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water damage holiday homes

Common causes of water damage in holiday homes

water damage holiday homesIf you’ve ever had a water leak in your own home, you’ll know that small problems can quickly escalate when it comes to water damage. It’s therefore little surprise that `escape of water’ causes approximately £1.8 million of water damage to UK properties every day*. That’s a staggering £20.83 every second! They also account for 21% of all property insurance claims. (*Association of British Insurers – ABI).

So what are the most common causes of water damage in holiday homes? How can you reduce the risk in yours?

Those dreaded frozen pipes…

It’s that time of year when frost appears and temperatures can plummet dipping the mercury well beneath freezing overnight. This can be a real issue for holiday homes if left unoccupied. Frozen pipes being one of the most common and expensive causes of water damage in the UK each year.

To ensure you don’t fall foul of our cooler climate always make sure that your:

  • pipes are sufficiently lagged
  • heating is left on to maintain a minimum temperature throughout your holiday home to prevent pipes from freezing
  • holiday home is regularly inspected both externally and internally

Remember saving a few pennies on heating costs can lead to far greater loss through water damage. If you don’t leave the heating on make sure the water is turned off and the system is drained.

  • Check your holiday home insurance policy document for full conditions to which you must comply to maintain full cover.

Here’s some more useful information on protecting your holiday home from frozen and burst pipes:

Poor workmanship…

Just like any other area of your holiday home – whether it be your website, your furnishings or your electrics – quality is the key when it comes to avoiding water damage. All maintenance and any changes to your cottage plumbing should be carried out by a professional using appropriate quality materials. Incorrectly installed plastic plumbing and poor quality underfloor heating have contributed to an increase in water damage.

Pipework fatigue and failure

Another common cause of water loss in holiday homes is pipework failure. This will often happen at the point at which one pipe meets another and where the joint is weaker than the pipe itself. Flexible hose tails, often used in confined spaces such as wash basins and to connect washing machines and dishwashers are two common culprits when it comes to failure over time and should therefore be regularly checked and replaced if needed.

Valves and ball cocks are also prone to failure, with all resulting in leaks that can have the potential to escalate quickly if not identified, which is an issue in unoccupied holiday homes and therefore places an increased importance on regularly checking the property yourself or appointing this responsibility to somebody else.

Lack of regular maintenance

We’ve already highlighted the importance of conducting regular checks on your holiday home. These checks not only prevent issues with escaping water, but also identify them early before potential damage can escalate, so it’s unsurprising that a lack of regular maintenance can also cause issues. When was the last time you checked all of the taps, pipe joints, flexible braided hoses, ball cocks and any other potential plumbing nightmares in your cottage? If the answer isn’t within the past few months, then the time is now to avoid any future damage and disruption.

Our free water leak action pack could help reduce water damage in your holiday home

We’re always keen to help our holiday homeowners before issues occur, which is why we offer our policy holders a free Water Leak Action Pack which contains:

  • Guidance on preventing water leaks
  • What to do if you, your housekeeper or guests discover a leak
  • Somewhere to record where your stopcock is to be found
  • Labels and stickers to clearly mark your stopcock
  • Somewhere to record contact numbers in case of a leak

There’s a good chance we have already supplied you with a free Water Leak Action Pack for your holiday home, are you using yours? Find out more here.

Boshers are specialist providers of holiday home insurance. For information on how we can help protect your holiday let business ,call us on 01237 429444.

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Council Tax Bill second home

Labour plans to double council tax on second homes

Council Tax Bill second home Plans to double council tax on holiday homes

October brings with it the political party conference season. A time when each party comes together in order to flesh out their major policies. Holiday homeowners reading some of the headlines which emerged from the Party Conferences recently, the reading may seem quite bleak.

The reason?  When shadow housing secretary John Healey took to the stage he announced that he was ready to place a brake on the growing difference between Britain’s housing ‘haves’ and ‘have-nots’ in order to tackle homelessness that “shames us all”.

The focus of much of his ire was the country’s second home owners. Those owning a holiday cottage or second residence potentially being targeted for an additional £560 million tax bill – a doubling of their council tax.

Whilst potentially alarming for cottage owners, a question to be asked here is whether or not you are currently paying council tax on your holiday home or instead pay business rates, and the pros and cons of each of these options.

