance Code section 2071 (standard form fire policy)
• Fannie Mae Selling Guide B2-1.1-01, Occupancy Types
• Fannie Mae Selling Guide B7-3-02, Property Insurance Requirements for One- to Four-Unit Properties
• California FAIR Plan, Dwelling policy
• California FAIR Plan, sample Dwelling Property Policy CFP 00 01 (05/2026)
• California FAIR Plan, Difference in Conditions
• IRS Publication 527, Residential Rental Property
• South Tahoe Public Utility District, Winterizing Tips
• Idyllwild Water District, Winterizing Tips