This category is for Boshers Insurance News and articles about Boshers the Holiday Home Insurance Specialists. They are of interest to owners of holiday homes, cottages and holiday complexes across the UK which are used for holiday letting.
Articles include updates on Boshers and news and notifications about the insurance market of interest to owners of holiday lets.
Did you know that Boshers Insurance do more than provide high-quality insurance for Holiday Home owners? We also support The 2 Minute Foundation, a charity whose vision is to clean up the planet, 2 minutes at a time. So, if you have ever despaired at the state of many of our beaches, there is hope!
How it Started
The 2 Minute Foundation has been up and running for over a decade. It started with Martin Dorey putting a post out on Twitter saying he was going to do a 2-minute beach clean and who was in? The result was it became a massive social media movement, with hundreds of thousands of people posting their 2-minute beach cleans on The Two Minute Foundation’s social media channels!
What is the Problem?
If people and corporations do not change their behaviour, scientists calculate by 2050 between 850-950 million tonnes of plastic will be in our oceans. That is the equivalent of 5 million Antarctic blue whales (the heaviest animal in the world).1
The increasing amount of plastic pollution has caused over 78% of marine mammals being at risk of accidental deaths. An example of this is marine mammals getting caught in fishing nets, which kills over 1,000,000 sea animals every year. In the UK alone, 700,000 plastic water bottles are littered every day, and these statistics are only the tip of the iceberg.2
What is the Solution?
If everyone in the UK was to pick up at least two pieces of litter, over 136 million pieces of litter would be removed from our coastlines, which is the basis for The 2 Minute Foundation’s mission and vision to clean up the planet, 2 minutes at a time.3
How the 2 Minute Foundation Makes a Difference
The 2 Minute Foundation is a charity that enables people to pick up litter. Wherever there’s a station, someone can use the equipment free of charge to collect plastics and other types of litter. People can borrow litter pickers and bags from stations in various locations, collect and tag the bags, recycle what they can, bin the rest, and return the pickers and bags.
Mobilising communities all around the UK; they started off with one or two litter picking stations and now have over 1,000 in the UK and Ireland.4 You can be out walking your dog, on a beach excursion for the day, or be more adventurous and take the litter picker out on a paddle board and collect from the sea. The Two Minute Foundation encourages people from all walks of life and in any location to be better stewards of the planet.
How Does Boshers Insurance Help?
As part of a collective of businesses which support The 2 Minute Foundation, Boshers are really proud to be part of the Foundation’s journey in cleaning up the planet.
We have been working alongside The 2 Minute Foundation since 2022, and are part of a host of companies supporting the Foundation’s work, including:
The National Lottery
Channel 4
Volkswagen
Dryrobe
LUSH Fresh Handmade Cosmetics
… and of course – Boshers Insurance.
It’s no one’s responsibility to pick litter up, which makes it everyone’s responsibility. That’s why the Boshers team are going to do a beach clean up in the very near future (follow us on Linked In, Facebook and Instagram to keep tabs on the Boshers Big Beach Clean!), and support The 2 Minute Foundation in every way we can.
If you’d like to get involved with cleaning up our planet – 2 minutes at a time – contact The 2 Minute Foundation via their website: https://2minute.org/
If you’d like to follow them on social media and post your own beach clean, please visit the social media links below.
Boshers Ltd are authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority under register number 224623. Boshers Ltd are registered in England No. 02946794. Registered office: Affinity House, Bindon Road, Taunton, Somerset, TA2 6AA. Calls may be recorded for use in quality management, training and customer support.
https://www.boshers.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/The-2-Minute-Foundation.jpg720720adminhttps://www.boshers.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/03-Boshers-Insurance-Landscape-dark-RGB_TRADEMARKED-300x70.pngadmin2024-07-31 11:53:322024-07-31 13:43:00The 2 Minute Foundation and Boshers Holiday Home Insurance
Boshers Insurance is headed by Jason Jackson, who has worked in the insurance industry for 36 years. Jason is an avid history fan and enjoys travelling both abroad and within the UK. Before taking on the role of running Boshers Insurance, he worked for Lloyd & Whyte’s Specialist Broking division, which he joined in 2021.
Lloyd & Whyte was established in 1946. Based in Taunton, Somerset, it now has offices throughout the UK. Over the years, it has expanded and grown into the Lloyd & Whyte Group, which owns multiple companies and brands providing specialist insurance.
Through rapid growth and the building of successful association partnerships (Lloyd & Whyte is the appointed insurance adviser for British Medical Association, British Veterinary Association, and British Dental Association members, to name but a few), it has kept its roots in the South West, priding itself on providing personalised service and tailored solutions to both individuals and businesses.
Lloyd & Whyte also has a wide range of personal insurance services that cover homeowners – from standard home insurance to thatched and listed character properties and high value homes.