Should you be paying business rates or council tax?

The answer on this question comes down to two elements; what you use your second home for and how many days you let it out for.

  1. When your second home is used purely for you and your family you should be paying council tax.
  2. If you have a second home and it’s available for short term lets by paying guests for more than 140 days of the year then it should be assessed for business rates and added to the business rates list.

There are currently only 47,307 holiday homes liable for business rates in England. This would suggest that many holiday homes are potentially paying council tax when they should instead be paying business rates. So is there any benefit to doing so if you’re currently paying council tax on a property you let out to guests for a large proportion of the year?

The potential advantages of business rates

Small Business Rate Relief provides 100% relief from business rates on properties with a rateable value of £12,000 or less. This is provided the business uses only one property. It is however worth bearing in mind that relief of this type may still be available under certain circumstances. Therefore it’s worth consulting with your local ratings department if you are unsure.

There is also a concern that some second home owners are registering for business rates to avoid paying council tax. Currently there is little in the way of monitoring to ensure that holiday homes qualify for small business rate relief. For this reason the The Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government has launched a consultation:

This article is only meant as a top line summary of these issues. Need more guidance on whether you should be paying business rates or council tax? We recommend that you seek a professional working in this area. You can also contact the Valuations Agency Office. 

Boshers are specialist providers of holiday home insurance. For information on how we can help protect your holiday let business ,call us on 01237 429444.

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coastal holiday let

How to style your coastal holiday let

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coastal holiday let

Styling a property and making it your home is something that’s completely reliant on your own taste and personality; you’ll ultimately fill it with items that match your own style expectations and that represent you, your family and the ones you love. But when it comes to styling a coastal holiday let to be occupied by countless guests with a broad range of tastes, where do you or should you begin?

You’ll want your coastal holiday let interior to be neutral in order to not alienate anyone thus narrowing your potential market. Equally you’ll want to stand out from the crowd and make sure that your holiday home has the wow factor to make it leap from the website page your potential guests are viewing.

This is particularly pertinent for coastal cottages; many people want to spend their summers (and winters!) by the sea, but how do you stand out from the standardised ‘nautical’ look and feel that has swept the coastlines of the UK?

Here’s just a few tips on styling your coastal holiday let…

Know your target market

Any interior design or furnishing always starts with understanding who’s going to be staying in your holiday cottage.  The look and feel of a family-friendly abode is going to be very different to that romantic bolt-hole for young professionals venturing out of London for the weekend.

So the question is, are you in your own target market? If not, then it can be incredibly difficult to step away from our own tastes or personal preferences and place ourselves into the shoes of those that will be.

The answer? Consider asking the people that matter the most – your own guests. What do they like about the interior of your cottage at the moment? Are there aspects they don’t like? What would they change for the better if they could?

Feedback forms are often filled out by guests on departure. However these rarely veer from the generic questions of overall quality and satisfaction. If you’re considering renovating or refurbishing your holiday home, perhaps take the opportunity to ask your guests for their opinions.

Less is sometimes more

If you’re based on the coast, then it can be tempting to sweep through your holiday home with swathes of white and pastoral blues, but the latest trends and interior design experts suggest that less in this case certainly is more.

They recommend using blues as an accent colour, rather than one of dominance, which if you’re wanting to welcome guests to your holiday home in the winter months is certainly worth bearing in mind as blue is always thought to be a cooler colouring by the human psyche.

Avoid the cliché

Lighthouse lamps, porthole mirrors, seashells, rope, anchors, wall-hung oars and endless prints of ships. How many of these feature in your coastal holiday home? Props in your holiday home can not only lead to a forced style, but also clutter and if you’re welcoming young children into your property, create situations where such items can be easily broken or lead to harm.

A holiday home will generally be more lightly furnished than your own home. So always ensure props or any additional pieces become features rather than clutter.

So what actually is in style?

The people in the interior design know tell us that in-vogue at the moment are:

  • classic tongue and groove panelling,
  • painted floorboards,
  • galvanised metals and weathered paintwork

Accessorising with antique mirrors, worn leather chairs, white china, glass jars and vintage enamelware will finish the look.

No matter what the current trend, your styling success will ultimately come down to connecting with your target market. By finding common ground with them and placing them at the heart of every decision, you’ll not go far wrong.

