Furnished holiday lettings tax resources

It’s surprising how many holiday let owners seek tax advice on internet forums where it can be assumed that the advice will be from third parties who are unqualified in holiday let tax. For a definite answer, a qualified accountant who specialises in furnished holiday lets should be consulted.

An excellent resource is the holiday letting tax page provided by HM Revenue and Customs which provides advice on the current tax rules, advantages of FHL, qualifying criteria, profit & loss and completing a tax return.

To summarise;

Rules for furnished holiday lettings for the 2012-13 tax year (from 6 April)

For a property to qualify as a furnished holiday let, it must be:

• in the UK or EEA
• furnished
• available for commercial letting to the public, as holiday accommodation, for at least 210 days a year
• the accommodation must actually be let as holiday accommodation for at least 105 days a year – the rent must be charged at market rate and not at cheap rates to friends and family
• a short term let of no more than 31 days

Tax advantages of furnished holiday lets

The tax advantages if your property qualifies as a furnished holiday letting are:

• you can claim capital allowances
• you get the benefit of some favourable Capital Gains Tax rules when you sell or ‘otherwise dispose’ of the property

Another significant change is that losses arising from FHL’s can only be set against losses from the same business, not other sources of income.

Other holiday lettings tax guides:

This article provides a good overview of what happens if you don’t qualify as a furnished holiday let by not meeting the relevant letting condition, loss relief, capital allowances, entrepreneurs’ relief and business property relief.

Holidaylettings also has a good overview of holiday lettings tax, as does John Endacott of Francis Clark who clarifies the main points to the current furnished holiday lettings tax rules in part 1 and part 2 of this audio interview.

Inheritance tax relief for holiday property owners

A recent court ruling has clarified the situation regarding when business property relief is available for inheritance tax purposes in relation to furnished holiday lets. HMRC had determined that a holiday property was subject to inheritance tax. The taxpayer appealed, claiming that the property was entitled to relief as a ‘relevant business property’ as the running of a holiday let involved far too much work to be considered an investment business.

The tribunal concluded that the level of services was sufficient for the letting of the property to amount to a business. This meant that their share of the property passed on to the children free of inheritance tax.

If you are factoring your holiday let into inheritance tax planning, it may be helpful to have evidence of the services provided to qualify the property as a business.

Can you avoid paying capital gains tax on a second home?

If you own two homes, but sell the main one, how long do you have to wait before selling the second one without having to pay capital gains tax on it?

The Independent property expert explains that the sale of a property that, throughout your ownership, has been your only or main residence should not give rise to any liability for capital gains tax.

If you own another property that you have not used as your only or main residence, any gain you make on a sale will be liable for capital gains tax. If you use the other property for a while as your only or main residence, then a proportion of the gain will be exempt from capital gains tax, but not the whole gain.

For any property you own, in order to qualify for any degree of exemption as your only or main residence you must have actually lived in it. Further to this, only one property can qualify at any one time.

10 ways to beat the taxman honestly

This isn’t specific to holiday lets, however there is some good advice on ways to reduce a tax bill, especially in relation to property.

It is possible to reduce the total amount of tax you pay as a couple if you arrange your finances correctly. For example, allocating holiday letting income to the partner who pays the lower tax rate.

For assets likely to trigger a capital gain (such as a property) it may be worth owning them jointly so you can use both spouses’ CGT allowance.

Borrow tax-efficiently – those with a buy-to-let properties can claim tax relief on the mortgage interest. It could make sense to increase borrowing on a buy-to-let and use this money to reduce the main mortgage paid on your residential home, where no tax relief is granted.

Whilst tax planning can seem overwhelming, there is a wealth of information available. You have responsibilities to pay tax on holiday rental income, so it’s sensible to keep up to date with the current tax rules and any benefits.

Disclaimer: Schofields does not offer formal tax advice. You should seek advice from either a professional tax adviser or from HM Revenue and Customs before acting on any of the information above.

