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Modern Living Room Holida Home Contents Insurance

Renewing your holiday let property insurance

Modern Living Room Holida Home Contents InsuranceWhen you’re renewing your holiday let property insurance there are a few points you need to bear in mind. As you’re aware, a holiday let is very different to your average home, so having specialist insurance is vital. You’ll want to be sure you’re fully covered when something goes wrong and you need to make a claim.

Our holiday home insurance incorporates a lot of factors as standard, including public liability, accidental damage and full theft cover. When coupled with loss of rental income cover, these will really help you out should you need them. This is why they are automatically covered, but there are some aspects we’ll need to know about in order to give you the best holiday let property insurance possible.

Employment

Our Holiday Home Insurance automatically covers employer’s liability for £10,000,000 and you’ll receive a certificate stating this with your policy. It is important that you keep your employees in mind when discussing your policy with us, particularly if you’re renewing and your circumstances have changed. This is particularly important for larger holiday cottage complexes who may employ a housekeeper or maintenance staff. If you run a payroll we’ll need to know your Employers Reference Number (ERN) for short.

Building work

If you’re renewing and have had any building work done, you’ll have to let us know so we can get your cover right. If you’re taking out a new policy, and are planning on carrying out any work, whether that be demolition or building, we will also need to know. Letting us have a clear idea of what will be changing in the next 12 months will make it easier for us to provide you with the right cover and advise you when you’ll need to update it further.

Hot tubs and pools

We know that guests love hot tubs and pools, but you’ll also have to make it clear that you have one (or both!) when it comes to taking out your insurance. If you’re renewing and have recently installed something such as a hot tub, swimming pool or other guest facilities then you’ll need to let us know.

Security

We want your holiday home to be secure. That said, it’s unlikely we’ll ask you to meet strict security requirements unless your holiday home contents has a high value. If you’ve made alterations to your cottage security by installing something such as an alarm system, then please do let us know when renewing your policy. You may consider using a key safe for convenience, we have no problem with this but if your holiday home is insured elsewhere do check to ensure your not compromising your cover. If in doubt call us for a quote.

Increasing holiday let property insurance sums insured

Whether it’s holiday let property insurance to cover contents, buildings or public and employers liability, the most important part of an insurance policy is ensuring that you have the right level of cover for your holiday home. Renewal is a great time to review your sums insured to see if they need to be increased. Bear in mind that you will need the cover if the worst should happen. Don’t be tempted to underinsure no matter how many years you’ve been claims free. Our goal is always for you to have the right cover for your needs.

Boshers offer specialist holiday home insurance to owners across the UK. For more information on how a specialist insurer can help and support your holiday home business, please give us a call on 01237 429444.

For further information on UK holiday home insurance visit the website page most relevant to you:

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Holiday Home Security

Essential guide to holiday home security

Holiday Home SecurityHoliday homeowners often face a unique set of circumstances when it comes to holiday home security; you could live a good distance from your property, it may be unoccupied for periods during the year and you’ll ultimately have no control over how security conscious and diligent your guests remain when they’re in relaxation mode on their holiday.

Whilst latest Government figures show the rate of UK robberies is at an all time low, now is a great time of the year to be taking a look at what security you have in place, and how you communicate this vigilance with your guests.

In this essential guide to holiday home security we give you a few simple steps you can put in place in order to make sure that your cottage is as secure as possible…

Windows and Doors

The majority of thieves are opportunists and holiday homes can provide them with an abundance of potential opportunities. Your guests will stay in their droves during the summer months when temperatures are higher, leading to the temptation of leaving windows wide open when away from the property. Combine this with the fact they’ll spend the majority of the time away from your cottage and you’ve got an unoccupied home with little defence.

3 out of 10 burglaries are committed without using force; whilst the majority of visitors will treat your cottage like their own, consider adding a friendly request to secure all windows and doors before leaving the property, and also consider any communication that you could display near windows, particularly if they’re located on the ground floor.

Locks

Adding locks to windows throughout your holiday home can be another line of defence. An insurer may want to know what security systems you have in place to see if they meet conditions for external and internal doors. A five-lever mortice deadlock conforming to the British Standard 3621 is highly recommend, if not one of a higher spec.

For extra peace of mind windows could also be fitted with key operated locks with handles that are multi locking and conform to British Standards.

Key Safes

Changeover or periods during which your holiday home is unoccupied could be potential targets for burglars. If you don’t already have one, consider the use of a key safe to secure your holiday home keys for the convenience of your visitors.

For more information on the first ever police approved key safe please take a read of our blog post here:

Keeping an eye out

We’ve said that these periods can be a target, so how often do you visit the property to ensure everything is in order? If you live a good distance from your holiday home consider having a neighbour, or cleaner make regular checks on your property, especially during vacant periods. This can be useful not only from a security perspective, but also highlight any maintenance issues during the busy season.