Remember when creating the perfect style for your coastal holiday let be sure to review your sums insured. After all that hard work you’ll not want to fall short on cover should the worst happen.

Boshers are specialist providers of holiday home insurance. For information on specialist insurance can help protect your holiday home business, please give us a call on 01237 429444.

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dog friendly welcome information

Dog friendly welcome information

dog friendly welcome information

The saying goes that a dog is a man’s best friend. In modern Britain they’re certainly part of the family with almost one in three households having a four legged friend. With so many of us owning a dog you’ll not be surprised to hear that around 40% of guests are seeking pet-friendly holiday home accommodation.

If you currently welcome dogs into your holiday home are you giving their owners all of the information they may need during their stay?

We take a look at what you could be including in your dog friendly welcome information folder, on your website and all communications when it comes to attracting and welcoming dog owners to your holiday home.

Dog-friendly local walks and beaches

You’ll already know that your guests will spend the vast majority of their time outside of your cottage and exploring the local area during their stay. You want them to know the very best spots to take a dog – whether that’s local beaches, local walks or even local dog-friendly attractions and venues so make sure these are listed on your website (to tempt them to book) and in your welcome pack (to ensure they’re able to make the most of the local area during their stay).

Remember that whilst our canine friends never seem to tire us humans do have our endurance limits, so consider offering tips on a range of routes and walks that will suit guests of all levels and ages.

What if it rains!

Just like us, if a dog is housebound for the day due to inclement weather they can get a little restless, which isn’t great news for the owner and definitely won’t be for your holiday home interiors.

Remember to feature things to do and places to go if the heavens open; perhaps there’re local cafes that are perfect for dogs, or undercover local attractions that will welcome them with open arms no matter what the weather.

Local pet shops

What are they going to eat? With so much to pack sometimes things get left behind or simply won’t fit in the car. Just in case the bags of dog food don’t make it to the boot of your guest’s car, make sure you let them know where they can buy food and other essentials.

Raw meats and other dietary options for dogs are becoming increasingly popular so it’s also worth giving them plenty of different options when it comes to pampering their pooch at tea time.

Local vets

Your dog friendly welcome information folder should already prominently feature emergency telephone numbers. When welcoming dogs or other pets these should definitely include the contact information of local vets. We suggest that these numbers are not just confined to the welcome pack itself; consider making them clearly visible so in times of emergency they’re always easy to find.

Dog sitters and walkers

Sometimes your guests may need a little ‘me-time’; to put down the lead, and have a few hours away from their furry friend. For these magical moments they’ll need a little support from the very best local dog sitter or walker. How about making sure their information is always on hand!

More dog-friendly welcome information for your holiday cottage:

Boshers are specialist providers of holiday home insurance. For information on specialist insurance can help protect your holiday home business, please give us a call on 01237 429444.

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Package Travel Regulations

New Package Travel Regulations – where do you stand as a holiday homeowner?

Package Travel RegulationsThe Package Travel and Linked Travel Arrangements Regulations 2018

This summer has been a great one for many holiday homeowners and lettings agents; a weak pound has made foreign holidays less thrifty than they once were. When combined with plenty of sunshine many of us have chosen to staycation and enjoy everything Britain has to offer.

There has however been a slightly grey cloud hanging over the industry in recent weeks. Did you hear the announcement of new government regulations surrounding ‘package travel’? Although designed to protect travellers booking flights and hotels online as part of a package, the legislation has further ramifications. Not only large hotel chains but bed and breakfasts and holiday homeowners alike.

Let’s take a look at the legislation, what you potentially need to do and the impact it could have…

What are the Package Travel Regulations?

The UK’s package travel regulations came into force on 1st July 2018. They aim to provide those booking online greater protection should a business they book with go bust before their stay. They come in response to an estimated 50% of current holiday bookings offering customers no financial protection in these circumstances.

The main clamp down is on something called ‘flight-plus’ packages. This is when a flight departing the UK and accommodation (and sometimes car hire or transfer) are booked at the same time. Or when sold in close proximity to each other but the way in which they are sold means it doesn’t form a ‘package’. Going forward these types of holiday will either no longer exist or alternatively form part of a package or ‘linked travel arrangement’.

