Who is holiday home insurance for?

A lot of people erroneously believe that their Homeowners policies cover all their properties while they are left unoccupied for a long period of time. This can't be further from the truth. If you have a holiday home that you leave unoccupied for longer periods of time, then you must purchase separate holiday home insurance to protect your property against theft, damage or destruction caused by natural disasters.

How Holiday Home Insurance Works

• You need holiday home insurance if you have a holiday home in a different town or abroad, or if you leave your primary home unoccupied for 30 days. This is when your Homeowners policy ceases to cover your home, and you need to purchase special holiday home, also referred to as vacant home, insurance.
• Don't forget that if you rely on your Home owners insurance policy to cover your dwelling when you have left it vacant for over 90 days and it has suffered from damage or theft, chances are that your claim will be denied.
• Few insurance companies provide holiday home insurance, and the ones that do, offer it at a high cost. It is still better buying the coverage than leaving your holiday home unprotected. A professional insurance adviser will help you find the best coverage for the most reasonable price.
• Holiday home insurance is also known as a "dwelling policy" and it only offers protection against a limited number of causes-of-loss, such as smoke, fire, etc. Even though holiday home insurance prices are usually much higher than the premiums one would pay for a Homeowners policy, you can always find comprehensive coverage through an independent insurance agent.

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