Charitable Giving
Lloyd & Whyte is part of Benefact Group – a family of specialist financial services businesses driven by a shared mission to provide trusted advice, excellent service, and quality products to their clients. Benefact Group’s businesses also share the same purpose – to give all available profits to charities and good causes. Each time you arrange Holiday Home Insurance through us, the Benefact Group gives back to those who need a helping hand. You, as our client, are an integral part of this.
When we grow, we directly benefit others. We’re also the only specialist financial services business that gives back on the scale that we do. While people are motivated by different things, making a positive difference in the lives of others brings people together. It provides us with a purpose; something more meaningful. Discover who and how we help in our short film here:
Benefact Group | Past, Present and Future
Benefact Group has been giving to charities for over 135 years. Since 2014, it has given £200 million1 and aims to give £250 million by 2025.2 Out of 5.5 million companies nationwide, it is now the 3rd largest corporate donor in the UK.3
Choose a Charity. Champion a Cause.
You can give back through Benefact Group’s Movement for Good Awards. The awards are Benefact Group’s annual programme of giving which anyone can get involved in. This year they’ll be donating over £1 million to charities nominated by people like you. Through Movement for Good, you can nominate your favourite charity and give it a chance of winning £1,000 or £5,000. //movementforgood.com/#nominateACharity
If you are interested in discussing insurance for your holiday home, contact us today. We offer specialist holiday home insurance to holiday let and cottage complex owners across the UK. If you need an insurance quote for your holiday let call us on 01237 429444.
https://www.boshers.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Boshers.jpg7111066adminhttps://www.boshers.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/03-Boshers-Insurance-Landscape-dark-RGB_TRADEMARKED-300x70.pngadmin2024-07-04 10:48:292024-07-04 11:00:16Insurance That Gives Back
Boshers has donated its £3,750 grant from Ecclesiastical Insurance to The 2 Minute Foundation. The funding will help achieve their aims to see a world without plastic litter and pollution and to inspire people to change the way they interact with outdoor spaces.
Data is power
The grant will be used towards further development of the #2minutebeachclean mobile App to make it the ‘go-to’ litter pick app. Data is power, and statistics from the App facilitates The 2 Minute Foundation to pin point and hone in on certain areas, and make positive change and ultimately reducing the amount of single use plastic that enters our oceans.
Tens of thousands of #2minute volunteers regularly give their own time to clean our beaches
The 2 Minute Foundation now have well over 800 #2minutebeachclean #2minutestreetclean and #2minutelitterpick stations across the UK. They have successfully piloted a scheme to recruit and train a team of volunteer `guardian angels’ to help look after the stations and provide education, most recently starting a beach school. Tens of thousands of #2minute volunteers regularly give their own time to clean our beaches, streets and public places of single use plastic which would otherwise end up in the sea.
Mark Lavington, CEO of insurance intermediary, Boshers commented that, “With the kind help of Ecclesiastical’s Closer to You grant funding we are proud to have supported the charity since 2017. To date we have sponsored 15 beach clean stations, equipping them all with reusable beach clean bags and litter pickers. In addition, 2 volunteer `guardian angels’ have been trained and equipped to look after numerous beach clean stations and to do outreach work in their local communities. The 2 Minute Foundation has grown from strength to strength and we are so pleased to partner with the Ecclesiastical Insurance Group to help fund improvements to the #2minutebeachclean mobile App.”
Martin Dorey, founder and CEO of The 2 Minute Foundation explained that, “Data uploaded via the #2minutebeachclean mobile App by volunteers is crucial for understanding what’s going on in our oceans, to help identify patterns, from which we can create solutions to protect the marine environment. The continued support from Boshers and Ecclesiastical is invaluable, thank you!”
Closer to you support for #2minutebeachclean App
Holiday home insurance specialists, Boshers, applied for grant funding from Ecclesiastical Insurance Group’s ‘Closer to You’ charity support programme to be able to boost our support for The 2 Minute Foundation. This programme gives Ecclesiastical’s Select insurance broker partners the chance to be part of its ambition to give over £100million to good causes. As well as providing funding for charities close to brokers, employees from the specialist insurer are also teaming up with brokers for volunteering days and fundraising challenges.
Why not incorporate a #2minutebeachclean, #2minutestreetclean or #2minutelitterpick with your next walk? To find out more about the The 2 Minute Foundation visit: #2minutebeachclean | Home
Boshers offer specialist holiday home insurance to holiday let and cottage complex owners across the UK. If you need an insurance quote for your holiday let call us on 01237 429444.
There has been much media coverage of the Supreme Court Judgement made on the 15th January 2021 regarding the FCA Test Case involving some insurers business interruption wordings. Understandably this has caused a number of our holiday home and cottage complex owners to make further enquiries with us as the intermediary and with Ecclesiastical, the insurer, regarding loss of income cover.
We appreciate the significant impact that government measures to control the spread of the coronavirus is having on all businesses, not least self-catering accommodation providers and the wider hospitality and tourism industry.