Greater protection for the consumer – sounds sensible so far doesn’t it? However, there are some further consequences to these changes…

Linked Travel Arrangements (LTAs) and your holiday home

So what exactly is a ‘linked travel arrangement’?

Visit England indicate that ‘a linked travel arrangement is formed where, on the basis of booking one element, the customer is provided with a targeted offer for another element and takes up that offer within 24 hours. This includes offers where if the customer stays in your accommodation they can take advantage of an offer at another business that they wouldn’t otherwise get.’

An example of this may be where you offer guests 10% off at that great gastro pub down the road, or perhaps you can get them 2 for 1 entry at a local festival or attraction and your guest decide to take advantage within 24 hours of booking with you. It’s important to highlight that you don’t have to benefit financially from the offer for a Linked Travel Arrangement to be formed’. This means as far as the regulations are concerned, even if you don’t get a commission you’re still selling a linked travel arrangement’.

Are there any exceptions?

The good news is that the package travel regulations don’t include simply signposting people to local pubs and attractions or making recommendations, so there’s no need to quickly remove these from your website or stop adding value to your visitors by offering them your local knowledge.

What if you are selling a Linked Travel Arrangement?

Are you are offering discounts or promotions in partnership with other attractions and eateries (as two examples we’ve already used)? If yes, the new regulations mean that you now need insolvency insurance. It’s a criminal offence to sell LTAs without this. Unsure of where you stand in relation to the latest regulations? Please have a read of these government guidance notes to ensure that you’re meeting all of your legislative requirements:

Boshers offer specialist holiday home insurance to owners across the UK. Would you like an insurance quote for your holiday letting property? Give us a call on 01237 429444.

 

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sharing economy

New report calls for greater regulations for the ‘sharing economy’ and online platforms such as AirBnB

sharing economyThe UK’s tourism sector has seen many changes over recent years, but perhaps none more significant than the emergence of the sharing economy.

Online platforms such as AirBnB, whilst originally positioned as helping homeowners make additional income by renting out a spare room in their home have now been used by an all-together different marketplace. Of the 64,000 properties listed on AirBnB in London, 50% of owners aren’t present at the home and 40% of those making listings are doing so for more than one property.

The suggestion is therefore that these are not homeowners and are instead tourism accommodation businesses. The issue with this? It is perceived by many that there is currently no level playing field when it comes to the regulations faced and taxation paid by those holiday letting via the sharing economy when compared to traditional holiday homeowners. In reality the reglations and tax regime applying to those offering furnished holiday accommodation is the same whichever route owners choose to market their holiday letting properties.

The report highlights concerns that “Rather, the problems derive from two main factors. First, sharing economy companies are very poor at providing information to potential hosts regarding their statutory responsibilities regarding the health and safety of their guests. Leading sharing economy platforms do not check if the hosts are compliant with regulations such as gas and fire safety before allowing them to post a property on their site. Of particular concern is that sharing economy companies place all responsibility for customer safety with the host.”

For example, the Airbnb terms and conditions state:
“Airbnb has no control over and does not guarantee the existence, quality, safety suitability or legality of any listing”

The report from the ‘All Party Parliamentary Group for Tourism’ has highlighted ‘the need to protect customer safety, maintain a level regulatory playing field across the tourism industry, take into account the needs of local communities, and ensure that all operators of tourism accommodation are paying the appropriate level of tax’. The report also highlights; “The need for comprehensive public liability insurance is becoming more acute as visitors, and the public as a whole, become more claims conscious.”

We recommend that anyone involved in the holiday letting industry reads the full report which can be downloaded as a PDF here – Inquiry into The Sharing Economy

The report recommends that the Culture Secretary launches a consultation on using his powers under the Development of Tourism Act 1969 to establish a low-cost statutory registration scheme for tourism businesses which would be devolved to local councils to enforce and administer.

This statement is certainly one that brings with it some encouragement, however it does cover a number of complex areas; from business rates to taxation and it will take time to achieve.  So what can you do to communicate the quality of your own holiday letting accommodation to potential guests?

Work with your great local holiday letting agencies

As a business we’re lucky to meet many holiday letting agencies across the country on a regular basis. They have years of experience in driving guests to your area so make the most of their knowledge and work with them in order to boost your occupancy rates. Holiday Home Letting Agents will also provide you with guidance on the laws and regulations applicable to you as a holiday homeowner.

