Secure the property
Make sure the home is locked, and note who holds keys.
Empty homes are a target, and most insurers reduce cover once a property is unoccupied.
- How long it takes
- 1–2 hours
- Typical cost
- Free, or £80–£200 if locks need changing
- What you need before you start
- Keys, or the name of whoever holds them
Lock up, close windows, and take a few photos of each room on your phone. Those photos are useful later for insurance and for the estate valuation.
Write down everyone who holds a key: family, neighbours, carers, cleaners, landlord.
Do not remove or give away belongings yet, even small ones. If probate is needed, the contents form part of the estate.
If the person rented, tell the landlord or housing officer that the property is now unoccupied — but do not hand keys back yet.
If the death happened at home, close every internal door and shut all windows before you leave. It limits odour, insects and any contamination to one room, and open windows draw in flies, wasps and wildlife within hours in warm weather.
Leave the heating low rather than off. Warmth speeds decomposition and attracts insects; a completely cold, damp house causes its own problems over the following weeks.
Do not open the room again to check on it. There is nothing to be gained, and it undoes the containment.
General information, not legal advice. Last reviewed 19 August 2026 by Simon D Campbell. Applies to England and Wales.