Related posts:

1. Government consults on furnished holiday lettings tax rules
2. Furnished holiday let tax changes 2011/2012
3. Advice & resources for letting a holiday home

Q. We are renting a Gite in France in the first two weeks of August and the property owner has asked us if our insurance policy covers accidental, fire or water damage to their property. Is there a policy available that would cover a two week holiday period while we are renting a French property?

A. This is a question that is frequently raised by those renting villas and gites in France. Ideally, the property owners’ insurance should protect their home against such risks when renting, as is the case with UK sourced insurance. However, in France this is often not the case and the holidaymakers are asked to provide proof of civil liability insurance.

This is a common problem when French owners rent to non-French residents. This post explains further.

A travel or main residence insurance policy usually includes an element of liability cover which may be suitable. Alternatively, try searching on Google for ‘adar insurance’ who offer a policy which some holiday rental agencies in France use.

Q. I have a second property which has been insured with Schofields for the past 3 years. I do not let out this property and wonder if I am insured for (and paying extra for) cover that only applies if it’s a holiday let?

A. The standalone policy we offer covers the owner whether they choose to holiday let their property or not. You are correct that certain aspects of the policy apply when holiday letting, such as loss of rental income. All the features are built into the policy as standard and can not be removed.

Property owners are often misguided with regards to public liability insurance, in that they don’t think they need the cover if they aren’t letting their property. A third party could be injured on or near your property (e.g. postman, neighbour) holding you liable, therefore liability cover is essential.

The premium is calculated using the buildings and/or contents sum insured, so you aren’t paying extra for holiday letting cover. If your policy includes accidental damage to contents, this can be deleted to reduce the premium. The premium can also be reduced by choosing a higher excess.

Q. I am trying to find out some information about insuring our holiday cottage that we let for short-lets. We currently have it insured, but our insurer only provides cover for temporary accommodation for guests if an ‘insured peril’ arises e.g. flood/fire/escape of water. We recently had the situation where the only toilet in the cottage broke, so the guests had to be put up elsewhere.

Can you tell me if this situation is something that is covered by yourselves, would you cover temporary accommodation expenses?

A. The alternative accommodation cover on our policy (and most policies) only comes into effect if the property becomes uninhabitable due to an insured peril, e.g. loss or damage by flood/fire/escape of water.

Such an incident would not be covered as it would be considered a maintenance issue. The same applies to heating failure, frozen external supply pipe etc. Taking out a separate home emergency insurance that covers boilers and plumbing is an alternative, but the value of such policies are often questioned. Having an emergency handyman on call for repairs is a good solution.

Q. A question our insurance advisers are often asked is “What is the accidental damage to contents cover? Surely all damage is an accident?”

A. Not exactly. The accidental damage to contents addon will cover you against human error, such as red wine spilt on a carpet or sofa, a cracked TV, or a hot pan burning a kitchen table. All common claims when holiday homes are let out. When properties aren’t let, such claims are infrequent as owners are more careful, so properties used primarily by owners only, often don’t take this extra cover.

Q. I have a holiday home in Spain and I have the opportunity to let it for 12 months to local friends (professional jobs), so it will effectively cease to be a ‘holiday home’. Can you provide cover?

A. Unfortunately we are unable to cover long term rentals abroad, only short term holiday rentals.

Q. From renewal my current insurer requires a mortice deadlock of at least 5 levers on exit doors, window locks, shutters or embedded metal grilles for ground level windows. Do you require such security?

A. If the value of the contents insured is below £40,000 we do not generally require specific security measures. If a policy requires such security measures, it’s important that they are inforce for a claim to be valid.

Q. Do you insure static caravans?

A. We do not insure caravans or static caravans although there are specialists who do.

Q. I’m looking for insurance for an apartment in Flaine in France (ski resort). Does your cover include apartments, and if so how do we estimate a re-build value?

A. Unfortunately we are unable to cover holiday homes in winter ski resorts. The best way to get an accurate rebuild cost is to instruct a qualified surveyor or check your survey for a rebuild value.