Q: Commonly we are being asked, “Following the Supreme Court ruling that some Business Interruption policies must pay for losses due to COVID-19, does this mean that I am covered for loss of income after all?”
A: Unfortunately, the Loss of Income section of the Holiday Home Insurance policy underwritten by Ecclesiastical does not respond to closure as a result of COVID-19.
In short this is because the policy wording in common with the majority of sme insurance policies was clear in its intention and therefore not included in the FCA’s test case and therefore not impacted by The Supreme Court ruling on business interruption.
This is a complex matter but hopefully the following explanation will help clarify the position and why it hasn’t changed following the outcome of the Supreme Court Judgement and FCA Test Case.
Loss of income cover
Our Holiday Home Insurance policy underwritten by Ecclesiastical does include a loss of income section typically providing cover for quantifiable losses following a property damage claim, such as a flood, fire or storm damage.
This loss of income section also includes the following extensions:
Prevention of access – this cover only applies where access to your property has been prevented or hindered following damage to a neighbouring property. Unfortunately, for this reason a claim for loss of income due to the COVID-19 lockdown is not covered under this extension.
Specified disease vermin defective sanitation murder – policies taken out or renewed prior to the 1st September 2020 provided loss of income cover for occurrence of established infectious diseases at the premises or within a radius of 25 miles whose impact is assessable (known as Specified Disease Cover). These diseases are set out in the policy document and only those listed in the Definition specific to this extension were covered.
COVID-19 is not included on the list of diseases covered by this insurance. This is because, in common with most of the market, Ecclesiastical’s insurance policies are not designed or priced to cover pandemics.
For clarity the Specified Disease cover in the holiday home insurance policy was removed for new policies and renewals from 1st September 2020. This is because following significant disruption caused by the COVID-19 Pandemic, our insurers, and in turn their reinsurers, have advised that such occurrences are not within the remit of standard commercial package policies. Whilst we understand that you would wish to include Loss of Income protection against a similar reoccurrence, we are unable to provide cover for any loss damage liability cost or any other sum of whatsoever nature arising from any form of infectious or communicable disease closure. This exclusion also removes the previously provided ‘specified diseases’ cover at or within 25 miles of your premises. These changes are detailed in this update to the policy wording.
FCA Test Case High Court Judgement and Supreme Court Appeal Judgement
The Ecclesiastical Holiday Home Insurance wording is clear and was not part of the FCA test case and therefore not part of the Supreme Court Appeal Judgement but to provide you with an overview of these two aspects this is as follows:
Specified disease extensions such as in the Ecclesiastical holiday home insurance policy was not one of the wordings being tested. This is because such wordings were clear and the Financial Conduct Authority has stated that most policies have basic cover, do not cover pandemics and therefore would have no obligation to settle claims for loss of income in relation to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Ecclesiastical did participate in the FCA Business Interruption Test Case in order to clarify some of their policy wordings unrelated to the holiday home insurance policy. At a Court Hearing on 2 October 2020, the FCA confirmed that it did not intend to Appeal the High Court’s original finding that losses arising from the closure of businesses due to the Government’s action in response to the COVID-19 pandemic are not covered by Ecclesiastical’s Business Interruption policies. This means that there were no further Supreme Court Appeal proceedings relating to Ecclesiastical.
Statement from Ecclesiastical Insurance:
“The High Court Judgment published on 15 September 2020 stated that losses arising from the closure of businesses due to the Government’s action in response to the COVID-19 pandemic are not covered by Ecclesiastical’s Business Interruption policies and therefore we are not required to pay claims on those policies.
We recognise that whilst the ruling supports the position we have taken throughout this period, the Judgment will clearly be disappointing to some customers. We are very mindful that this is an unprecedented situation that has been tough for customers and wanted to take part in the legal proceedings so we could gain maximum clarity for all in the shortest amount of time.
The Supreme Court issued its Appeal Judgment on 15 January 2021. The proceedings did not involve Ecclesiastical. The original High Court ruling found that losses arising from the closure of businesses due to the Government’s action in response to the COVID-19 pandemic are not covered by our policies and the FCA confirmed in October 2020 that it did not intend to Appeal that decision.
This means that the Supreme Court Judgment does not change the original High Court ruling that claims on Ecclesiastical’s Business Interruption policies are not payable. We recognise that this has been a difficult and uncertain period for customers and hope the Courts’ rulings provide the certainty and clarity that the Test Case was designed to create.”
You can read Ecclesiastical’s full statement which was updated on the 15th January here:
Association of British Insurers (ABI) Statement and Q&A
A key principle of insurance is that the losses of the few are paid by the many. In a pandemic situation the losses are many and the insurance market is not designed to cover such scenarios. The ABI has published a comprehensive set of Q&As to help people understand what their insurance covers them for.
