USPS Will Hold Your Mail for Up to 30 Days for Free. 10 Things to Do Before You Leave Your Home Empty for the Holidays

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A pile of mail in the box, packages on the porch, and a dark house every night for a week tell anyone passing by that nobody is home. Leaving home empty for the holidays is safer when you take care of the obvious signals first, and the easiest one to fix costs nothing: the U.S. Postal Service will hold your mail for free.

According to USPS, its Hold Mail service is free and pauses all mail delivery, letters and packages, to an address for a minimum of 3 days and a maximum of 30 days. You can request it online up to 30 days in advance or as early as the next scheduled delivery day. On the last day of the hold, USPS delivers all your mail, or you can pick it up at your local Post Office. For longer trips, USPS says to use a forwarding service instead.

Holding the mail is one step. In winter, an empty house also faces a different risk: frozen pipes. Here are the ten things to do before you leave.

10 Things to Do Before You Leave Your Home Empty for the Holidays

1. Put a Hold on Your Mail

Request USPS Hold Mail online at usps.com, through the USPS app, or at your local Post Office. Hold periods run from 3 to 30 days. Save your confirmation number in case you need to change the dates. If your trip runs long, you can usually extend the hold online. A full mailbox is one of the clearest signs that a home is empty.

2. Pause or Reroute Package Deliveries

USPS Hold Mail covers packages that USPS delivers, but not those from other carriers. During the holidays, packages from online orders, gifts, and returns can pile up on your porch.

• Reschedule deliveries: Most major carriers let you delay or redirect packages through their apps or websites.
• Ship to a pickup point: Use lockers, store pickup, or carrier pickup locations.
• Ship to your destination: Have gifts delivered where you are staying instead.
• Ask a neighbor: Have someone pick up anything that does arrive.

3. Keep the Heat at 55 Degrees or Higher

Do not turn the heat off while you are away in winter. The American Red Cross advises that if you will be going away during cold weather, you should leave the heat on, set to a temperature no lower than 55 degrees Fahrenheit. That helps keep pipes in walls and cabinets from freezing. A smart thermostat lets you check the temperature remotely and adjust it if a cold snap hits.

4. Protect Your Pipes and Know Your Water Shutoff

A burst pipe in an empty house can run for days before anyone notices, causing thousands of dollars in damage.

• Find the main water shutoff: Know where it is and how to use it. Some people shut off the main water valve before a long trip and drain the lines, especially in vacation homes.
• Open cabinet doors: The Red Cross suggests opening kitchen and bathroom cabinet doors so warm air reaches pipes under sinks.
• Disconnect hoses: Drain and disconnect outdoor hoses and shut off outdoor spigots.
• Insulate exposed pipes: Pipes in garages, basements, attics, and crawl spaces are most at risk.
• Close the garage door: If water lines run through the garage.
• Consider a leak sensor: Inexpensive water sensors can send alerts to your phone.

5. Put Lights on Timers

A house that is dark every night looks empty. Plug lamps into timers or use smart bulbs or smart plugs on a schedule. Set them to turn on and off at different times in different rooms, the way they would if you were home. Outdoor lights on a timer or motion sensor also help. Many smart lighting apps have a vacation mode that varies the schedule.

6. Keep Your Travel Off Social Media

Posting vacation photos in real time tells people your house is empty. Wait until you are back to share trip photos, or limit posts to close friends. Turn off automatic location tagging on photos. Also be careful about voicemail greetings or automatic email replies that say you are away for a specific period.

7. Ask a Trusted Neighbor to Check In

A neighbor or friend can make the house look lived in and catch problems early.

• Pick up packages and flyers
• Check for leaks, power outages, and frozen pipes, especially after a cold snap
• Park in your driveway occasionally
• Shovel or arrange snow removal, since an unshoveled walk after a storm is another sign no one is home
• Share your travel dates, contact numbers, and the name of your plumber or contractor

Some police departments offer vacation house checks. Call your local department’s non-emergency line to ask.

