Holiday home insurance
Specialised holiday home cover for second properties used for leisure or rental use.
What's included?
- Policies available for holiday homes across the UK, Cyprus, Spain, Portugal, France, Greece and the Republic of Ireland.
- Insurance that provides cover for buildings and their contents in one combined policy.
- Dedicated claims support from insurance experts.
- Legal expenses, public liability, theft, accident damage and home emergency cover all included.
We've been providing specialist insurance policies as your local broker for over 30 years.
Howden is the new name for Insurance for Holiday Homes.
Since 1993 Howden Insurance have been providing insurance policies to communities across the UK as a local insurance broker.
To achieve this, we work with a wide range of specialist holiday home insurance providers and compare policy options on our clients' behalf, based on what they tell us they expect to get from their cover.
Regardless of the holiday property you need to insure, and whatever budget your is, we'll do everything we can to help you get your hands on a comprehensive policy.
Our team knows that holiday home owners need a policy that's individual to them, and that’s why we provide a bespoke, personalised service, which focuses on getting to know you and finding out exactly what you want from your holiday home insurance cover.
Hear from our insurance expert…
What’s new or changed in the holiday home insurance market which I should be made aware of?
"One of the most common claims on holiday homes is for escape of water e.g. pipes bursting. Holiday homes tend to be left unoccupied for longer periods, so any damage may not be found quickly, resulting in high claim costs - especially with the cost of construction/living in recent years. Holiday home insurers have started increasing their escape of water excess to reduce claims, so if you are adding a voluntary excess, check if that’s on top of the escape of water excess."
Rob Neal, holiday home insurance expert.
Why choose Howden?
Rated 'Excellent' on Trustpilot
500,000+ Protected Clients
Insuring for 30+ years
Insurance Broker of the decade
According to the latest data from the Association of British Insurers (ABI), insurers paid out a record £226 million for weather-related damage to people’s homes and possessions in the first quarter of 2025 alone.*
" First time dealing with Howden Insurance for holiday home insurance. The service was excellent and turned a usually complex and not pleasant event into one of the simplest processes I have had in obtaining any insurance anywhere! I will be recommending Howden Insurance to others and will certainly use them again. "
Holiday home insurance is specialised policy designed for second properties used for leisure or short-term letting, and not as a main residence. It covers buildings, contents, or both, protecting against risks like fire, theft, storm damage, and vandalism. Additional features include public liability, legal expenses, loss of rental income, alternative accommodation, and emergency travel.
Policies are tailored for homes left unoccupied for long periods and can include cover for swimming pools, hot tubs, and accidental damage. Standard home insurance isn’t suitable for holiday homes, especially if rented out. Costs vary based on location, size, security, and usage, with discounts for combined cover.
What is holiday home insurance?
Holiday home insurance is a specialised type of home insurance policy designed to cover properties that are not your primary residence.
It caters to the unique risks associated with second homes, which may be left unoccupied for extended periods or rented out to holidaymakers.
What exactly is a holiday home?
A holiday home is a property that’s owned primarily for recreational use or for leisure. They’re also known as second homes, or vacation homes, and are used by the owners’ and their family and friends, or renting guests for personal purposes such as holidays or short-term stays.
A holiday property could be a small villa, a large cottage, or even an ordinary detached property – as long as the property is used for personal reasons, it’s deemed to be a holiday home.
Do I need holiday home insurance?
No, you’re not legally required to have a holiday home insurance policy. However, having a policy in place to protect your holiday property is highly recommended for a number of reasons.
For instance, what happens if you’re holiday property is damaged after an unexpected disaster, such as a storm or by a flood? What happens if the contents of your home abroad are stolen or damaged following an accident?
Situations like these could leave you out of pocket and vulnerable. Having a holiday home insurance policy can provide you with financial protection and the reassurance you need to know that everything will go back to normal following a claim.
Can I get a standard home insurance policy to cover my holiday home?
Generally, a standard home insurance policy is not suitable for a holiday home, especially if you intend to rent it out. Standard policies are designed for properties that are the primary residence of the policyholder and typically assume a consistent level of occupancy and care.
They often have exclusions that would invalidate a claim if the property is being used for commercial purposes like holiday lets or is left unoccupied for extended periods beyond their specified limits.
Key differences from standard home insurance
- Rental to guests: If you rent your second home to paying guests, you will need a special "holiday let" policy. This covers risks related to tenants, such as accidental damage, theft by occupants, and liability for guest injuries.
- Extended unoccupancy: Most standard home insurance policies won’t cover your property if it’s left empty for more than 30 to 60 consecutive days. Holiday home insurance is specifically designed to protect homes during longer stretches of unoccupancy.
