The Holiday Cottage Insurance & Holiday Home Insurance UK Specialists

UK Holiday Home Insurance

Finding holiday cottage insurance that offers comprehensive protection can be difficult. Insurers are aware that UK holiday homes are particularly at risk from burst pipes, flooding and theft when empty. Damage to holiday lets and legal action from injured guests are also constant threats.

Consequently, most UK holiday home insurance and self catering insurance policies have stringent terms and unoccupancy restrictions in the small print that exclude such claims.

Insurance policies do not offer the same protection - check the small print

Typically, on closer inspection of the policy terms you will find most holiday home insurers specify that your property has to be inspected weekly and must not be uninhabited for more than 30 days. Some second home insurance UK policies provide no accidental damage to contents or public liability cover when the property is holiday let. What are the insurers security requirements - do you have to have specific door locks? Is theft by non-forced entry covered?

The likely consequence of choosing a policy that excludes such major perils is inadequate protection, leaving you financially responsible for loss or damage.

Comprehensive cover with minimum exclusions

At Schofields we understand that second home owners may only use their properties occasionally or let them, and such requirements are not only inconvenient, but are also expensive to implement. To accommodate this we have tailored a UK holiday home insurance policy that provides comprehensive cover when your holiday cottage is unoccupied or holiday let.

Please note that an insurance policy provides cover for a list of specified perils, the policy does not provide unlimited cover for every eventuality or maintenance related issues.

Why choose us?

Holiday home insurance UK policy benefits - when you choose buildings or contents insurance

  • Your holiday home is comprehensively protected when unoccupied.
    Please note: Certain heating/escape of water warranties apply between 1 November - 31 March. Restrictions apply when the property is not furnished for normal habitation.
  • There are no security requirements (unless the contents sum insured exceeds £40,000).
  • Full theft insurance - including theft by tenants and non-forced entry.
  • Public liability insurance - included. An indemnity limit of £5m is automatically included in the policy which indemnifies both the property owner and the tenant when legally liable. With today's ever increasing recourse to sue, this will cover you should you damage someone else's property or injure them. For example slip, trip and fall claims whilst holiday letting.
  • £5m employers liability insurance - included. This protects you against legal action from injured domestic employees, such as caretakers or cleaners.
  • Accidental damage to contents. For an additional premium the cover can be extended to include claims arising from accidental damage to contents caused by you, guests and pets. E.g. stains or iron burns to carpets.
  • Cover for loss of pre-booked rental income at your self catering accommodation. You are automatically covered for twice the contents sum insured if contents insurance is included.
  • Alternative accommodation costs. For you, your family or rental clients following loss or damage to the property.
  • Insurance cover for swimming pools. The policy automatically includes insurance for swimming pools, including public liability of £5m for the use of the pool.
  • Free legal advice scheme. In relation to a breach of a holiday let agreement or tenancy dispute.
  • Schofields have specialised in UK second home insurance since 1984 - claims are dealt with by qualified insurance experts.
  • Arranged with certain Underwriters at Lloyd's of London, one of the worlds leading insurers - exclusively for Schofields.

What do we consider a Holiday Home or Second Home?

A Holiday Home or Second Home risk is one where the property is:

  • Occupied as a weekend or holiday home by the proposers family/friends or
  • Let commercially on a short term basis as holiday accommodation
  • No more than 8 bedrooms (whether used as bedrooms or not)
  • Situated in Great Britain, Channel Islands and Isle of Man (excludes Northern Ireland)
  • Built of brick, stone or concrete and roofed with slates, tiles, asphalt or concrete
  • A wooden lodge securely built on a concrete base with a pitched roof tiled with tiles or slates

and is not:

  • Used for business (other than holiday letting)
  • A main residence or an unoccupied main residence
  • Let on a long term basis to tenants
  • Permanently unoccupied
  • Permanently left empty and unused
  • In the course of construction
  • Being renovated

Our holiday cottage insurance policy covers loss and damage caused by:

  • Fire, lightning, explosion or earthquake
  • Aircraft or any impact by any vehicle or animal
  • Storm, tempest or flood
  • Escape of water from fixed water tanks, apparatus or pipes
    Note: Certain conditions and exclusions apply during the period of 1st November through until 31st March, see policy wording
  • Escape of oil from domestic fixed fuel oil tanks, apparatus or pipes
  • Theft or attempted theft, including theft by tenant
  • Riots, strikes, violent disorder, civil commotion or malicious damage
  • Subsidence, landslip or heave
  • Falling trees, lampposts or telegraph poles

UK holiday home buildings insurance covers

What are buildings? 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.

  • Damage caused by falling aerials and satellite dishes
  • Breakage of fixed glass and 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

UK holiday home 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

Important Documents

This is a summary of cover, view or print the full terms and conditions:

UK holiday home insurance policy wording

Key facts - download here

Useful Insurance Information

Compare holiday home insurance - identify the risks and small print that can leave you with inadequate cover.

Confused? read our guide to insuring holiday homes

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