UK Holiday Home Insurance
Quick to buy online
- Property covered for non-paying and paying guests including Airbnb.
- Covers holiday homes empty for 30+ days at a time.
- Coastal properties and barn conversions covered.
- Underwritten by AXA Insurance.
HOLIDAY HOME INSURANCE UK
Protect your UK holiday retreat and its contents with holiday let insurance
WHat is holiday home insurance?
Because holiday homes can be left unoccupied for long periods of time, or rented out to guests, you’ll need holiday home home insurance that takes these factors into account. If you rent out your holiday home, holiday home insurance can provide the flexibility needed to ensure you’re still covered while there are paying guests staying at your property.
Many UK insurers only provide cover for your main residence. Homeprotect recognises that customers have a range of needs, which is why we offer insurance for holiday homes such as B&Bs, barn conversions, mansions, and more. Get an online quote and feel rested knowing that your UK holiday home is well looked after no matter what the UK weather brings!
WHAT kind of properties does holiday home insurance cover?
Holiday home insurance provides buildings and contents cover in the same way as standard home insurance. Holiday homes come in all sorts of shapes and sizes across the UK. As long as the building has fixed foundations, we can provide holiday home insurance for:
- Cottages
- Mansions
- Lodges
- Country homes
- Barn conversions
Homeprotect offers cover for properties left unoccupied for over 30 days, with significant limitations to the cover. If unoccupied for over 180 days, these policies default to FLEEA cover (Fire, Lightning, Earthquake, Explosion, Aircraft or other flying devices).
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What’s covered by holiday home insurance?
Home insurance provides financial protection if you need to repair your home or replace your belongings after they’ve been stolen, damaged or destroyed.
It comes in two parts: buildings insurance (cover against damage to the property itself) and contents insurance (for damaged or stolen items within the home). These can be combined or bought separately, so the first step is deciding which option is better for you.
What we offer
Quick fix for uncontrollable leaks
Have a home emergency, such as electricity failure, faulty locks or vermin infestation? With the 24/7 Home Emergency cover, which we provide as standard, you can typically get an engineer at your home within four hours. And if you’re worried about an uncontrollable leak in your home, we aim to have an emergency plumber to you within two hours.
Extreme weather conditions may extend response time. Policy terms and claim limits apply.
5 star rated buildings cover
Our building insurance has been given the highest rating by independent financial research companies, Defaqto and Moneyfacts.
Repair guarantee
Any buildings work we undertake is guaranteed for 24 months following a claim and any contents repair work we undertake is guaranteed for 12 months.
New for old
Where we replace an item, we will do our best to meet the original specification on a ‘new for old’ basis. If we can’t find an exact replacement, we’ll offer you a suitable alternative, or a full cash settlement.
Legal advice
We provide Legal Protection cover as standard, giving you access to telephone legal advice on any personal legal issue, under the laws of the UK, any European Union country, the Isle of Man, Channel Islands, Switzerland and Norway.
What isn’t included?
Damage cause gradually, or by wear and tear, or by failure to fix a known issue.
Faulty design or poor workmanship.
Theft, vandalism or accidental damage caused by a paying guest.
The cost of repairing or replacing items following a mechanical or electrical fault.
Lost items.
Escape of water incidents occurring between 1 October – 1 April (inclusive) if your home is left unoccupied for more than 30 consecutive days.
The costs of alternative accommodation (unless the property is your main home).
HOME Insurance Cover Levels
Our home insurance is designed to protect your home against insured events such as fire, storm, flood, escape of water, theft, malicious damage, subsidence, landslip or heave.
Buildings cover
Covers the main structure of your home if you need to rebuild or repair it.
up to £1 million
(eligibility criteria applies)
Contents cover
Covering the value of all your possessions in the home, on a new for old basis.
from £25,000
Loss of rent
If you have paying guests, we’ll cover lost rent if your guests can’t stay in the home due to an insured event.
up to £30,000
Home emergency
Covers emergencies that occur in your home like uncontrollable water leaks, electricity failure, faulty locks and vermin infestation. Two levels of cover are available.
up to £500
Family legal protection
Provides a 24/7 legal advice helpline and up to £25,000 cover for claims involving contract disputes and property damage. For a claim to be successful, there must be reasonable prospects (more than a 50% chance) of winning the legal case. Two levels of cover are available.