- Public liability protection: Hosting guests means you’re responsible for their safety while they’re on your property. Specialist insurance typically includes public liability cover, which helps with legal costs and compensation if a guest makes a claim against you.
What's covered by holiday home insurance?
There are 3 ways a holiday home insurance policy can provide cover – for the building, for its contents, or for both in a combined policy.
Holiday home contents insurance
Want to protect the contents of your holiday property and your personal belongings? Perhaps a TV, furniture, or valuable possessions? Contents cover can keep them protected if they’re damaged or stolen.
Holiday home buildings insurance
If the structure and permanent fixtures of your holiday home are damaged by vandalism, a fire, or unexpected weather such as storm, buildings insurance can help over the cost of making repairs.
If you want to protect both the building and contents of your holiday accommodation, get in touch with us, and we can get you a quote for combined holiday home contents and buildings insurance cover.
What else is included in your holiday home insurance cover?
Here’s some other ways your holiday home insurance cover can provide you with additional protection and support:
Legal expenses: designed to cover the cost of legal fees that come with being involved in any legal disputes.
Loss of income: if an incident means you are losing the rental income you generate from paying guests staying at your home away from home, you can get financial support until the property is ready again.
Alternative accommodation: offers a temporary place to stay if you can no longer stay in your holiday property.
Accidental damage cover: insurance protection in case your property or contents are damaged unexpectedly.
Theft cover: specialist insurance that's there to protect you if you are a victim of theft.
Travel for emergencies: need to get to your property immediately to get something fixed? You can get emergency travel support.
Public liability insurance: public liability cover and employers liability insurance can both be included in your policy if someone else or an employee, such as a gardener, makes a claim relating to something that occurs on your property.
Home emergency cover: most insurers offer this protection for when unexpected issues arise such as plumbing issues or boiler breakdowns.
What doesn’t holiday home insurance cover?
There are alternative policies which can provide protection for the situations holiday home cover cannot, such as:
- If the property is non-standard: you’ll need specialist cover if your property is unordinary, and built uniquely, perhaps with a thatched roof.
- Solar panels: not all holiday home policies provide cover.
- How the home is used: if the property is used for a hen or stag party, or isn’t for personal leisure, you might need to find alternative cover.
- Long-stay lets: extended stays for guests might require landlord insurance.
- 7+ bedrooms: some policies only provide cover for properties with a particular number of bedrooms.
All UK insurers differ in terms of what they cover under their insurance for a holiday home, so it’s important that you check policy wording before you take anything out. An insurance broker, such as Howden Insurance, can help you get your head around various different policy options from various holiday home insurance specialists and pick a cover which provides the protection you’re looking for.
How much does holiday home insurance cost?
There are many factors which can influence how much you’ll need to pay for a holiday home insurance premium, including:
Paying annually or monthly
If you pay upfront for a policy in one lump sum, it’s often cheaper than paying in monthly instalments that come with more interest charges.
Security features
Making your property more secure with alarm systems, window locks and security lighting are just a few ways you can avoid further risk and convince insurers to offer a cheaper premium.
Combining buildings and contents cover
Some specialists will offer a discount if you take out a combined policy to protect your holiday home. Adding policy add-ons such as public liability insurance or alternative accommodation cover may also affect the price of your policy
Maintenance and condition
If your holiday property abroad is in good condition and is well-maintained, you’re more like to get a cheaper premium.
Size and location
Where your home-away-from-home is located and how big it is will either increase or decrease the likelihood that it’s involved in a claim. For example, a holiday cottage insurance policy could differ in price compared to a policy that's designed to protect a multi-floor holiday home.
Is it furnished?
Furnished holiday lets can be covered by holiday home policies as an allowable expense, which is tax-deductible.
It’s important to remember though that the key to getting the perfect holiday home cover is NOT the price. Making sure you’re covered comprehensively and never left out-of-pocket following an accident or incident is what matters most.
How do I get a holiday home insurance quote?
The first thing you need to do to get a holiday home insurance quote is to get in touch an expert here at Howden. Our team have plenty of experience in the insurance industry, meaning you're in capable hands.
Once you’ve provided us with some details about yourself and your second home, we can assist you with finding the perfect policy, based on having an understanding of what risks you could face and in what ways you need insurance cover. Here’s what we need from you:
- Details about yourself
- Where you holiday home is located
- The type of cover you need
- Whether your holiday home is a let
Need peace of mind that your holiday home and personal property are protected? Let us help you get the right insurance for a holiday home.
*Referring to a study included in the ABI news article "Funding for flood defences crucial as the bill for bad-weather hits record quarterly high | ABI"
Want to read more about holiday home insurance and what cover you might need for your property? Check out our Holiday Home Guides page here!
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