Other forms of help
The Government recognises that its own actions to save lives and beat the virus have resulted in sudden and acute difficulties for businesses large and small. It has announced several substantial initiatives to help them overcome these, some of which may apply to your holiday letting business. We would encourage our policyholders to take full advantage of these where they can. We recommend checking the Government website for more details on the support available:
Should you ever have cause to make an insurance claim, the process and contact numbers are detailed in the holiday home insurance policy document. You can either phone Ecclesiastical on their claims line 0345 603 8381 quoting your Boshers Holiday Home Insurance policy number or phone us and we will transfer your call to their claims department.
In summary
Unfortunately there is no cover within the policy for loss of income for cancelled bookings due to closure as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. We realise that this may not be the outcome policyholders might have hoped for but trust that this explains the position at what must be an extremely difficult time for your holiday letting business.
Now that the vaccine is being rolled out across the UK we remain positive that domestic tourism and demand for self-catering accommodation will boom in the coming years.
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Temporarily Closed Holiday Letting Properties – Updated 17th March 2021
We appreciate the significant impact that government measures to control the spread of the coronavirus is having on all businesses, not least self-catering accommodation providers and the wider hospitality and tourism industry.
With much of the UK having experienced heavy rain, snow, flooding and prolonged periods of cold / freezing weather over the past few months, risk management is especially important to avoid or minimise losses and disruption to future holiday letting at your property.
We’re here to support you
We just want to reassure you that we‘re here to support you in protecting your holiday letting property in the long term, so that when it’s safe to do so it’ll be ready to open.
So by, following the steps below whilst your self-catering property is closed to guests due to Government guidance, your cover will remain unaffected.
We do however recognise that there may be circumstances where it’s not possible for you to comply with your policy conditions, where this is the case it’s important that you contact us in order that we may discuss and agree an appropriate approach with your insurer.
Arranging for holiday letting properties to be inspected
If you do not live on site or are not local to the holiday let property, we hope that you have been able to arrange for someone in the local area, for instance a neighbour, managing agent, a housekeeper or contractor to visit your holiday let property to make the necessary internal checks on your behalf at least every 14 days.
During the winter period there are often gas safety checks, electrical inspections or other routine maintenance required to be carried out at the property. These visits can also be opportunities to have internal inspections carried out on your behalf if the contractor is happy to do this and report back to you.
At the time of writing, the latest Government guidance (which can be found here) clarifies that whilst a business may be closed to customers, closed premises can still be accessed for certain purposes including:
Maintenance, where this is reasonably necessary; and
Other work to ensure business readiness to open.
In addition, where it is unreasonable for a person to work from home they are permitted to travel to work, provided this can be undertaken safely and in line with the latest Government guidelines.
Unoccupancy Conditions
Insurers expect that you continue to arrange internal inspections of your property and comply with the unoccupancy conditions. With respect to your holiday home insurance policy underwritten by Ecclesiastical this means that:
whilst the property is untenanted it must be inspected internally at least every 14 days by an authorised adult on your behalf; AND
during the months of October to March inclusive, the heating system must be brought into constant operation to maintain a room temperature of at least 7 degrees Celsius throughout the property OR the water must be turned off at the stopcock inside the property and the domestic system drained and other services such as electricity or gas disconnected (other than as necessary to maintain central heating and security systems).
The consequences if you fail to fulfil the above conditions:
If you fail to fulfil the above conditions cover will be to damage by Fire lightning explosion earthquake and by any aircraft flying object (or items dropped from them) vehicle train or animal colliding with the buildings.
We know from many conversations that we have had with policyholders during the pandemic that the majority of holiday home owners have made arrangements to comply with the heating and inspection conditions detailed above.
Ecclesiastical have provided some reassurance and risk management guidance within a statement of intent which has been published on their website:
We hope that this provides the reassurance you need. If this action is insufficient to meet your insurance needs or if you are unsure about any other insurance issues, please speak to one of the Holiday Home Insurance Team on 01237 429444.
Any further updates or extensions will be posted on our website here.
Enhancements ended 02/12/2020
The following enhancements were only introduced for the duration of the English national lockdown period that ended on 2/12/20. These have therefore ceased and, for the avoidance of doubt, do not apply in respect of any tiered restrictions:
Premises that are temporarily closed solely due to the COVID-19 outbreak
Buildings that are temporarily closed/no longer in regular use are exposed to different and usually greater risk than occupied premises and premises that are open for regular trading.
Our standard policies define “unoccupied” premises and apply standard restrictions in cover and conditions precedent to cover that need to be complied with. Normally a higher premium is charged on unoccupied premises.
To ensure customers were not unduly penalised for temporary closures solely due to the COVID-19 full lockdown restrictions the normal terms and conditions applicable to unoccupied premises were not applied to premises that were temporarily closed.
Temporarily Closed meant premises temporarily closed solely due to the COVID-19 outbreak (and such premises were not regarded as unoccupied as defined in the Policy) during the period when the dispensations applied.