Have your quality independently accessed and verified

We’ve already highlighted that there is a perception of lack of regulations when it comes to the sharing economy. Communicate just how far you go to ensure that every guest has a safe and enjoyable time at your holiday home. No matter if it’s entering local and regional awards or signing up to the AA or VisitEngland standards, guests often trust external verifications of your quality. So if you are five star, make sure that everyone that visits the website or your letting agent’s know that you are!

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.

 

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holiday home waste

Disposing of holiday home waste – your obligations

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holiday home waste

When we’re at home putting the bins and recycling out can sometimes be a chore. However it is certainly made easier than dealing with your holiday home waste by being there most of the time. Holiday homeowners often live a long distance from their holiday letting property, or perhaps only have the capacity to visit infrequently. So with this in mind how do you keep on top of your holiday home waste collection; and what are your obligations?

What are your obligations with respect to dealing with your holiday home waste?

By law, all businesses are required to take ‘all reasonable steps to ensure their waste is kept safe’; and when removed is ‘handled by a contractor authorised to collect, transfer, recycle or dispose of it safely.’

Unfortunately, waste disposal isn’t included within business rates. This is because it’s deemed fairer to charge businesses individually based on the quantity and type of waste they produce.

Is a holiday home a business?

The question is therefore, as a holiday cottage owner, are you a business?

The Controlled Waste (England and Wales) Regulations 2012 indicates that holiday lets and self-catering accommodation providers do qualify as a business. Therefore for the purpose of holiday home waste collection, holiday let owners should pay for a commercial waste service.

Full collection and disposal charges are applicable unless you receive the small business rates relief. It’s worth noting that many individual holiday lets do qualify; in which case you would only need to pay for the collection of the waste from your holiday cottage.

The benefits of commercial waste collection

There are a few benefits to having your holiday home waste collected commercially; such as

  • compliance with the waste regulations
  • increasing the frequency of collection during peak periods
  • matching collections to fit in on or before your changeover days

Saving money and increasing participation in recycling

When paying for your waste to be collected it goes without saying that in order to reduce costs, it’s important for you to reduce the amount of waste generated by your property.

But how do you actually do that in practice?  The answer is recycling although you’ll need to be savvy in getting your guests engaged when on holiday.

Although most of us will now recycle at home, attitudes can sometimes slip when we’re wanting to relax. Therefore making it as easy and simple as possible for your guests is vital to increasing their participation.

Clearly labeled or perhaps coloured containers are a must to make sure they know exactly what goes where. Also consider where you position them and if you welcome families into your cottage, whether it can be turned into a game to get everyone involved.

How do I organise a holiday home waste collection?

For more information on refuse collection please contact your local council for details of commercial waste contractors. Expect to pay a fee for a supply of commercial waste sacks and agree your collection days. It’s a good idea to make it clear to your guests when your holiday home waste and recycling will be collected and ask them politely if they will put the bags out in good time on the allocated day.

If you’d like to discuss how our specialist holiday home insurance can ensure your property has the cover it needs, please give our experienced team a call on 01237 429444.

 

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Negative feedback and guest complaints

Handling negative feedback and guest complaints

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Negative feedback and guest complaintsTimes they are a changing, and never has that been truer than in the area of negative feedback and guest complaints. Where people would in times gone by leave their feedback in a comment book placed within your holiday home and raise any issues over the phone during their stay, these comments and issues are now often left online once they get home for the world to see.

So what is the best way to address negative feedback or guest complaints made after they have left your holiday home, and the option of rectifying any issue is no longer on the table?

The TripAdvisor conundrum

Love it or loath it, TripAdvisor plays a large role in effecting the buying decisions of potential guests. Therefore any negative reviews need to be dealt with effectively, efficiently and also without emotion.

You should have a strategy and approach to Tripadvisor which should include the following:

  1. Having someone responsible for reviewing and responding to your reviews, both positive and negative.
  2. Have a time frame for responding to any ongoing reviews.
  3. Create a review process for any response to a negative review which brings in more than one person.

