Holiday home insurance in Ireland: your essential guide

Ireland has become a popular location for British holiday homeowners. Its rolling pastures, rugged mountains and largely unspoilt coastline offers Brits a feeling of familiarity but at a more relaxed pace, with far more space, less people and fewer roads. Unsurprisingly, Ireland's population density is much smaller than the UK's, with only around one-fifth as many people per square kilometre*.

Owning a holiday home in this beautiful country can be a great investment, and if you're considering buying a holiday home in Ireland, you'll need holiday home insurance to give you peace of mind that your property will be in safe hands. In this guide, we will cover everything you need to know about Irish holiday home insurance - keep reading to find out more!

Are you looking for holiday home insurance for your Irish property? At Howden, our team of trusted experts can help you find a policy that’s the perfect fit for you. Find out more and get a quote today.

What is Irish holiday home insurance?

Irish holiday home insurance is a specialised type of home insurance designed for second homes or holiday homes in the Republic of Ireland. These specialist policies are designed to protect your property against the unique risks and challenges associated with owning property abroad that may be unoccupied or used for short-term rentals.

A holiday home insurance policy provides peace of mind for anyone owning a second home or holiday property in Ireland, covering damages, theft, and other risks. It provides protection for both the building's structure and the contents inside.

What does Irish holiday home insurance cover?

Like standard home insurance, there are three types of cover to choose from for holiday home insurance in Ireland:

Buildings only insurance

Buildings insurance covers the structure of your holiday home, including walls, roof, and permanent fixtures like kitchens and bathrooms, against risks such as fire, floods, and structural damage.

Contents only insurance

Contents insurance protects your belongings, such as furniture, appliances, and personal items, from theft, damage, or loss.

Buildings and contents insurance

A combined policy that covers both the structure of your holiday home and your possessions, providing comprehensive protection for property owners.

This comprehensive policy may also include accidental damage to your property, as well as escape of water and oil, covering damage caused by leaks from water pipes, heating systems, domestic appliances, or fixed tanks.

Irish holiday home insurance typically includes buildings and contents cover as standard, and may also include some or all of the extra policies we will detail below.

What cover do I need for my Irish holiday home?

The type of cover you need depends on how you plan to use your property. However, it is generally advised to take out buildings and contents insurance as the bare minimum.

What kind of insurance do I need for a holiday let in Ireland?

A comprehensive Irish holiday home insurance policy usually includes cover for holiday letting. If you plan to rent out your holiday home in Ireland, it is recommended to get public liability, employers' liability, and loss of rental cover (which we will detail below), so you should check with your insurer to see if these are already included in your policy.

Additional cover options that may be included in your Irish holiday home insurance policy

There is also a range of additional cover options that your policy may include, or that can be added on to your policy:

Unoccupancy cover

Many home insurance providers require you to reside in the property and typically won’t cover homes left unoccupied for more than 30 days. Empty properties pose higher risks, as they are more vulnerable to theft, vandalism, and other hazards.

Rather than standard home policies, holiday home insurance offers a tailored solution, by providing unoccupancy cover for longer vacant periods. These policies generally extend coverage for off-season vacancies, often up to 60 days. They are often subject to specific conditions, such as removing valuables, and exclude loss of metered oil and water.

Loss of rental income

If you rent out your property, and your property becomes damaged due to an insured event, such as fire, flood, or storm damage, loss of rent insurance helps recover lost earnings (e.g. due to booking cancellations)

Alternative accommodation cover

Should your Irish holiday home become uninhabitable due to damage to the property, this covers alternative accommodation costs, ensuring that you and your family have a place to stay while repairs are carried out.

Alternative accommodation cover is often included in an Irish holiday home insurance policy, but you should always check your policy documents first.

Public liability cover

While public liability insurance is not a legal requirement for holiday homeowners in Ireland, if you plan to rent out your property to paying guests it is highly recommended.

This type of insurance provides cover in case a guest or other third parties suffer an injury or their property is damaged while staying at your holiday home.

It's worth considering the level of public liability cover you need, factoring in the number of guests you plan to accommodate and the type of activities they will be engaging in.

Employers' liability cover

Employers' liability insurance provides cover for anyone you employ (such as domestic staff or contractors) to maintain your holiday property in Ireland.

