UK HOLIDAY HOME INSURANCE

With many holidaymakers now choosing to enjoy ‘staycations’ within the UK, there are no shortage of places to stay – from quaint little B&Bs and grand hotels – and even those who like to rent out holiday cottages and houses to holidaymakers.

With a wide variety of things to see and do in the UK, you’re sure to find something to interest you during a trip within the UK.

What If I Own A Holiday Home?

If you own a second home in the UK which you use as a holiday home – either to rent out to holidaymakers or as a getaway destination for yourself and your family – making sure you’ve got the right insurance cover is vital to ownership.

House insurance policies are made to protect two parts of your home:

• Buildings cover – covers the bricks, mortar and foundations of your property, as well as the plumbing and any additional outbuildings you may have on the property.
• Contents cover – covers everything contained within the property, everything from the carpets and curtains to furniture and electrical devices, as well as more personal possessions such as jewellery.

Holiday homes, be they in the UK or abroad, can still be susceptible to the same risks as your own home, with an added risk element posed by essentially renting the property out to strangers.

By taking steps to ensure your property is insured while you have these temporary tenants you can help recoup some of the costs in the event of something going wrong.

As a standard home insurance policy will not usually cover a second home, it can be worth having some additional UK holiday home insurance to cover your property against loss and damage.

What can I be covered against?

Holiday home insurance policies will differ from broker to broker, but essentially offer the following features on a policy:

• Loss of income / rent – helps to cover any loss of earnings as a result of being unable to rent the property out due to damage that renders it inhospitable until repairs are carried out.
• Personal possessions – covers your possessions against accidental damage or theft, including electrical equipment and jewellery.
• Accidental damage – helps to protect against accidental damage to the property caused by the actions of a guest while staying at your property.
• Home emergency cover – some insurers will give you access to a 24-hour emergency helpline should you need assistance as a result of domestic emergencies – such as burst pipes or overflowing washing machines.
• Public Liability – helps to cover you against claims and legal action brought against you by guests as a result of them having an accident in your property.
• Employers’ Liability – if you employ staff to tend to your property while you’re not there, Employers’ Liability cover helps to cover legal expenses in the event of any claims brought against you by an employee who has sustained injury while working on your property.
• Alternative accommodation – should your house become uninhabitable as the result of unforeseen circumstances, such as sudden adverse weather conditions, then this cover would help cover to cost of rehousing your guests in alternative accommodation while you make necessary repairs.
• Emergency travel – should you need to travel to your holiday home in order to sort out issues relating to a claim, this cover can help reimburse you for some of those costs.

By taking the necessary steps to insure your holiday home you can protect yourself from losses incurred as a result of theft or damage to the property as a result of factors such as adverse weather conditions – including storm and flood damage.

Can Extra Security Help Me?

Installing additional security such as burglar alarms, home CCTV and even safes for storing your valuables when you’re not at the property can help to bring down the cost of your holiday home insurance premium.

Check out our handy Guide To Owning A Holiday Home In The UK for more information.

One thing to bear in mind is that some insurers may not pay out if the property is left unoccupied for more then 30 days in a year, so depending on how often you rent out the property you could end up putting yourself at more risk.

Searching for a better deal on your UK holiday home insurance? Fill in a few details here at Quotiva and we’ll search our network of UK-based brokers to find you the best quote.