The final point is a key one here; when writing online it can be very difficult to denote tone, which means that in the majority of cases the person reading the response you’ve written (whether that’s the person that’s left the complaint or a potential guest) will apply their own perceived tone to it.

Ensuring that more than one person has read the response, and that it isn’t posted in haste, will help to ensure you’ve struck the correct chord.

Is it all lost or can the situation be resolved?

If a guest has left a negative review then it can be understandably difficult to not take it personally; you’ll spend a lot of time, effort and money in making your cottage a great place for guests to stay so any complaint can seem as somewhat of an attack.

Because of that the default position may be to revert to defense.  However, take some time to think how best to resolve the issue rather than pointing elements out to the contrary of what they’ve said.

Entering into conversation away from the public eye is a positive way of moving toward a resolution and away from an unseemly TripAdvisor spat, which can quickly and frequently, go viral.

If points they’ve made do need clarification make sure they’re made in a factual and non-emotive way.

What if they’re not made on Tripadvisor?

The question here is how to find them! Although TripAdvisor is a massive part of holiday home and tourism life, not all comments and reviews will be made through the platform.

You should regularly monitor your brand online through Google, Twitter and Facebook.

How to find recent mentions of your cottage on Google

When it comes to Google, try putting in the name of your cottage, or your website url (try both).  If you select ‘Tools’ which is just underneath the search box on Google and alter the ‘Any Time’ drop down to ‘Past week’ you will only be seeing new information added to Google in the last seven days.  This can be a great way of keeping on top of the vast search engine.

How to find mentions of your cottage on Twitter

Are you already using the third party application Hootsuite for Twitter? If not then here is a great reason to do so. Hootsuite provides quick and easy access to recent mentions of your holiday cottage from the millions of tweets made every hour.

You can do this in seconds by:

  • adding a tab / stream into the platform; and
  • setting the search to the name of your cottage.

This will let you see mentions of your cottage when they’ve not included your Twitter handle in their tweet. (These will appear automatically in your @mentions tab on Twitter).

For more information on adding columns to Hootsuite, take a look at these instructions:

How to find mentions of your cottage on Facebook

Last but not least; you can find mentions of your cottage on Facebook by using the simple search tool available on all profiles.

And once you’ve located the comments?

Once you have found any feedback and comments from your guests ensure you always respond. Do so in the same effective, efficient and non-emotive way as you should on TripAdvisor.

Boshers offer specialist holiday home insurance to owners across the UK. For information on how specialist insurance can help protect your holiday home business, call us on 01237 429444

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bunk beds

Bunk Beds – safety guidance for furnished holiday lets

bunk bedsBunk beds will undoubtedly form great childhood memories for many of us; and when it comes to a holiday cottage or any other property they can be a real space saver. Is your holiday home family friendly? Do you already have, or are considering bunk beds? Here are a few pointers you need to consider…

What age are bunk beds suitable for?

It was always a dilemma; who gets the top bunk? In terms of the safety the answer should always be children over the age of six. Many modern bunk beds come with an upper weight limit. You may also want to invest in a night light which illuminates the room. This will allow children to climb safely up and down.

Whilst the bottom bunk is safe for children under the age of six, babies and toddlers should sleep in their own separate cot.

With this in mind it’s worth checking with guests on the age of their children before arrival so you can prepare and make any necessary arrangements.

Only allow one child on the bunk bed

If children visiting your holiday home don’t have bunk beds at home they can cause a lot of excitement and novelty when they first arrive. Be clear with parents that only one child should be on the top bunk at any time; it’s always worth having this information readily available for guests to adhere to.

Where do you place your bunk bed?

We’ve already said that they can be a real space saver, but you’ll need to consider where you place your bed very carefully if it’s in a smaller room. Your bunk bed should be well away from windows and also more than two meters away from any light fitting.

Placing carpet under your bed

Research has also shown that children falling onto carpet rather than a hard bare floor can significantly reduce the risk and nature of injuries, so if you can, place your bunk beds in a room that is carpeted.  If your room isn’t carpeted it’s worth placing carpet or a rug underneath the bed itself to avoid it moving around and to increase stability.