8. Lock Up and Secure Spare Keys

• Lock every door and window: Including second-floor windows, basement doors, and the door between the garage and the house.
• Remove hidden keys: Fake rocks and under-the-mat keys are easy to find. Give a spare key to your neighbor instead.
• Secure sliding doors: Put a bar or dowel in the track.
• Unplug the garage door opener: Or turn on its vacation lock if it has one.
• Lock sheds and gates: Tools and ladders can be used to get into the house.

9. Unplug Decorations and Electronics

Holiday decorations add fire risk when no one is home.

• Unplug indoor decorations: Unless they are on a timer you trust.
• Turn off or remove a live Christmas tree’s lights: Dry trees can catch fire.
• Unplug small appliances: Toasters, coffee makers, space heaters, and chargers.
• Never leave candles burning.
• Test your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors: Replace batteries if needed.

Unplugging electronics also protects them from power surges during storms.

10. Set Up Alarms and Cameras

If you have a security system, arm it and make sure contact information is up to date. If not, a few inexpensive tools can help:

• Video doorbells: Let you see and talk to anyone at the door.
• Indoor and outdoor cameras: Many send alerts to your phone.
• Smart locks: Let you let in a neighbor or contractor remotely.
• Smart smoke and water sensors: Alert you to fires or leaks.

Make sure your Wi-Fi and devices are secure, with strong passwords and updated software.

A Checklist for Leaving Home Empty for the Holidays

Use this the day before you leave:

• Mail hold requested
• Packages rescheduled or redirected
• Thermostat set to 55 degrees or higher
• Cabinet doors under sinks opened
• Outdoor hoses disconnected
• Lights on timers
• Neighbor has key, dates, and contacts
• Doors and windows locked
• Decorations and appliances unplugged
• Trash and recycling handled
• Alarm armed and cameras on
• Refrigerator cleared of food that will spoil

Trash, Food, and Other Details

• Trash day: Ask a neighbor to put your bins out and bring them back in, or skip a week.
• Refrigerator: Toss perishables that will spoil.
• Plants: Water them or ask your neighbor to.
• Pets: Book a sitter or boarding early, since holiday spots fill fast.
• Car: If you leave a car at home, park it in the garage or driveway and lock it.

If Something Goes Wrong

If a neighbor reports a leak, a power outage, or a break-in while you are away:

• Call the right people: Police for a break-in, a plumber for a leak, your utility for an outage.
• Turn off the water: If a pipe has burst, the main shutoff stops the damage.
• Call your insurer: Report damage as soon as possible, and ask a neighbor to take photos.
• Check your policy before you go: Some homeowners policies have rules about homes left vacant for long periods.

Why Winter Trips Need Extra Planning

Summer trips mainly raise security concerns. Winter trips add the risk of frozen and burst pipes, ice dams, snow buildup, and heating failures. A furnace that stops working while you are away can leave a house below freezing within a day or two in a cold snap. That is why the Red Cross’s advice to keep the heat on at 55 degrees or higher matters, and why it helps to have someone who can check the house and a smart thermostat that alerts you if the temperature drops.

Before a Big Storm

If a major storm is forecast while you are away, ask your neighbor to check the house afterward. Make sure someone knows how to reach your plumber, your heating company, and your insurance company. Arrange snow removal ahead of time, since contractors are busy during storms.

Tell Your Alarm Company and Insurer

If you have a monitored alarm, tell the company your travel dates and give them your neighbor’s contact information as a backup.

The Bottom Line

USPS will hold your mail for free for up to 30 days, which handles one of the clearest signs of an empty house. Before leaving home empty for the holidays, also pause package deliveries, keep the heat at 55 degrees or higher, protect your pipes, put lights on timers, stay quiet on social media, ask a neighbor to check in, lock up, unplug decorations, and set up alarms or cameras. Then enjoy the trip.