If an employee becomes ill or injured while working at your Irish property, employers' liability cover gives you financial protection, covering associated expenses such as medical or legal fees.

Emergency travel costs cover

This covers the travel costs in case Irish property owners need to travel to their holiday home in the event of an unexpected emergency. This could be anything from water damage from a burst pipe, a fire on your property, or damage to your Irish holiday home from a storm.

Legal cover

Holiday home legal insurance provides cover in the event of a legal dispute related to your holiday home in Ireland. This could include:

• Contract - If you have a dispute about:
  • Buying or renting out your holiday home for leisure purposes.
  • Buying or hiring.
  • Your tenancy or a lease where you are a tenant or lessee.
• Property - Against another party who causes damage to your holiday home, nuisance, or trespass.
• Tax - To have help from an accountant if HMRC investigate your personal tax affairs.
• Legal defence - For the cost of legal representation if you are investigated for or charged with an incident arising out of the letting out of your holiday home.

What type of insurance do you need for Airbnb rentals in Ireland?

Airbnb provides hosts with Host Protection Insurance, offering up to $1 million per rental for liability coverage, including potential protection for landlords, subject to specific terms and conditions.

Additionally, Airbnb offers a free Host Guarantee, covering guests' damage to the host’s property for up to $1 million. However, this is not an insurance policy, and Airbnb clarifies that it does not replace homeowners or renters’ insurance. Find out more here.

Since coverage is not comprehensive, it's wise to get holiday home insurance that specifically includes Airbnb rentals to ensure proper protection for your holiday home.

If you are looking for holiday let insurance for your Irish property, get in touch with us! At Howden, our team of trusted experts can help you find a policy that’s the perfect fit for you. Get a quote today!

Is it more expensive to insure a holiday home?

Insuring a holiday home in Ireland can be more expensive than insuring a property back home due to additional risks, such as unoccupancy or the risks that come with letting out your property to guests.

How much does holiday home insurance in Ireland cost?

While the cost of holiday home insurance varies from insurer to insurer, there are several key factors that generally affect the premium you pay, such as:

• Property location - For example, areas near bodies of water like rivers or seas often come with higher insurance costs.
• Property size - larger holiday homes usually attract higher premiums.
• The value of your contents - Keeping high-value items in your property can lead to increased insurance costs.
• The level of cover you choose for your holiday home in Ireland will also affect premium costs.

Here are five ways to reduce the cost of your Irish holiday home insurance

If you're looking to save money on your holiday home insurance, rest assured there are still ways to make it cheaper! Here are a few ideas:

Regular upkeep

Keeping your property in good condition will help prevent deterioration and shield it from weather-related damage. This way, you'll be less likely to make a claim on your insurance, keeping your premiums down.

Improve security

Simple measures to improve home security like installing a burglar alarm, secure locks and security cameras will discourage thieves and could reduce your premiums.

Increase your excess

Opting for a higher excess can lower your premium, but ensure it's an amount you can comfortably cover if needed.

Choose a single insurance provider

Using one insurer for both your buildings and contents insurance can often be cheaper than taking out multiple policies with different insurers.

Use annual payments

Paying your premium in one yearly instalment is usually more economical than monthly payments.

Holiday home insurance Ireland: Key takeaways

• Holiday home insurance Ireland provides essential protection for your second home or holiday property against risks such as fire, flood, theft, accidental damage, and break ins.
• A comprehensive holiday home insurance policy typically includes buildings and contents cover, safeguarding both the structure and your belongings.
• Public liability cover is highly recommended, especially when letting your holiday home to paying guests, to protect against claims for injury or damage.
• Additional coverage options (which may already be included in your policy) include unoccupancy cover, loss of rent cover, alternative accommodation cover, emergency travel costs, and legal expenses cover.
• It is important to check your policy wording carefully to ensure you're getting the cover you need.
• Holiday homes left unoccupied for extended periods can be more vulnerable to risks like theft, so unoccupancy cover offers peace of mind when you are overseas or away.
• Claims for damage or loss should be handled promptly to avoid escalation of problems and to maintain protection under your policy.
• Comparing multiple quotes can help you find the best holiday home insurance deal tailored to your property and usage in Ireland.

*Source: Insurance for Holiday Homes