With effect from 2/12/20 temporarily closed premises must comply with all policy terms and conditions, including (but not restricted to) unoccupied premises conditions, where they fall within the normal policy definition of Unoccupied.
Please note:
1) The start of any period of unoccupancy begins from the date the premises first became unoccupied (not from 2/12/20).
2) If a premises qualifies as unoccupied on 2/12/20 the insured must comply with all policy terms and conditions for unoccupied premises immediately from 2/12/20 to maintain cover in line with the policy (unless otherwise agreed or varied by us in writing).
3) Premises that are not yet open to customers/other service users, or not yet fully used in the normal way for that premises, but does have daily occupation in line with normal working hours for that premises (such as admin/office functions are now operating, or there is a daily presence in preparing for normal operations to re-commence), will not be deemed unoccupied.
See the policy definition of Unoccupied for more details.
If in doubt please contact us via your normal channel of communication.
Outstanding risk improvements, periodic conditions and maintenance conditions – re-apply from 2/12/20 and all dispensations cease
We temporarily suspended compliance with risk improvements by the deadline specified by us, and other policy terms requiring regular maintenance or inspection, where these could not be completed during the COVID-19 lockdown because of the restrictions on movement and/or the lack of availability of contractors.
With effect from 2/12/20 the suspension of compliance will cease. Any policy term that requires regular maintenance or inspection re-applies from 2/12/20.
If the re-set deadline is not sufficient for any reason please contact us immediately.
Temporary cover enhancements for unoccupied holiday homes (Enhancements ended 02/12/2020)
Update for Boshers holiday home insurance policyholders who are concerned about their unoccupied holiday homes which are temporarily closed due to COVID-19. We would like to reassure our policyholders in light of the most recent government advice about the outbreak of COVID-19. You may be concerned that due to the current lock down and travel restrictions, the usual inspections of your holiday let cannot take place. You may also be concerned that your policy cover may be restricted.
Recognising the circumstances customers find themselves in, we would not expect to see your ability to claim affected by circumstances over which you have little control. To reassure you, up to and including the 2nd December 2020 in England, Ecclesiastical have agreed that unoccupied premises cover restrictions will not apply to Temporarily Closed premises. These will equally apply to any similar lockdowns in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland as per the dates announced locally by the governments in these countries.
A revised letter of intent can be downloaded (as a PDF) here. The letter details the revised temporary cover enhancements for unoccupied holiday homes.
The need for an inspection or check is deferred until travel restrictions are lifted
Where government advice does not allow the necessary travel to complete an inspection or to check on the security devices, the need for an inspection or check is deferred until travel restrictions are lifted to a level which allows inspections to re-commence.
However, if your holiday home is not occupied, this represents a greater risk of significant damage which could delay your holiday home getting back up and running once the current COVID-19 outbreak has passed. With this in mind, where you are able to do so safely, and within the current government guidelines, we would encourage you to consider anything you can do to reduce the risk of damage or loss, particularly through escaping water from heating systems and security of the premises generally.
In respect of Temporarily Closed premises the following risk management measures should be implemented as far as is possible:
(1) you must maintain in full and efficient working order and keep operational all
alarms (if fitted)
locks and all other protective and security devices preventing access to the premises
(2) Provided any travel required to carry out an inspection is in line with the latest government advice you or an authorised person responsible to you must undertake an internal and external inspection of such buildings at least every 14 days and
rectify as soon as is reasonably possible any defects in the fabric of the building or any protective or security devices or installations
take action to ensure the premises cannot be easily identified as unused or closed down such as removing waste, recycling and accumulations of post.
iii. put in place contingency plans incase the primary person(s) carrying out inspections or responding to alarm activations need to self isolate or are ill so that inspections and alarm activation responses can be maintained by another appointed person
(3) you or an authorised person responsible to you will arrange that either:
(a) the heating system is brought into constant operation and a minimum room temperature of not less than 7 degrees Celsius (45 degrees Fahrenheit) maintained throughout the property or
(b) the water is turned off at the stopcock inside the premises and the domestic water system drained and other services such as electricity and gas are disconnected (other than as necessary to maintain the central heating or security system).
If you have any questions regarding this please do contact us. However in order for us to manage enquiries during a period where we are likely to be busy, please could we ask where possible that in the first instance you email info@boshers.co.uk. We will continue to update you and our website as the situation develops and thank you for your understanding at this difficult time.
Holiday homeowners and holiday letting agents alike are understandably concerned about the potential for the disruption which coronavirus (Covid-19) may cause. Boshers have put together a list of frequently asked questions (FAQ’s). Hopefully these will help to clarify the position with respect to holiday let bookings and coronavirus. This includes details on cover provided by our holiday home insurance policy together with wider implications.
Whilst the primary concern for the disruption which coronavirus may cause is loss of income due to cancelled bookings, owners are also concerned about their liability towards guests and cleaning contractors. Hopefully these FAQ’s will help to clarify what is and isn’t covered under your holiday home insurance policy.