Installing a guard rail and a well-fitted mattress

One of the most common causes of bunk bed injuries is falling from the top bunk whilst sleeping. Therefore it’s vital that bunk beds come with rails for the top bunk. These should be:

  • 16cm taller (minimum) than the mattress
  • fitted on both sides; and
  • have a gap of 300mm to allow access

Your mattress should also be well-fitted; you don’t want it to be able to be easily moved around within the frame of the bed. Also bear in mind that when it comes to purchasing a mattress for your top bunk, you’ll need to give careful consideration to the depth of the mattress in order to meet the requirements of the guard rail height.

In addition to prevent trapped heads and limbs it’s important to ensure that the distance between:

  • bed frame and bottom of guardrails is not more than 7.5cm
  • rails is not more than 7cm

Additional information on child safety and bunk beds can be found on page 20 of the Child Product Safety Guide available to download here.

Boshers offer specialist holiday home insurance to owners across the UK. For information on how specialist insurance can help protect your holiday home business, call us on 01237 429444

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Emergency Lighting

Does your holiday home need emergency lighting?

Emergency LightingAs the nights get longer the weather is often more unpredictable and the risk of powercuts increase. Emergency lighting in its basic form can be cost efficient and will ensure your holiday home guests are not left in the dark.

In the event of a standard power cut, the provision of torches or alternative lighting sources may well prove to be sufficient. But what if the stakes were much higher? What if the cause of the power being cut were due to a fire? Your guests may be left in a situation where they’re in the dark trying to navigate their way out of a property in which they have little understanding of the layout; an impossible and potentially deadly task. Have you considered emergency lighting in your fire risk assessment?

So do holiday homes require emergency lighting, furthermore what are your options?

Can you utilise ‘borrowed lighting’?

Are you familiar with the term, ‘borrowed lighting’? It refers to lighting from nearby areas and sources; this could be from adjacent streetlights or signage, or anything that would keep the interior of your cottage lit to a level that would allow a guest to exit it without problem should there be a fire at night. Sufficient borrowed lighting may in some cases negate your need for emergency lighting within your holiday let, although this is of course a judgement call (remember guests may well have all of the curtains drawn and what about that powercut?).

Providing torches

A holiday cottage in the countryside, away from borrowed lighting will require an alternative emergency light source. This can be as simple as providing rechargeable torches. A number of options are available and if you are going down this route it is recommended that you have one in each of the bedrooms within your property. When it comes to safety measures within a holiday home communication is always key; therefore ensure they’re clearly visible within the room and not just tucked away in a drawer. Regularly check they are working so you’re aware of any faults before they become an issue.

3 in 1 night light, torch and emergency lighting

These handy 3 in 1 emergency lights are fast becoming the preferred option for holiday cottage owners. When placed on landings and in hallways they can provide an economical emergency lighting solution. Holiday homeowners can purchase these online, there are many available on the market. We have linked to a few of the popular models available:

  1. 3 in 1 Rechargeable Torch

You may recognise this very affordable product from TV’s Dragons Den. It has three useful features; a rechargeable torch, automatic night light & emergency power cut light. The powerful LED’s come on automatically is the power fails and will safeguard your guests with 4 hours of light. It has also an A++ Energy Efficiency rating therefore appealing to your eco-conscious guests.

  1. Xtralite Nitesafe

This option has an LED bulb of up to 60 lumens which is super bright, just what you need in case of emergency. Incidently it still uses around 85% less energy than incandescent bulbs. Additionally it also has a built in nightlight and motion sensor.

  1. Plug In PIR Motion Sensor LED Night Light & Emergency Torch

Slightly more expensive per unit and can last up to 6 hours. It has a plug-in magnetic cradle, inductive charging, 18 LEDs, and a built-in 500mAH rechargeable battery. Plus, the detachable torch function gives you two hours of full-beam usage to go anywhere in the home with ease.

Do you have a larger holiday home?

Owners of larger holiday homes may want to consider a dedicated emergency lighting system. The good news is that these are not as expensive as they used to be – just be sure to do your research, purchase your system from a reputable supplier and always have it installed by a professional electrician.

Boshers offer specialist holiday home insurance to owners across the UK. For information on how specialist insurance can help protect your holiday home business, call us on 01237 429444

Please note this article only gives an overview of Emergency Lighting options for Holiday Let owners hence we suggest you take advice from a qualified fire safety professional before making any decisions in this area if you do not feel you are competent to make these decisions yourself.

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