Holiday Home Insurance – cover for evicting “Squatters”. Thankfully the risk of squatters occupying well managed holiday cottages marketed at a fair rate to ensure high occupancy throughout the year is slim. However with problems surrounding the supply of affordable housing in rural and coastal areas the threat is ever present. Not all holiday home insurance policies are the same and certainly do not offer equal value for money.
Boshers holiday home insurance policy has a bespoke Legal Expenses section arranged by Ecclesiastical with DAS Legal Expenses Insurance Company Limited. Our policyholders benefit from a bespoke holiday let section. DAS will negotiate for policyholders legal rights to evict anyone in their property who does not have their permission to be there but not including claims arising from or relating to a lease of land or buildings of more than 56 days.“Squatting” is not a legal term and when a holiday home is taken over for a short period, the legal position is usually simple: the owner can obtain an eviction order.However, the process can be dragged out by technicalities and end up taking time and treasure to sort out.
Under section 6 of the Criminal Law Act 1977 it is a criminal offence to use violence or a threat of violence to gain entry to a holiday home if someone, such as a squatter, is present. But it is not a criminal offence to go in yourself, if you do it peacefully, or to break back in and change the locks if no one is there. That is why squatters lock doors and keep one person in at all times.