Holiday letting agents will also be able to keep you well informed on these aspects and may even offer an inspection service or point you in the direction of someone who does..

Burglar Alarms

According to Yale, 60% of burglaries are on homes that have inactive alarm systems.

So does your holiday home have an active alarm, particularly when you don’t have any guests? We advise talking to alarm specialists about what type of alarm you should use and highly recommend asking a registered company to install it.

Visit the National Security Inspectorate website at www.nsi.org.uk to find a registered specialist near you.

Property contents

It’s vital that you have contents insurance in place, but do you know exactly what contents are in your holiday home? If you only visit the property infrequently it may be some time before you realise that items have been removed from your cottage.

Make a list of items inside your holiday home and also consider taking photographs of where they are located (this can be useful for future reference should there be any issues).

Property marking is an additional way of protecting items of particular value and will make it harder for thieves to sell on. Methods include UV pens, etching and forensic marking. Talk to your local police and council to find out if they run any workshops in the area.

Holiday home insurance

Do pay attention to any security conditions in your holiday home insurance policy and ensure that you have the correct holiday home security in place. Whilst it is good practice to have all the above security measures in place, our underwriters will not generally require minimum security measures to be in place unless your contents sums insured are substantial. It’s not practical to expect your holiday home guests to lock every window whilst they go out for the day so look for a holiday home insurance policy that does not require evidence of forceful of violent entry in the event of a theft claim.

If you have any questions or queries regarding the insurance cover you have in place or if you require a quotation from a specialist for your holiday home insurance please give one of our experienced team a call on 01237 429444.

This holiday home security article has been created as generic guidance for holiday home, cottage and holiday cottage complex owners and does not constitute security or insurance advice. If you have any questions relating to holiday home security and the prevention of thefts at your holiday cottage you should take advice. 

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Storms flooding

Feeling the impact of UK storms

On the 8th September 2015, the Met Office announced they would begin naming storms expected to affect the UK and Ireland. Few of us could have quite expected the pace at which we would run through the alphabet; the nation braced itself for Abigail on 10th November, and before the end of the year we were already feeling the full force of Storm Frank! As I write this Storm Gertrude is battering our shores.

The Association of British Insurers (ABI) has now revealed the full scale of the impact devastating floods caused by Storm Desmond, Eva and Frank have had on the UK:

  • 3,000: The number of families currently in alternative accommodation whilst their homes are repaired.
  • £50,000: The average expected pay out for each domestic flood claim.
  • £24,000,000: The amount of emergency payments already made to domestic customers (£9m) and businesses (£15m) to help them recover from flooding.
  • £1.3bn: The estimated figure expected to be paid out by insurance companies to those affected by flooding damage.

How does this compare to the storms of 2013/14?

For many the tidal flooding and storm damage experienced two winters ago will still be fresh in the memory. The storms, which hit the South West of the country particularly hard, led to an estimated £6.7m in claims per day.

The projected damage of these recent storms is already expected to hit £1.3bn, a staggering £300m more than in 2014, with the average cost of flood damage per household going up from £31,000 to £50,000.

Here’s an interesting infographic on the damage caused in 2014 – Flooding 2013/14 – The Numbers

Storms flooding

Why you need specialist insurance

If you’re a holiday homeowner and have been affected by the storms or flooding it’s important that your insurance policy is there to support you and your unique set of circumstances.

The impact of storms and flooding will be felt by those affected for many weeks and months after the television cameras have packed up and gone home.

For holiday homeowners’ the consequences can be potentially catastrophic; what happens to those bookings you’ve already gained? Will you be back up and running by Easter, or even the start of the summer season? When will you be able to put an exact date on when you’ll be back in business and be able to accept bookings?

Loss of rental income

Our Loss of Income cover means you’ll not need to fit the bill for the potential loss of bookings or cancellations you have to make while restoring your holiday home to its former glory.

We’ll even be able to look at the bookings taken for a similar period in previous years in order to make sure you get the right amount of cover for the losses you’re incurring.

We also appreciate that things can’t be achieved overnight; for that reason our own indemnity extends to two years, which is plenty of time to get you back on your feet.

Boshers offer specialist holiday home insurance to owners across the UK. For more information on how a specialist insurer can help and support your holiday home business, please give us a call on 01237 429444.

You may also find the following posts of interest:

 

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Holiday Lets: deadline nears to make the most of cottage industry

Time is running out for holiday cottage owners to upgrade their property while simultaneously cutting their tax bills. A £30m tax break, which cuts the cost of second homes for more than 65,000 families, is to be withdrawn next month because of EU laws. Read the full article here 

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Holiday Home Insurance Top Ten Blogs From 2010

Holiday Home Insurance Top Ten Blogs From 2010. Listed below are our top ten holiday home insurance blogs from 2010. Full of informative holiday home insurance tips and hints for furnished holiday let owners in the UK.