Holiday Let Bookings and Coronavirus – Frequently asked questions?
Q1. Does my policy include any cover for loss of rental income if the holiday home is directly affected by a `disease outbreak’?
There is some cover within the policy for loss of income as a result of a `specified disease’. The definition of specified disease specific to the loss of income cover is detailed in the policy wording. You can view the policy wording on our website here: https://www.boshers.co.uk/holiday-home-insurance/
Update: For clarity, the Specified Disease cover in the holiday home insurance policy was removed for new policies and renewals from 1st September 2020. This is because following significant disruption caused by the COVID-19 Pandemic, our insurers, and in turn their reinsurers, have advised that such occurrences are not within the remit of standard commercial package policies. Whilst we understand that you would wish to include Loss of Income protection against a similar reoccurrence, we are unable to provide cover for any loss damage liability cost or any other sum of whatsoever nature arising from any form of infectious or communicable disease closure. This exclusion also removes the previously provided ‘specified diseases’ cover at or within 25 miles of your premises. These changes are detailed in this update to the policy wording.
Q2. Is Covid-19 a specified disease for the purpose of the policy wording?
No – In common with most other insurers, Covid-19 is not a specified disease in our policy wording. The extension under the loss of income section of our policy for `specified disease’ is based on a specific list of diseases which does not include new and emerging diseases like Covid-19.
Q3. What about the fact that Covid-19 has been declared a `notifiable disease’ by the Government?
Even though the Government has declared Covid-19 as a notifiable disease, this does not change the insurance position under the policy. As the chancellor said, you cannot retrospectively change contracts of insurance at this time without threatening the future of the insurance industry.
Our holiday home insurance underwriter Ecclesiastical will continue to offer cover for `specified disease’, rather than for ‘notifiable’ or any infectious or contagious disease such as coronavirus. We are sorry that it is not economically viable to provide cover for pandemic viruses such as Covid-19, but with this approach you can be clear on what is and isn’t covered.
Q4. What if guests are prevented from taking up their bookings because they have been quarantined due to coronavirus?
There would not be cover under your policy as this is a booking your guests cannot fulfil. You would need to check your booking cancellation terms and conditions to determine how much refund your guests would be entitled to, if any. It may be that they can claim for the cost of the booking under their travel insurance if they have a policy in force. Travel insurance may cover non-refundable cancellation costs, in specific circumstances. These may include medical advice against your guest or a member of your guests’ group from travelling or government advice against travelling. The ABI have issued some information for travellers here: https://www.abi.org.uk/products-and-issues/topics-and-issues/coronavirus-qa/
Q5. What if guests choose to cancel their holiday because they are disinclined to travel because they are concerned about coronavirus?
In a similar manner to Q4 above, there would not be cover under your policy. This is a booking your guests are choosing not to fulfil. You would need to check your booking cancellation terms to determine how much refund your guests would be entitled to, if any. In this instance the guests’ travel insurance would not cover them as travel insurance is not designed to cover ‘disinclination to travel’ , where the Government advice has not changed to advise against travel.
Q6. What if guests currently staying in the property are forced to stay on because our area comes under quarantine?
There would not be cover under your policy as coronavirus is not a specified disease in our policy wording. In any event, it is unlikely that individuals will be prevented from travelling home at the end of their holiday. If a guest contracts coronavirus whilst on holiday it would be reasonable to expect them to return home to self-isolate.
Q7. How about liability cover?
Subject to the terms and conditions of Boshers Holiday Home Insurance policy, the Employers’ and Public Liability cover provides an indemnity to the policyholder if the policyholder is held legally liable for accidental bodily injury or illness arising in connection with the policyholder’s business of holiday letting.
Q8. Should I ensure that my holiday home is deep cleaned on changeover day?
You have a duty of care towards any visitors to your holiday home to ensure that it is a safe environment. By taking reasonable steps to make sure that your holiday home is cleaned in accordance with Public Health guidelines, you will be fulfilling your duty of care. The best source of cleaning guidance can be found here:
The situation surrounding coronavirus is developing rapidly. It’s best to regularly check the government’s official guidance which is reviewed daily and updated frequently. If you are already a Boshers Holiday Home Insurance client and need any additional guidance on holiday let bookings and coronavirus by all means give our team a call on 01237 429444 or contact us by email. Equally if you have any holiday letting insurance related questions regarding coronavirus that we haven’t answered above, get in touch and we’ll do our upmost to answer them.
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The team at Boshers would like to wish all our insurance customers, suppliers and business partners a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. You’ll find Boshers Christmas Opening Hours below, together with information on how to report a claim when we are closed.