Q. We are about to book a holiday in the UK and the letting agency has asked for a deposit of 50% now, 50% 2 months before arrival. Do you offer a policy which will insure our holiday payment? We may have to use a cheque depending on the letting agency.

A. Our holiday cancellation insurance only covers the cost of the holiday should you have to cancel due to illness etc. See the policy wording on our travel website travel.schofields.ltd.uk. Ideally you need ‘end supplier failiure’ cover should the holiday company go bust. Some travel insurance policies cover this. Alternatively, pay by credit card which offers protection on most payments of £100 and above.

Q. Is there a minimum period of occupancy required each month, quarter etc. for a UK holiday home?

A. No, as long as the property is used/let as a holiday home and is not a permanently unoccupied property, being renovated up for sale etc. Our website clarifies what we consider a UK holiday home/second home.

Any more questions? simply ask in the comments or contact us.

Related posts:

1. Ask the holiday home insurance expert roundup – part 1
2. How to cancel your home insurance policy
3. MPs’ Second Home Insurance Claim Declined

Is it a potential burglar who has seen photos of your holiday property contents and your availability calendar – so they know exactly when your holiday property is empty.

What if you don’t disclose the exact location, will you lose a booking?

Why enquirers request the exact location

Have you ever booked a holiday and the view was totally different than the one advertised, or the beach/town was a 2 mile trek instead of the ‘short walk’ claimed by the owner. From the renters’ point of view, many have had such experiences and they want reassurances that when they are booking their ‘dream holiday’ the property is as advertised.

Travellers do a lot of planning before booking a holiday. On average, they visit 22 websites during 10 research sessions prior to booking. In addition to looking at photos they like to plot a property precisely on a map to see what is around and find it on Google Streetview.

Therefore, address requests aren’t unusual, but could you be exposing your property to risk?

What are the security risks of giving out your address

From the comfort of their computer burglars can find out a lot of information about holiday lets. How remote the property is, when it’s empty, what valuables are there and when guests are arriving with valuables.

There are thousands of instances of holiday cottages being broken into when empty, but whether the burglary was by an opportunist, or if the holiday property was specifically targeted because of freely available information is unconfirmed.

Typically, holiday rentals don’t contain an array of valuables so they aren’t as appealing to burglars as say a main residence, therefore break-ins are less common.

If someone is determined to commit a burglary they will usually find a way. All you can do is make it harder for them with security measures and hope they choose an easier target.

A solution

Unless you live on-site, I would be wary of giving out too much information to ‘strangers’ until they are either a confirmed booking or you verify who they are – landline number, address etc.

A post code and name of the road rather than the full address may be enough to give a good idea of the general location.

Some rental listing websites allow advertisers to pinpoint on a map where their rental is. You may want to select the furthest zoom level or remove the map marker on the map so travellers can only see an overview map of the general area.

You can also create a Google map with a pin point of the general area for your personal website.

Check you are insured

The steps you take to protect your location are irrelevant if you are burgled and you are uninsured due to non-compliance with your policy terms. Check your second home insurance cover for security requirements – do you have to install specific window/door locks? or have an alarm for example? If you do an they are not inforce, theft cover could be void.

Related posts:

1. Airport closures – should you give guests a refund?
2. What to do about smokers in your holiday cottage
3. Breaching Holiday Cottage Occupancy Limits

All the signs that temperatures in parts of France plunged to -17C over winter won’t be visible until the owner enters the property. Cracked boilers, split radiators and the subsequent water damage can be horrendous.

Due to extreme freezing temperatures, we have seen an increase in the number of burst pipe insurance claims in France this winter. However, many second home owners who visit their properties infrequently and only discover damage weeks, even months after it occurred could be uninsured.

Will your claim be paid?

What does your insurance policy stipulate in relation to leaving your property empty?

It is a condition on most policies that you must turn off the water supply when your holiday home in France is left unoccupied. You may also have to drain water from pipes and the heating system or use anti-freeze.