Brought to you by specialist Holiday Home Insurance broker Boshers Ltd.  

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Furnished Holiday Let Owners Are Warned That Gas And Cowboys Don’t Mix

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Holiday Home Owners are considered as Landlords under HSE legislation and therefore have specific legal responsibilities to their guests (tenants) when it comes to gas safety. In order to comply with the legislation all furnished holiday let owners should have all the gas appliances and gas boilers in their holiday homes serviced in accordance with the manufacturers guidelines and have a Gas Safety Check carried out. This work must be carried out by a Gas Safe Registered Business. Furnished Holiday Let Owners Are Warned That Gas And Cowboys Don’t Mix! Visit the Gas Safe Register website for specific gas safety information for landlords including a facility to search for a registered business in your area.

Furnished Holiday Let Owners Are Warned That Gas And Cowboys Don’t Mix

According to research carried out in 2009 on behalf of the Gas Safe Register at least a quarter of a million gas appliances installed in our homes each year are done illegally. At least 7,500 illegal gas fitters in GB are doing the most common and often most dangerous types of gas work in our homes.

Illegal gas workers who make false claims about their qualifications and carry out unsafe gas work could put you, your family and your guests at risk from gas leaks, fires, explosions and carbon monoxide poisoning. Owners who fail to use a Gas Safe Registered Businesss to carry out their statutory duty as a landlord to have annual Gas Safety Checks on their holiday home gas appliances could also invalidate their holiday home insurance.

Holiday home owners will also find the links below of interest:

For Self-Catering holiday cottage owners in Scotland, the Scottish Government has produced the following:

You may also find the following posts for holiday home owners of interest:

Follow this link for posts similar to Holiday Let Insurance for your annexe other useful resources for holiday home owners

For further information on UK holiday home insurance visit the website page most relevant to you:

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Owners improving their holiday home WOW FACTOR should consider their holiday home insurance!

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Owners improving their holiday home WOW FACTOR should consider their holiday home insurance! In a competitive domestic self-catering holiday market, holiday home owners are increasingly turning to property improvements to increase the WOW FACTOR and appeal of their holiday homes, cottages and apartments.

When planning to undertake major improvements which go beyond new decor, owners are reminded to contact their holiday home insurance provider for advices prior to the work commencing and just as importantly after works have been completed in order that sums insured can be adjusted accordingly. The benefit of keeping your holiday home insurance adviser in the loop is that you can then rest assured in the knowledge that you will have the corrrect cover in place.

For information on ensuring that your holiday home insurance sums insured are correct, read Boshers Guide to Holiday Home Insurance Sums Insured.

We at Boshers understand the needs of holiday home, cottage complex and apartment owners. If you do not already benefit from our comprehensive holiday home insurance policy, contact us today on 01237 429444 or email cottages@boshers.co.uk and we’ll make a diary note to speak to you nearer your renewal date.

For further information on UK holiday home insurance visit the website page most relevant to you:

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Furnished Holiday Letting rules with us a little longer

Furnished Holiday Letting rules with us a little longer. We are always looking for interesting snippets of relevant information to bring to our holiday home insurance clients. This extract is from our own accountants, Stevens & Willey and featured in their Summer 2010 newsletter.

The favourable Furnished Holiday Lettings tax rules are to be with us until April 2011 at least. Rather than continue with the withdrawal of the rules proposed by the previous Government, the Chancellor has cancelled the proposals.

However, the Government is to publish a consultation document over the summer about plans to change the tax treatment of furnished holiday let property from April 2011. The consultation will look at issues that: 

  • ensure the Furnished Holiday Letting rules apply equally to properties wherever they are in the European Economic Area:
  • increase the number of days that qualifying properties have to be available for, and actually let as, commercial holiday letting; and
  • change the way in which Furnished Holiday Letting loss relief is given.

We will know more about future changes as the consultation progresses. In the meantime there are a few things to remember:

  • Holiday accommodation in the European Economic Area that meets the conditions can be classed as a Furnished Holiday Letting, and perhaps save you tax. The conditions include the property being actually let for at least 70 days a year and not more than a continuous period of 31 days to the same tenant. 
  • Losses arising from Furnished Holiday Lettings can be set against other income. 
  • Should the property be sold then it may be possible to 
  1. roll over the gain into a further property or business asset, or
  2. reduce the gain by entrepreneurs relief 

If you have any queries about your own circumstances or the changes, speak to your tax adviser or accountant. 
  

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