2023
Wed 20th Dec – 0830 – 1300 Thurs 21st Dec – 0830 – 1700 Fri 22nd Dec – 0830 – 1700 Sat 23rd Dec – Closed Christmas Eve – Closed Christmas Day – Closed Boxing Day – Closed Wed 27th Dec – 1000 – 1600 Thurs 28th Dec – 1000 – 1600 Fri 29th Dec – 1000 – 1600 Sat 30th Dec – Closed New Years Eve – Closed
2024
New Years Day – Closed Tues 2nd Jan – 0830 – 1700 Weds 3rd Jan – 0830 – 1700
Claims – out of hours assistance: If you are unfortunate enough to need to inform your insurer of an incident which will or may lead to a claim over the holiday period outside of Boshers Christmas Opening Hours please check your policy document for the insurers 24 hour claims help line.
For further claims assistance and out of hours phone numbers visit:
If you are a Boshers Holiday Home Insurance client you can download a copy of your holiday home insurance policy document in downloads by clicking through to the following page: holiday home insurance
For further information on UK holiday home insurance visit the website page most relevant to you:
Our advice to holiday homeowners comes as the Met Office predicts temperatures to dip, bringing an end to the mild conditions experienced across much of the UK this autumn. Whilst many holiday homes are still busy with guests enjoying a low season break, the risks of burst pipes are reduced. However, the weather can soon change during December, so it pays to be prepared. For example on 30th November 2022 Aviemore in Scotland saw the lowest temperature recorded so far that autumn, a chilly -6.0°C and parts of the UK had already seen significant frosts. These weather conditions can cause pipes to freeze and burst causing serious damage and vacant holiday homes are particularly vulnerable if basic precautions are not taken.
As holiday home insurance specialists, we are encouraging holiday homeowners to take precautions to prevent water damage by burst pipes.
Whilst most holiday homes are let to guests during much of the year, the weeks either side of the festive period can be less popular. Properties are often empty and therefore more exposed to extreme weather and prone to problems going undetected.
When a severe cold spell swept the UK in 2010, insurers dealt with 3,500 claims for burst pipe damage every day (£1 billion paid out in Nov/Dec alone *ABI).
Mark Lavington, Director at Boshers Ltd explains; “We see more burst pipe and escape of water insurance claims than any other type of claim. The average cost of claims for frozen pipes is £12000. (Claims data 2011-2017 *Ecclesiastical Insurance) Whilst the damage caused can be significant there are several simple steps holiday homeowners can take in order to reduce their risk.”
We have issued guidance including a number of steps you can take in order to reduce the chances of potential damage:
Turn off the stopcock and drain the water and heating system; or
Leave the heating on to maintain a temperature throughout your holiday home sufficient to prevent pipes from freezing (above 7°C). Setting your heating thermostat at a low level (15°C) will help maintain a reasonable temperature to prevent frozen pipes.
If your holiday home is unoccupied during the winter, ensure you turn the water off at the stopcock even if you leave your heating on (where your heating system allows).
Arrange for regular checks on the property during any period in which it isn’t occupied by guests.
Lag and insulate pipes, boilers and water tanks, particularly if exposed to the cold (think about attics and outbuildings).
Make sure your heating and water systems are serviced regularly and checked by a professional.
Consider installing a leak detection system or automatic stopcock, particularly if you live away from the property.
Refer to your holiday home insurance policy for conditions specific to your cover
Damage caused by burst pipes can be significant
Mark added “The damage caused to holiday homes by burst pipes can be significant, potentially leaving the holiday property uninhabitable for a considerable amount of time. Whilst the material damage and loss of rental income may be insured the inconvenience to both holiday homeowners and future guests is best avoided. Being proactive in reacting to potentially severe weather could save owners hassle, expense and disruption.”
For further guidance on holiday home checks ahead of extreme weather please visit:
It is a condition that whenever the premises are left unoccupied you will arrange that the premises are inspected at least every 14 days by you or an authorised person responsible to you.
Whilst the holiday home is untenanted during the months of October to March inclusive, you will arrange that either (a) the heating system is brought into constant operation and a minimum room temperature of not less than 7 degrees Celsius (45 degrees Fahrenheit) maintained throughout the property or (b) the water is turned off at the stopcock inside the premises and the domestic water system drained and other services such as electricity and gas are disconnected (other than as necessary to maintain the central heating or security system). There is also a requirement that any water tank and pipework in your loft is lagged.
The consequences if you fail to fulfil the above conditions:
If you fail to fulfil the above conditions cover will be reduced to damage by Fire lightning explosion earthquake and by any aircraft flying object (or items dropped from them) vehicle train or animal colliding with the buildings.
To avoid cover being restricted it is important to comply with the policy conditions. We know from many conversations that we have had with policyholders that the majority of holiday homeowners have made arrangements to comply with the heating and inspection conditions detailed above.