Our experience is that many property owners in France take sensible precautions by turning off the water, this significantly reduces the extent of the water that can escape and cause damage. However, boilers still crack, radiators shatter and pipes split – adding anti-freeze is a further step to prevent this.

Tip: If you do not take the required precautions and there is water damage the insurance company may not pay the insurance claim for damages. Ensure you fulfil your unoccupancy obligations as outlined in the policy.

Claims deadlines

One of the issues with UK residents with holiday homes in France that are not inspected regularly is that damage may not be noticed for weeks, even months after the incident.

You should be aware that typically, French insurance policy terms require claims to be submitted within five to ten days of the damage occurring. This may be extended if the government decrees a state of catastrophe naturelle (natural disaster).

These tight deadlines for filing French insurance claims can leave property owners who are unaware of a loss or damage unable to claim if it’s outside the stringent claims deadline.

Tip: Check what your insurers’ claims procedure is. Ideally, the terms should stipulate that claims should be filed as soon as damage is discovered. Ensure you have someone who can check your property frequently, especially during frosty periods and after storms, to identity damage early on.

Repairing damage

If you are faced with burst pipes or a broken boiler, what should you do – repair the damage or wait?
In general, you should only do what’s necessary to prevent further damage and mitigate any loss or damage. Carrying out repairs before a loss adjuster has assessed the damage could jeopardise a claim.

It should be noted that most policies do not cover the repair of the frost damaged pipes, boilers, radiators etc. Just damage caused by escape of water.

Tip: If carrying out repairs to mitigate a loss, gather supporting evidence for your claim. Take photos, keep damaged items and receipts for items purchased.

Don’t get caught out

Burst pipes happen all year round, but by taking simple precautions water damage and burst pipes can be avoided.

Many people take out French insurance and don’t read the policy terms, especially if their knowledge of French is limited. Consequently, shortfalls in cover are only usually discovered when trying to claim.

Choosing a UK based insurer of French holiday homes, such as Schofields, who provide support and policies in plain English can clarify what cover property owners have, and how to be comprehensively protected.

If you need any advice please get in touch.

Related posts:

1. What to do when pipes freeze or burst
2. Burst pipes – 3000 claims in one day
3. Burst pipes: the biggest threat to your holiday home

That is the message from the government-backed, VisitEngland multi-million pound advertising campaign to encourage Brits to holiday at home this year and not go abroad.

The UK is a fantastic holiday destination with lots to offer, and 2012 is going to be a year to remember with the Diamond Jubilee celebrations and the Olympics.

Criticism

However, the campaign is not without its critics. Abta criticised the government for pitching domestic holidays against foreign holidays, which could damage the wider economy. Outbound tourism contributes hugely to the UK economy in terms of taxes, jobs and consumer spending on items before they go away.

Discounts expected

The campaigns “20.12%” discounting gimmick has also been criticised by self catering operators as it sets the expectation of a 20% discount when booking a UK holiday. Some rental owners are already struggling and constantly have to deal with ‘best price’ requests.

Will Brits change their holiday plans?

Many Brits have said that they have not changed their holiday plans for this year, and are still planning to travel abroad for their traditional summer break.

In these difficult economic times travel patterns are certainly changing, with the price, weather, €, petrol costs and flights all typically affecting decisions. However, holidays are usually the last thing to forgo when times are tough.

source: telegraph.co.uk

Is the £4 million campaign a waste of taxpayer’s money? It depends how success will be measured. The tourism industry generates billions of pounds of spending each year and supports millions of tourism-related jobs. The costs are relatively small in comparison.

Related posts:

1. Insurance For Cottage Holidays
2. Recap of holiday home news: 11 June 2010
3. Recap of holiday home news : 22 June 2009

Fire, theft, accidental damage, storms, subsidence?… water is the biggest threat.

According data from Legal & General, insurance companies paid out £730 million for water-related claims last year. This figure is more than double the £370 million for burglary claims.

