Utilities During Void Periods

When a rental property is empty between tenancies, there is no tenant account covering the gas, electricity and water, so responsibility for those bills, and for the risks that come with an unoccupied property, falls straight back to you as the landlord. The cost itself is usually modest for a short void, but the safety risks of an empty property left unmonitored, a frozen pipe, stagnant water, an undetected leak, can turn a cheap void into an expensive one if nobody is checking on the property regularly.

This guide covers who pays what during a void, how to keep the standing costs down, the specific safety risks an empty property carries, and what to check with your insurer before leaving a property unoccupied for any length of time.

Who is liable during a void

While a tenant holds a utility account, they are responsible for the bills. The moment a tenancy ends and no new tenant has taken over, those accounts typically revert to the landlord by default, since the supplier still needs someone billable for the connection. Even if you plan to have a new tenant in within days, it is worth confirming the outgoing tenant's account was properly closed and the meter readings recorded at check-out, so there is no ambiguity about where their liability ends and yours begins.

You remain liable for the standing charges on gas and electricity, which apply regardless of consumption, for as long as the property is empty and the supply connected. Water suppliers in England and Wales generally charge a standing charge too, though actual usage during a genuine void should be minimal to zero if nothing is running. Council tax during a void follows a different set of rules entirely, including a premium that can apply to a long-term empty and unfurnished property; our council tax on empty properties guide covers that separately, since it is a materially different cost and risk to the utility standing charges covered here.

Keeping standing costs down

For a short void, a few weeks between tenancies, the utility cost itself is rarely worth optimising heavily; the bigger win is closing the void quickly, covered in our reducing void periods guide. For a longer void, whether planned (a refurbishment) or unplanned (a difficult re-let), it is worth actively managing the utility position rather than letting a tenant's old tariff run on by default:

• Check whether the previous tenant's tariff transfers to you or reverts to a supplier's standard, and often more expensive, deemed rate. Suppliers sometimes place an account with no active tenant onto a higher default tariff, so it is worth contacting the supplier directly to confirm and, if needed, switch to a more competitive rate for the vacancy period.
• Consider whether to keep the gas and electricity connected at all for a long void, versus a genuine disconnection, weighing the standing charge saved against the cost and delay of reconnecting later, and against the safety monitoring benefits of keeping essential services running, covered below.
• Turn off water at the stopcock if the property will be empty for an extended period, once you have confirmed there is no reason to keep water running, such as a legionella flushing routine, discussed next.

Safety risks specific to an empty property

An occupied property effectively monitors itself: a tenant notices a leak, a smell, or a failed boiler quickly, simply by being there. An empty property has none of that, which is exactly why the risks below matter more during a void than at almost any other point in a property's life.

• Legionella risk from stagnant water. Water systems that sit unused for extended periods can allow legionella bacteria to develop, particularly in tanks, showerheads and pipework that has not been flushed. Running taps and showers for several minutes on a regular basis during a void, and doing so before anyone moves back in after a long vacancy, reduces this risk considerably. Our legionella risk assessment guide covers when a fuller assessment is worth commissioning, which is particularly relevant for a property empty for months rather than weeks.
• Frozen and burst pipes. An unheated property in winter is at real risk of a burst pipe, which can cause extensive water damage before anyone notices, precisely because nobody is there to spot it early. Keeping heating on a low, frost-protection setting during a winter void, rather than switching it off entirely, is cheap compared with the cost of a burst pipe discovered weeks later.
• Undetected leaks or faults. A dripping tap or a small leak that a tenant would notice within a day can run undetected for weeks in an empty property, causing far more damage by the time it is found. Regular checks, even brief ones, are the only real mitigation.
• Security. An empty property is a more attractive target for break-ins or squatting than one that visibly has someone coming and going, which is a further reason to keep visible signs of activity, post cleared, curtains occasionally adjusted, during a longer void.

Insurance during a void

Most standard landlord insurance policies assume a property is occupied, and many set a maximum number of consecutive days a property can be empty before cover is affected or additional conditions apply, commonly somewhere between 30 and 60 days depending on the insurer. If you expect a void to run longer than a normal turnaround between tenancies, tell your insurer before the position changes rather than after, since an unoccupied property that was not properly disclosed is one of the more common reasons a claim is later reduced or refused. Our landlord insurance guide covers unoccupied property cover as one of the add-ons worth checking specifically, alongside the other cover most landlords consider.

Practical steps by void length

For a short, planned void between tenancies, the sensible minimum is: confirm the previous tenant's account is closed with a final meter reading, keep heating on a low setting if the season calls for it, and check the property at least once during the gap. For a longer void, extend that to: notify your insurer of the unoccupied status, set up a regular check-in routine (weekly is a reasonable starting point), flush water outlets periodically, and confirm with your utility suppliers whether the account tariff and standing charges reflect an efficient rate for a vacant property rather than a default that assumes ongoing occupancy.

Common mistakes

• Assuming utilities look after themselves once a tenant leaves. Standing charges and safety risks both continue regardless of whether anyone is billing for consumption.
• Turning heating off completely during a winter void to save cost, and risking a far more expensive burst pipe.
• Not telling the insurer about an extended void, only to find a claim is reduced later because the unoccupied status was not disclosed.
• Never checking on the property during a longer void, so a fault or leak runs on for weeks before anyone notices.
• Overlooking the previous tenant's final meter reading, leaving a dispute later about which bills belong to whom.

How Property HQ helps

Property HQ tracks void periods against your bank feed and flags an empty property immediately, so you can see at a glance which properties are currently vacant and for how long, and cross-reference that against your insurance and inspection records to make sure nothing during the gap is being overlooked.

Disclaimer

This guide is general information for UK landlords, not legal, tax or insurance advice. Utility, insurance and council rules can vary and change over time. Check with your supplier, insurer or local council before relying on this guide for a specific property.