Boshers offer specialist holiday home insurance to owners across the UK. Need an insurance quote for your holiday let? Give us a call on 01237 429444 and we’ll be happy to answer any questions you have.
https://www.boshers.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/bigstock-196218175-1.jpg600900adminhttps://www.boshers.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/03-Boshers-Insurance-Landscape-dark-RGB_TRADEMARKED-300x70.pngadmin2019-11-21 13:53:012022-12-01 10:31:03Holiday homeowners encouraged to be proactive before wintry weather takes hold
We’re delighted to say that our blog has been named as one of the most helpful online resources for holiday homeowners across the UK by Padlifter.com.
Our appearance on their ‘Top 100 Short-term Vacation rental blogs’ list, which recognises those that offer ‘best practice tips and ways of enhancing guest experience’, comes after we’ve written more than 300 blog posts over the past five years, crammed full of information on topics such as health and safety, insurance and online marketing.
We’ve been specialising in holiday home insurance for almost 30 years and over that time we’ve been able to build up a wealth of knowledge and experience by talking to holiday homeowners each and every day; the Boshers blog is our way of sharing that experience with cottage owners.
No matter if it’s the latest legislative changes on credit card payments, updates to fire risk assessments or ways you can encourage more guests to your property during the winter months, we want our holiday homeowner blog to provide you with useful tips you can quickly put in place in order to enhance your guest experience and bookings, whilst also ensuring you’re on top of everything you need to be doing in order to keep your guests safe.
Here are some of our
most popular topics…
Health and Safety
As a holiday homeowner
you’ll want to make sure that your guests not only have a great time in your
cottage but also a safe stay. With the
ever-changing landscape of health and safety regulations and the growing list
of areas you need to be aware of it can often be difficult to keep up. Our health and safety posts are here to help
you put the right processes in place and minimise the chances of an accident
happening.
We of course know the importance of having the right insurance in place for your holiday home. Have you ever thought about what would happen if your holiday home were to become unavailable during the peak summer months? How about if it were to be involved in a serious fire and need to be rebuilt? Or where you stand if paying guests accidentally damage your furniture?
Our holiday home insurance posts provide you with the answers to questions you might not have thought or be aware of when it comes to your insurance policy.
With hundreds of paying guests entering your property over the course of a calendar year it’s understandable that there’ll be a little wear and tear. No matter if you look after the cleaning and maintenance of your cottage yourself or you live a good distance from the property and employ an external agency, our maintenance tips are all geared toward making sure your property is looking great every time a guest walks through the front door.
Having faced freezing temperatures and snow drifts in late March, the summer of 2018 couldn’t have been in greater contrast when it comes to the weather. Britain baked in record breaking temperatures amid a hot dry spell that seemed to go on for months. Large swathes of land were so parched that fires erupted across the country in places such as Manchester and Dartmoor.
But, while we all basked in sunshine, could there have been an unsuspected consequence? Are some homeowners now paying the price for this hot weather? The Association of British Insurers (ABI) has reported that during July to September 2018, subsidence claims reached a 12-year high. Claims reached the same levels experienced during a similar heatwave in 2006.
10,000 households made claims totalling £64 million. The increase potentially and partially related to the drying out of properties and foundations during the heatwave.
So what is subsidence and how do you spot the signs? Importantly, what do you need to be watching out for in your home or holiday cottage?
What is subsidence ..?
Subsidence occurs when the ground beneath a property moves, collapses or shrinks. This causes additional stress on the foundations of the building it’s supporting.
Wondering how the weather could potentially cause subsidence in a property? All ground contains water; when the ground is subject to long periods of heat that water begins to be lost, causing the ground to shrink (a little like a sponge without any water). As the ground shrinks, the foundations on which the property were built are strained and pulled in different directions, with this stress potentially leading to problems with the overall structure of the building.
How do you spot potential subsidence?
The tell-tale sign of subsidence is the sudden appearance of cracks within the property
These may well be more prevalent around doors and windows
Any cracks will often appear thicker than a 10 pence piece
Cracks will usually be diagonal in nature due to the forces being placed on the property walls; often be wider at the top than the bottom
If you have wallpaper in your cottage you may find that this begins to rip or crinkle as the wall shape distorts slightly.
What to do if you’re worried about subsidence
It’s important to highlight that not every crack is as a result of subsidence – both new and older properties will move slightly over time and have only visual cracks as a result, which won’t be of any structural concern. We recommend that if you do have any concerns about subsidence in your home or holiday home you report them to your insurer. You may need to have a structural survey undertaken to ensure that everything is as it should be. A full structural survey is also advised before purchasing a home, buy-to-let or holiday home property.
To discuss how our specialist holiday home insurance could keep your cottage covered, please give our helpful team a call on 01237 429 444.
https://www.boshers.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/bigstock-Cracked-Brick-Wall-With-A-Colo-269618227.jpg600900adminhttps://www.boshers.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/03-Boshers-Insurance-Landscape-dark-RGB_TRADEMARKED-300x70.pngadmin2019-05-31 09:56:242019-11-27 19:57:40Subsidence claims surge following hot summer
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