Nearly 1 in 5 claims made on buildings and contents insurance is for damage caused by escape of water, costing £2 million every day. Last year, 371,000 such claims were made with the average claim just under £2000, compared with £1,400 for burglary claims. However, some water damage claims can run into tens of thousands of pounds. *Source ABI.

Types of water damage risks

Unfortunately, too many property owners underestimate the distress and damage that water can cause. Water really can be your property’s number one enemy, potentially causing a whole host of problems from rising damp to flooding; burst pipes to toxic mould; and even, in some cases, subsidence.

• flood risks – overflowing drains, surface water and flooding from a local watercourse can cause significant damage;
• rising damp from blocked drains, water leaks and water ingress over a long period can cause structural damage;
• water from leaking pipes or appliances can cause serious damage to the building if leaks are not located and repaired quickly. Wood rot, damp and mould can be an expensive problem to locate and repair;
• undetected underground water leaks can cause subsidence and structural cracks;

Tips to avoid water damage

So, what preventative measures can you take to make sure your property stays as dry and as claim-free as possible?

• probably the most important point is to know where your stopcock is;
• keep pipes and water tanks well insulated – burst pipes may be caused when ice forms in the pipes, then, as it thaws the pipe splits causing water to flood your property;
• repair any leaks as soon as you see them – and also check for any loose or poorly fitted plumbing joints or signs of water underneath washing machines;
• always make sure your holiday home is well ventilated – invest in a dehumidifier if need be;
• clean gutters, roofing and drains regularly, and check for any slipped or loose roof tiles where water could enter;
• check that any air bricks are clean so that ventilation can get under your property.

Will the insurance pay out?

Most insurers should pay out for water damage perils as standard. However, there are exceptions. If you live in an area with a high risk of flooding, your insurer may specifically exclude flood-related damage. Also, if you have failed to declare any flood risks associated with your property or have misrepresented facts, your cover could be invalidated.

And do note that in some circumstances, home insurance for second homes may not cover escape of water damage due to freezing, if you have failed to comply with the winter heating warranties in your policy.

For other types of claims, particularly those related to weather, you should make sure your property is kept in a good state of repair to ensure that claims aren’t turned down due to poor maintenance.

Never underestimate the damage that even a small amount of water can cause. Carrying out regular checks and maintenance on any vulnerable areas may help you prevent a small leak turning in to an expensive nightmare.

Related posts:

1. Burst pipes: the biggest threat to your holiday home
2. Floodcheck: Prevent water damage at your holiday home
3. Increased water charges following a burst pipe

However, once snow starts to thaw, pathways are left covered with compressed ice for weeks as temperatures remain below freezing.

What steps should you take to clear the snow and ice outside your holiday home?

Can you be sued if you don’t clear snow and ice from outside your holiday home?

Due to the ‘compensation culture’ there remains a deep suspicion in the UK that homeowners might end up being sued by pedestrians who slip or fall on snow or ice outside their property.

The Government issues ‘Snow Code’ guidelines on how residents should approach the clearing of pavements outside their homes.

The snow code

“Don’t be put off clearing paths because you’re afraid someone will get injured. Remember, people walking on snow and ice have a responsibility to be careful themselves. Follow the advice below to make sure you clear the pathway safely and effectively. Don’t believe the myths – it’s unlikely you’ll be sued or held legally responsible for any injuries if you have cleared the path carefully”.

Note the term unlikely. Interpret this as you wish, but it could be assumed that if paths aren’t cleared properly, property owners could be liable for injuries.

Clearing snow & ice from outside your holiday home

During snow and icy conditions you are required to take “reasonable steps” to ensure paths on your own property are safe, especially if you have guests staying at your holiday cottage. Easy, safe access will also be appreciated by guests – a slip or injury isn’t a good start to the holiday.

• Clear the snow and ice early in the day;
• Use salt or sand – not water. If you use water to melt the snow, it may refreeze and turn to black ice.

Are you insured?

