Specialist Insurance for Holiday Homes and Cottages
 in the UK

The insurance for holiday homes and second homes in the UK includes the following benefits when you choose buildings or contents insurance...

• Your holiday home is fully protected as there are no security/heating warranties or restrictions in cover during periods of unoccupancy
  
  The policy does not restrict cover or include inconvenient security/inspection requirements that other insurers insist on, for example: turning off the electricity, water and draining down the heating system when your home is left unoccupied.
  
  Certain restrictions apply when the property is not furnished for normal habitation. We do not wish to insure properties that are left permanently unoccupied (i.e. awaiting sale, being renovated).
   
• Public liability insurance with an indemnity limit of £5m is automatically included. This indemnifies both the property owner and also the tenant. In today's environment of every increasing recourse to sue, this essential cover will protect you against legal action from injured holidaymakers when letting and third parties - for example slip, trip and fall claims.
   
• £5m employers liability insurance is automatically included. This protects you against legal action from injured domestic employees, such as caretakers or cleaners.
   
• For an additional premium the cover can be extended to include claims arising from accidental damage to contents, such as stains or iron burns to carpets. This also covers accidental damaged caused by guests.
   
• Includes loss of pre-booked rental income and the cost of alternative accommodation for you, your family or rental clients following loss or damage to the property. You are automatically covered for twice the contents sum insured.
   
• The policy automatically includes insurance for swimming pools, including public liability of £5m for the use of the pool.
   
• Free legal expenses protection including 24 hour legal help line.
   
• A small £50 excess for each loss or damage claim extended to £1000 for subsidence, landslip or heave claims.
   
• Schofields are specialists in holiday home insurance and all claims are dealt with by in-house experts with over 24 years experience.
   
• Arranged with certain Underwriters at Lloyd's of London, one of the worlds leading insurers - exclusively for Schofields.

Protect your UK holiday home with specialist insurance that does not restrict cover when let or unoccupied...without paying a premium price

The insurance covers loss and damage caused by:

• Fire, lightning, explosion or earthquake
• Aircraft
• Storm, tempest or flood
• Escape of water from fixed water tanks, apparatus or pipes
• Escape of oil from domestic fixed fuel oil tanks, apparatus or pipes
• Theft or attempted theft, including theft by tenants
• Impact by any vehicle or animal
• Riots, strikes, violent disorder, civil commotion or malicious damage
• Subsidence, landslip or heave
• Falling trees, lampposts or telegraph poles

The Buildings Insurance Covers

Fixtures and fittings within the buildings, domestic outbuildings, garages, domestic fixed fuel oil, tanks, swimming pools, tennis courts, drives, patios and terraces, walls, gates and fences.

Buildings insurance also includes cover for:

• Frost damage to fixed water tanks, apparatus and pipes
• Damage caused by falling aerials and satellite dishes
• Breakage of fixed glass
• Breakage of sanitary fixtures and ceramic hobs
• Accidental damage to oil pipes, underground water supply pipes, sewers, drains, underground gas pipes, electricity and telephone cables
• Architect's and surveyor's fees, debris removal and additional cost of reinstatement as a result of local authority requirements
• Increased metered water charges following an escape of water
• A contracting purchaser until completion of sale

The Contents Insurance Covers

• Property in the open
• Temporary removal to certain other premises in the United Kingdom
• Accidental damage to televisions including video recorders
• Breakage of ceramic hobs, mirrors and fixed glass in furniture
• Fatal injury caused by fire or burglars
• Replacement of locks following theft or loss of keys

Legal Liability to the Public
£5m indemnity any one claim, plus legal costs and expenses for injury to third parties, or damage to their property occurring whilst the property is commercially let. This cover is automatically included.

Accidents to Domestic Staff
The cover automatically provides an indemnity of £5m for employers liability claims. This protects you against legal action from injured domestic employees, such as caretakers, cleaners or gardeners.

Our holiday home insurance scheme has been operating since 1984 and is recommended by leading holiday home letting agencies. The policy wording has been approved by building societies, banks and is readily accepted by lenders.

 Next steps

Get a holiday home insurance quote and buy online...

Need more information? see how we compare or view the frequently asked questions
Confused? read our guide to insuring a second home
Other services: overseas home insurance and buy to let property insurance

  Important Documents

The above is a summary of cover, to view or print the full terms and conditions
download the sample policy wording here (pdf 75kb)

Can't open the policy document?
Then download Adobe Acrobat Reader from the Adobe website.

Authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority

© Copyright Schofields Limited 2009 Privacy Statement