up to £25,000
Trace and access
Covers the cost of detecting the source of a water or oil leak and repairing any damage caused in the process.
up to £10,000
Outbuildings cover
Covers rebuild or repair of your outbuildings (such as detached garages, greenhouses, sheds and summerhouses).
from £20,000
Liability cover
Liability cover involving accidental death, bodily injury or illness or property damage that you are legally liable to pay.
up to £5 million
Personal possessions
Cover for portable items that you take out of your home, like bags, clothes and sports equipment
Optional
(excluded if you have paying guests)
Gadgets, bikes and valuables away from the home
Cover for electronic gadgets (e.g. mobile phones, laptops, tablets etc), bikes (including electrically assisted bikes) and valuables (e.g. watches and jewellery) that you take out of your home.
Optional
(excluded if you have paying guests)
Accidental damage
Covers situations when unexpected accidents happen, such as spillages on the carpet, breakages around the house or drilling through hidden pipes. Two levels of cover are available.
Optional
(excluded if you have paying guests)
maintenance tips for holiday homes
It’s important to keep your holiday home in good condition – whether for personal use or if you’re letting it as a holiday home rental. Below are our top tips for maintaining your holiday home:
- Weekly cleaning service – between guest arrivals.
- An ongoing inventory – to check after each guest checks out and bill for any damages if needed. This is also important if you need to file a claim for theft.
- Seasonal – consider seasonal risks when leaving your home unoccupied. For example, storing outdoor furniture during the winter or leaving the boiler on.
- Safety – changing the key safe combination annually, checking smoke and carbon monoxide alarms and that your holiday home insurance is up to date.
- Make a cleaning checklist – to make sure all guests access the same standards of cleanliness.
- Security checks – to avoid any incidents of theft or damage.
Your Questions Answered
A ‘FLEEA’ policy is a home insurance policy that simply covers against Fire, Lighting, Explosions, Earthquakes and Aircraft or flying objects, compared with a more comprehensive range of risks. At Homeprotect, properties that are left unoccupied for 180 days automatically become FLEEA policies.
Yes, you should insure holiday homes. If your holiday homes are left unoccupied for more than 30 days at a time, make sure your property is protected between holidays or lets against risks such theft or damage. If you rent your holiday home, it’s also best to ensure you’re covered while there are paying guests staying at your property.
Holiday homes come in all sorts of shapes and sizes across the UK. As long as the building has fixed foundations, we can provide the following holiday home cover under our home insurance:
- Cottage insurance
- Mansion insurance
- Lodge insurance
- Country home insurance
- Barn conversion insurance
A holiday home refers to any secondary property used for holidays and short breaks. Some of the common properties that may need holiday letting insurance include:
- UK holiday homes – a second home in the UK used for short stays and vacations.
- Overseas holiday homes – properties abroad, for example in France or Spain, only visited for short stays a few times a year. (Please note, Homeprotect doesn’t offer overseas holiday home insurance.)
- Holiday cottage insurance – small properties, typically in the UK, used for holidays. Homeprotect doesn’t offer ‘cottage insurance’ specifically, but your holiday cottage can be insured under our home insurance.
- Chalet insurance– owned holiday chalets should be insured to protect against damage or theft. We can cover chalets, as long as they have fixed foundations, under our home insurance.
The main difference between a holiday home and a second home is the amount of time the homeowner resides in the property. Second homes are typically seen as secondary permanent residences that the homeowner spends a significant amount of time in – such as part of each week. Holiday homes are sometimes unoccupied for extended periods, with some homeowners only using the property for short stays a few times a year.
Yes, most UK properties can be let for short-term holiday accommodation. However, various regulations must be met to let your property – including tax considerations, mortgage obligations and additional insurance requirements.
Yes, Homeprotect is pleased to offer unoccupied home insurance policies for long periods. If your holiday home will be left vacant during the off-season or between guests for more than 30 days, we can still offer cover. Please read more about our unoccupied home insurance to understand what restrictions apply.
New Customer?
If you’re deciding on whether to buy home insurance with us, you can use our latest policy booklets as a guide.
Existing Customer?
Find answers to some of your questions here. Your latest policy documents are also available to view and download.
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