There is always the risk that if a guest or postman slips and injures himself on your path, you could be sued. A comprehensive insurance for second homes policy should include public liability insurance that protects against such events. You should check that this extends to cover commercial holiday letting as some policies don’t.

Related posts:

1. Does home insurance cover snow damage?
2. How to prepare your holiday home for winter
3. Holiday home swimming pool safety

The cost and inconvenience caused by the escape of water can be extensive. During the big freeze in December 2010 there were 103,000 property damage claims for burst pipes, at a cost of £680m. The average insurance claim is estimated at £25,000 however, £100,000+ repair bills for water damage to the buildings, contents and drying out are not uncommon.

Many burst pipes can be avoided by taking some simple preventative measures when holiday cottages are left unoccupied.

Floodcheck – flood and water damage prevention

The damage caused by water can be significantly reduced by minimising the amount of water that can escape. Simply turning off your water supply when your holiday property is unoccupied is recommended. Another solution is the Floodcheck flood prevention device.

From the manufacturer
“The Floodcheck Auto valve is a flood prevention device which protects your property from internal flooding by monitoring your water supply. It automatically switches off your main water supply if it detects a water leak, preventing water damage”

Features

15% discount for Schofields policyholders

Schofields have negotiated for our clients to receive a 15% discount on all Floodcheck products. Please contact us and we will advise you on how to claim your discount.

Preventing and minimising water damage can save an enormous amount of distress, inconvenience and holiday cottage insurance claims.

Related posts:

1. How to prevent frozen water pipes at your holiday cottage
2. How to prevent frozen pipes and bursts
3. Increased water charges following a burst pipe

I’m sure many owners have their own ideas on how they would like to respond to these enquiries – along the lines of “Don’t ask for a discount if you are easily offended!”.

If you are new to holiday letting and don’t have the advantage of historical data on booking trends, it’s difficult to know when and when not to discount. Here are some ideas.

Discount culture

In the current economic climate many people think they can haggle on price and get a discount, especially the Groupon/Moneysavingexpert enthusiasts. Holidaymakers are clearly looking to get their holiday budgets to work harder for them this year, with price being one of the top holiday considerations.

Many holidaymakers send the same enquiry to multiple properties (this is an option on some rental websites) asking for a discount or best price. Don’t automatically offer a discount if it doesn’t suit your objectives to maximise occupancy/income.

Pricing

Competing on price only works if you can do volume. The basic laws of supply and demand apply to holiday rentals – there are only 52 weeks available to let in the year, less if your tourist industry shuts down out of season. Be careful about discounting peak summer weeks early on in the booking season that could potentially let twice over. Remember, historically July is also a peak booking season when holidaymakers are looking for last minute holidays, so don’t be too concerned if your property doesn’t book straight away.

This image from Google trends shows the demand for ‘cheap holidays’ searches peaks in January and July each year. The same trend applies to generic ‘holiday’ searches.

There is also another good reason not to compete on price (discount), research shows that people’s perceived value tends to increase for expensive items. You have to back this up though with your ‘high quality’ accommodation and service, though.

Many owners also have the opinion that ‘discounting’ attracts a different type of guests which require more work.

Rather than compete on price, an alternative is to highlight why you are different/better than your competitors. How will guests get better value? – free baby equipment/beach toys, free Wi-Fi, the best view on your complex, private parking or free health club use for example.

When to discount

Discounting is pointless if you make a loss or minimal return for the effort.

However, discounting can help fill vacancies in certain circumstances, for example;
- offering a ‘late deal’ discount 2/3 weeks before the available dates;
- to fill a booking gap;
- for monthly winter lets;
- discount a ‘hard to sell week’ that you know from experience is difficult to let.

If you do get ‘best price’ and ‘discount’ requests for popular weeks, a good reply is to advise that “you are welcome to contact us a few weeks before the dates and a late deal discount may be available, however the dates are unlikely to still be available due to demand”.

It would be interesting to know if agencies also get requests for discounts or is it just private/direct enquiries who ask/expect one?

How do you deal with discount requests?

Related posts:

1. Letting Guests Use Bicycles
2. 5 risks to avoid when holiday letting
3. Advice & resources for letting a holiday home

Claims costs:
Insurers paid out £1.4bn in ‘big freeze’ insurance claims in the UK between 24 November to 31 December 2010, up from £700m for the previous winter of 2009/10.

• 467,000 – the number of claims that UK insurers dealt with
• £900m – the cost of property damage claims, 190,000 claims in total
• 103,000 – property damage claims were for burst pipe damage, at a cost of £680m.
• 12,000 – the average number of claims a day, at an average daily cost of £38m

Insurance provides cover for a list of specified perils. Policies do not provide unlimited cover for every eventuality or maintenance related issues. With this in mind it’s important that holiday home owners take all reasonable precautions to prevent a loss or damage and keep their property maintained.

As insurance does not cover all eventualities, property owners are liable for uninsured losses and general ‘wear and tear’ so taking precautions can prevent you suffering unnecessary expenses.

Here are useful of tips and advice to protect your holiday home in winter

Preventing and dealing with burst/frozen pipes

How to prevent frozen pipes and bursts
What causes pipes to freeze and burst? – Burst pipes are the biggest threat that UK holiday homes face. However, many claims can be prevented by taking some simple precautions to prevent pipes from freezing and bursting.
What to do when pipes freeze or burst – If your pipes do freeze there are several steps you can take to prevent them splitting, but if they do burst here is what to do.
Does holiday home insurance cover plumbing repairs? – If you do have a burst pipe then the damage caused by the ‘escape of water’ is covered (subject to the policy terms) but who is responsible for the repairs to pipes?
Boiler breakdown insurance for self catering holiday cottages – Boiler breakdowns aren’t generally insured under a holiday homes policy, so is it worth taking out a separate home emergency boiler breakdown insurance policy?

Storms
Resources to monitor UK weather warnings & flood alerts – Here are some excellent resources for keeping up to date with weather warnings and flood alerts.
Does insurance cover a fallen tree? – Gales often cause trees to come down, but what if the tree causes damage? Who is responsible for the removal?
Does insurance cover storm damage to fences & gates? – Fences are also frequently damaged in storms, but are they covered?
Does home insurance cover snow damage? – Heavy snow can put a lot of weight and pressure on gutters damaging them, water ingress from thawing snow also causes damage. Here we clarify what is and isn’t covered.
Flood & storm insurance for property abroad – If you own a property abroad and are insured by a foreign insurer then there are certain things you should be aware of that could leave you uninsured. Storm definitions, minimum rainfall and wind speed requirements for a claim to be valid and strict claims notification deadlines. This article points out what you should look out for.

Flooding
How to prepare for flooding – Flooding can be a problem in UK holiday home hotspots, here is advice on how to prepare if you are at risk.
What to do if your holiday home is flooded – Steps to take if you are flooded.
How to check if a home is at risk of flooding – Looking to buy a holiday home? Check if it is in a flood area before you commit as you could have problems insuring it.

Maintenance
How to prepare your holiday home for winter – An extensive list of simple maintenance tasks that can prevent a loss or damage and unnecessary expenses.
French house insurance chimney sweeping clause – Does your French insurance policy require an annual chimney sweep? You could be uninsured for a chimney fire if you fail to do so.
Holiday home oil theft warning – The rising cost and short supply of domestic heating oil has seen a rise in rural oil thefts. How to protect your tank.
Does overseas home insurance cover mould? – Overseas properties that are left over winter often suffer from mould. Here are tips on how to prevent it.
Prevent carbon monoxide risks at holiday lets & cottages – The silent killer. Ensure you and your guests are safe.

Security
Holiday home security advice – Occupied and unoccupied holiday cottages are often an easy target for burglars. Here are some tips to prevent break-ins.

Please add your tips in the comments below…

Related posts:

1. How to keep your second home safe this winter
2. Holiday home insurance winter unoccupancy clause warning
3. How to prepare your holiday home for winter